How much weight do you gain on lithium?

Approximately 25% of people gain weight from taking lithium, according to a review article published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 1 After analyzing all relevant published medical studies, the authors reported an average weight gain of 10 to 26 pounds among those who experience this troubling side effect.

How can I avoid gaining weight on lithium?

Weight gain is a known unwanted side effect associated with lithium use. Limiting caloric intake from beverages can help avoid or keep weight gain to a minimum. Lithium can make you very thirsty. Replace sugary drinks or juices with water, flavored waters, or other low- to no-calorie beverages.

Can you lose weight while taking lithium?

“I heard Topamax makes patients and clients lose weight, while Lithium and Depakote results in weight gain.” Lily, the clinician, articulated these words to Dawn. While Topiramate helps with weight loss, its mood stabilizing effect is no better than placebo. Lithium causes weight gain, and it is a good mood stabilizer.

Does lithium increase appetite?

Lithium seems to influence appetite slightly although it is responsible for the gain in weight in a fourth of the treated outpatients. Half of the subjects consider that lithium modifies their sexuality towards a decrease of the desire without modifying their capacities of realization.

Do bipolar meds make you gain weight?

Most bipolar drugs cause weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, several of them increase your blood sugar level, which can lead to weight gain. Others affect your energy level. During manic episodes, you typically may not sleep much and may burn off lots of energy.

How to Manage GI Side Effects and Weight Gain Due to Lithium?

Is 300mg of lithium a lot?

The right dosage of lithium varies from person to person, but most people are prescribed between 900 milligrams (mg) to 1,200 mg per day, in divided doses. Some people take more than 1,200 mg per day, especially during acute episodes. Others may be more sensitive to lower doses.

Is there a bipolar medication that doesn't cause weight gain?

Mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). All of these medications are known to increase the risk of weight gain except lamotrigine.

Does everyone gain weight with lithium?

Although the possibility of gaining weight while taking lithium is well known, this side effect does not affect everyone who takes the medication. Approximately 25% of people gain weight from taking lithium, according to a review article published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

What does being on lithium feel like?

The most common side effects of lithium are feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, a dry mouth and a metallic taste in the mouth. Your doctor will carry out regular blood tests to check how much lithium is in your blood.

Does lithium cause stomach bloating?

And they feel bloated. They can feel liquid sloshing around in their abdominal area or they may even get some puffiness in their limbs. This is water weight that's been put on, not adipose. And the treatment for this is, there is a treatment for it and it could be the use of a diuretic.

How can a bipolar person lose weight?

Ultimately, you have to be taking in fewer calories than your body is burning in order to lose weight. Strategies include setting yourself a calorie cap per day, checking that your portions actually match the recommended serving size, and keeping track of everything you eat in a food diary.

What are the long term side effects of taking lithium?

The most concerning side effects of long term lithium use are hypothyroidism and kidney problems. According to a 2015 review article , these side effects are most likely to affect women below the age of 60 years. They are also more common among people with higher-than-average concentrations of lithium in the blood.

What bipolar meds help you lose weight?

All 5 patients responded to adjunctive topiramate for the treatment of the bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. The mean dose of topiramate was 195 mg/day (range, 100–375 mg/day). All patients lost a substantial amount of weight on topiramate. The average weight loss was 22 lb (10 kg; range, 8–56 lb [4–25 kg]).

Does lithium help with anxiety?

Lithium improves the body's ability to synthesize serotonin. This simply means that the body's levels of serotonin increase in response to lithium, which has the effect of improving mood and reducing feelings of anxiousness.

Does lithium make you lazy?

Lithium may affect your mental alertness or make you drowsy. Do not drive until you know how lithium will affect you. Avoid alcohol. Ensure you keep adequately hydrated while taking lithium and maintain an adequate salt intake (your doctor will discuss this requirement).

Does lithium make you look younger?

There is growing evidence that lithium could be re-purposed as an anti-aging drug, and a new study from King's College London suggests that lithium's protective effects are due to a slowing down of the molecular aging process in cells.

What to expect when you start taking lithium?

When first starting lithium, many people experience common side effects, such as nausea, shakiness, or greater thirst. Regular blood monitoring is important to make sure you are taking a safe and effective dose of lithium.

How do you reverse weight gain from antipsychotics?

Recommend metformin 250 mg 3 times a day, along with lifestyle modifications, to promote weight loss and decrease insulin resistance in patients who gain more than 10% of their pretreatment body weight on antipsychotic medications.

Which antipsychotic has the least weight gain?

Ziprasidone caused the least amount of weight gain. A meta-analysis by De Hert et al observed that the newer antipsychotics asenapine, iloperidone, paliperidone and lurasidone caused significant weight gain.

What is the newest medication for bipolar?

CAPLYTA is the newest FDA‑approved option to treat bipolar depression. CAPLYTA is a prescription medicine used to treat the depressive episodes in adults with bipolar I or II, that can be taken alone or with lithium or valproate. Patients may receive up to $8,800 in savings annually.

Can you have a glass of wine with lithium?

People taking lithium should avoid drinking alcohol. Not only can alcohol worsen bipolar disorder symptoms, but it can also intensify side effects caused by lithium, including dizziness and drowsiness. Additionally, taking lithium while drinking may make the medication less effective, leading to more mood swings.

Does lithium help you sleep?

Lithium reduced rapid eye movement sleep and prevented memory impairment induced by sleep deprivation.

How long does it take for lithium to kick in?

It takes about 1 to 3 weeks for lithium to show the effects and remission of symptoms. Many patients show only a partial reduction of symptoms, and some may be nonresponders. In cases where the patient does not display an adequate response, consider monitoring plasma levels, and titrating the dose.

Is bipolar linked to obesity?

Abstract. Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with obesity, overweight, and abdominal obesity, and BD individuals with obesity have a greater illness burden. Factors related to BD, its treatment, and the individual may all contribute to BD's association with obesity.

Is 600 mg of lithium a lot?

Lithium is usually taken 1-3 times per day with or without food. Typically patients begin at a low dose of medicine and the dose is increased slowly over several weeks. The dose usually ranges from 600 mg to 1200 mg daily, but some people may require higher doses depending on weight or symptoms.