What are the serious side effects of lithium?

What is the most concerning side effect of lithium?

Rare/serious side effects

Signs of lithium toxicity include severe nausea and vomiting, severe hand tremors, confusion, vision changes, and unsteadiness while standing or walking. These symptoms need to be addressed immediately with a medical doctor to ensure your lithium level is not dangerously high.

What are the dangers of taking lithium?

If you've been taking lithium for some time, it can cause weight gain. It can also cause problems with your kidneys or thyroid gland. Common signs of an underactive thyroid are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed.

What are the long-term side effects of taking lithium?

Lithium also exerts antisuicidal, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. The main problems associated with long-term lithium treatment include kidney, thyroid, and probably cognitive issues.

What are the common signs of lithium toxicity?

In mild lithium toxicity, symptoms include weakness, worsening tremor, mild ataxia, poor concentration and diarrhea. With worsening toxicity, vomiting, the development of a gross tremor, slurred speech, confusion and lethargy emerge (Bauer and Gitlin 2016).

Lithium: Adverse Effects and Interactions – Pharmacology | Lecturio Nursing

What drugs should not be taken with lithium?

Common drug–drug interactions with lithium

The most commonly prescribed drugs that have the potential to interact with lithium are ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists (sartans), diuretics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Why do people quit lithium?

Adverse effects were the most common cause for lithium discontinuation. Among the adverse effects, diarrhoea, tremor, creatinine increase, polyuria/polydipsia/diabetes insipidus and weight gain were the top five reasons for discontinuing lithium.

What is an alternative to lithium for bipolar?

The ones that treat bipolar depression are cariprazine (Vraylar), lurasidone (Latuda), olanzapine-fluoxetine combo (Symbyax), and quetiapine (Seroquel). Among them, lurasidone offers a good balance of efficacy and tolerability.

What does lithium do to your organs?

Taking lithium for long periods can affect your kidneys and your thyroid. Lithium can also cause drowsiness. Your doctor will carry out blood tests regularly to monitor how much lithium is in your blood. They will also monitor your kidney function, your thyroid gland and your parathyroid gland.

Does lithium affect the brain long-term?

The research showed that after eight weeks of lithium treatment, the subjects had significant increases in gray matter fraction, global cortical thickness, and the thickness of frontal and parietal cortices. Volume increases were also seen for putamen, hippocampus, thalamic nuclei, and thalamic substructures.

What mental illness does lithium treat?

Lithium is used to treat mania that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). It is also used on a daily basis to reduce the frequency and severity of manic episodes.

Can lithium change your life?

Lithium can be life changing for those who find bipolar disorder difficult to manage, but its use does come with side effects. In this article, we outline some of the more common short term and long term side effects of taking lithium.

When should you not take lithium?

Lithium is not recommended in patients with renal impairment. It is also not recommended in patients with cardiovascular disease. Lithium causes reversible T wave changes and can unmask Brugada syndrome.

Can lithium damage your brain?

Prolonged lithium intoxication >2 mM can cause permanent brain damage. Lithium has low mutagenic and carcinogenic risk.

What organs can lithium damage?

Lithium has adverse effects on the kidneys, thyroid gland and parathyroid glands, necessitating monitoring of these organ functions through periodic blood tests. In most cases, lithium-associated renal effects are relatively mild.

How many mg of lithium is fatal?

The treatment serum level range is 0.8-1.2 mmol/L, but Lithium levels above 1.2 mmol/L can be toxic and a level above 2.0 mmol/L is potentially fatal.

Is lithium worth it bipolar?

While there are different medications used to treat manic and depressive episodes in people with bipolar disorder, lithium is a commonly used medication. Studies suggest that lithium is very effective at both treating symptoms of bipolar disorder and preventing relapses of the condition.

What is a natural substitute for lithium?

Natural Lithium Alternatives

carbs and caffeine, regular exercise, talk therapies with various therapeutic focus, and other supplemental inclusions that have been shown effective for depression, bipolar presentations, and mood disturbances. All of these types of treatments may be viable lithium alternatives.

Why did doctors stop prescribing lithium?

In 62% of episodes, lithium was discontinued due to adverse effects, in 44% due to psychiatric reasons, and in 12% due to physical reasons interfering with lithium treatment.

Why is lithium controversial?

Since its introduction, the prescription of lithium has grown increasingly controversial due to reports of poisoning, memory loss, and the drug having a “lobotomizing effect” on patients.

Does lithium make you emotionless?

Substantial affect and mood changes are induced by lithium carbonate. Lethargy, dysphoria, a loss of interest in interacting with others and the environment, and a state of increased mental confusion were reported.

What foods interact with lithium?

Foods that alkalinize the urine may increase elimination of lithium from the body, potentially decreasing the actions of the drug. Urine-alkalinizing foods include dairy products, nuts, fruits, vegetables (except corn and lentils), and others.

Can you take Tylenol while on lithium?

No interactions were found between lithium and Tylenol Sore Throat Daytime. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.