What organs are affected by lithium?

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.

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 liver?

Liver test abnormalities have been reported to occur in a small proportion of patients on long term therapy with lithium. These abnormalities are usually asymptomatic and transient, reversing even with continuation of medication.

What are the serious side effects of lithium?

Call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremors, unsteadiness, or other problems with muscle control or coordination. These may be symptoms of lithium toxicity. Make sure your doctor knows if you have a heart disorder called Brugada syndrome.

Does lithium always cause kidney damage?

Does lithium harm the kidneys? While most studies suggest that long-term lithium use can impair renal function, the link is not 100% clear. Bipolar disorder itself is a risk factor for renal impairment, as are the medical conditions that tend to congregate with it: cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

Lithium: Levels and Toxicity – Pharmacology | Lecturio Nursing

Why is lithium rarely prescribed?

It has long been known that lithium has toxic effects on the thyroid gland and the kidneys. The thyroid toxicity, caused primarily by lithium's interference with thyroid hormones' release from the gland (19) affects up to 19% of treated patients (20).

What is the downside 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.

Does lithium cause organ damage?

Lithium may cause problems with kidney health. Kidney damage due to lithium may include acute (sudden) or chronic (long-term) kidney disease and kidney cysts. The amount of kidney damage depends on how long you have been taking lithium.

Does lithium affect teeth?

Dental Side Effects of Lithium

People are more susceptible to particular dental issues when they lack saliva from lithium, such as tooth decay, gingivitis, and gum disease. The gums and other oral tissue can become red, inflamed, and ulcerated, making it painful to eat and follow a proper oral hygiene regimen.

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).

What are two long-term side effects of 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.

Does lithium damage the heart?

Lithium overdose can be associated with cardiac toxicity, especially in those with underlying heart disease. Toxic levels of serum lithium are associated with cardiotoxic effects ranging from simple ECG disorders to dysrhythmias, cardiomyopathy and even acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

How common is kidney issues in lithium?

Although several reports suggest little effect of lithium on renal function, other studies estimate prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) amongst lithium users between 10 and 35% (Presne et al.

What two 2 symptoms may indicate he is suffering from lithium toxicity?

Symptoms of lithium toxicity include severe nausea and vomiting, severe hand tremors, confusion, and vision changes. If you experience these, you should seek immediate medical attention to check your lithium levels.

Can lithium cause forgetfulness?

Lithium has been associated with impaired memory, word finding difficulties, and impaired recall. Often, my patients have reported a cognitive "dulling" and a loss of cognitive "creativity" with lithium use that they found most disturbing.

Can lithium cause hair loss?

Lithium causes hair loss in 12-19% of long-term users. Valproic acid and/ or divalproex precipitates alopecia in up to 12% of patients in a dose-dependent relationship. Incidences up to 28% are observed with high valproate concentration exposures.

What diseases are caused by lithium?

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is the most common renal side effect of lithium therapy [2,3]. The predominant form of chronic kidney disease associated with lithium therapy is a chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy [4].

Does lithium shorten your lifespan?

Lithium May Extend Longevity

In addition to the well-known positive effects on mood,¹⁸ lithium has also been linked with longer overall longevity. Two studies have found that individuals living in areas with even modest, low levels of lithium in the drinking water tend to live longer.

What does it feel like to be on 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.

Is there a better alternative to lithium?

Sodium-ion batteries are an emerging technology with promising cost, safety, sustainability and performance advantages over commercialised lithium-ion batteries.

What medication can replace lithium?

Alternatives to lithium in the prevention of relapse of recurrent affective disorders include antidepressants, carba- mazepine and ECT.

What mental illness is lithium for?

What Is Lithium And What Does It Treat? Lithium is a mood stabilizer medication that works in the brain. It is approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). Bipolar disorder involves episodes of depression and/or mania.

What are the symptoms of poor kidney function?

Does lithium cause bladder problems?

Four (17%) of 23 consecutive female outpatients developed significant urinary or urgency incontinence when treated with lithium carbonate. The symptoms remitted or abated with the addition of oxybutynin (an anticholinergic drug), imipramine, or with decreased lithium dosing.

How is lithium cleared by kidney?

Lithium has a similar charge and size as sodium, and various reports from approximately 1970 to approximately 1985 showed that their renal filtration and reabsorption are similar. Lithium is, thus, freely filtered in the glomerulus and largely reabsorbed in the proximal tubule, which reabsorbs 70% of filtered sodium.