The following medications may decrease the levels and effect of lithium:
- Caffeine.
- Sodium chloride (table salt)
- A medication used to treat breathing problems called theophylline (Theo–Dur®, Slo–Bid®)
What causes lithium levels to drop?
Less salt can make your lithium levels rise, while increasing your salt intake can cause it to fall. Caffeine intake. Caffeine found in coffee, tea, and soft drinks may have an effect on lithium levels. Less caffeine can cause your lithium levels to rise, while more can cause it to lower.
What decreases lithium concentration?
Serum lithium concentrations are reduced by 20 to 30% by the concurrent use of theophylline, which may cause patients to relapse. Caffeine may have a similar effect. Serum lithium concentrations should be monitored if theophylline is stopped, started or if the dosage is altered.
What foods affect lithium levels?
Dietary changes, particularly those containing caffeine and salt, may affect lithium levels and increase your risk of developing lithium toxicity. Salt consumption can cause fluctuations in serum lithium levels. While taking lithium, do not make sudden changes to your salt intake.
How do you reduce lithium?
If you need to stop taking lithium, it is best for you to come off it gradually, over at least four weeks, but preferably over three to six months. Gradually reducing the dose will make it less likely that your symptoms come back (compared to stopping the lithium quickly).
Does caffeine lower lithium levels?
Avoid excessive intake of caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks, since these may decrease levels of lithium and decrease effectiveness of the medication. Discontinuing caffeine use may increase lithium levels. Consult your healthcare provider before reducing or stopping caffeine use.
What are symptoms of low lithium levels?
hypo-mania (similar to mania, but less severe) regular periods of depression, where treatment with other medicines has not worked. bipolar disorder, where your mood changes between feeling very high (mania) and very low (depression)
What can increase lithium levels?
Volume depletion from diuretics, dehydration, febrile illness, or gastrointestinal loss can lead to elevated lithium levels in the serum[9]. The serum elimination half-life of lithium can vary from 12 to 27 hours.
How do NSAIDs affect lithium levels?
When combined with lithium, NSAIDs can increase lithium levels in the blood resulting in an increased risk for serious adverse effects like confusion, tremor, slurred speech, and vomiting.
What causes high lithium levels?
Chronic Toxicity
The chronic form of lithium toxicity can occur when you take lithium daily but your serum blood level has crept up into the toxic range. 1 Possible causes for this level increase are a dosage increase, being dehydrated, interactions with other medications, and problems with kidney function.
How can I increase my lithium levels naturally?
If you’re looking to add the foods high in lithium to your diet to improve your lithium levels, the authors of the review in Biological Trace Element Research note that cereals, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and some mineral waters are the best sources of the metal.
What affects lithium absorption?
Sodium restriction enhances the renal tubular reabsorption of lithium (20), thus leading to potentially toxic serum levels of lithium. Serum potassium concentrations can have variable effects on serum lithium levels. For example, acute hyperkalemia increases lithium reabsorption in dogs (21).
How do you keep lithium healthy?
Getting only moderate amounts of caffeine and not stopping caffeine use abruptly. Avoiding high-fat meals to lower the risk for obesity. Watching your salt if you have high blood pressure but not skimping on salt if you are being prescribed lithium (low salt intake can cause higher levels of lithium in the blood)
What does low lithium levels mean?
Prescription lithium has a narrow therapeutic window, meaning its blood concentrations need to be within an extremely tight range for it to be effective and safe [6]. Even slightly higher levels can cause side effects. On the other hand, if lithium levels dip too low then bipolar symptoms may reemerge.
Why do bipolar patients stop taking 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 are the 3 main symptoms of 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.
Does caffeine trigger bipolar?
Caffeine
Caffeine is an underappreciated bipolar trigger and can also impair sleep, he says, which can be particularly problematic because sleep deprivation is a notorious trigger for bipolar mood swings and mania.
What induces mania in bipolar?
Factors that may increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder or act as a trigger for the first episode include: Having a first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, with bipolar disorder. Periods of high stress, such as the death of a loved one or other traumatic event. Drug or alcohol abuse.
Can lithium levels fluctuate?
Minor variations in serum lithium level from visit to visit are of no clinical consequence. More substantial changes in level are of potential concern (too high = increased risk of toxicity; too low = increased risk of relapse) and dosage adjustments may be necessary.
Can lithium lower BP?
Lithium also can cause changes in the electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG), low blood pressure, and decreased heart rate.
Can lithium gain weight?
The mood-stabilizing drug lithium remains an effective mainstay of treatment for bipolar disorder—but unfortunately, it can cause weight gain. Although the possibility of gaining weight while taking lithium is well known, this side effect does not affect everyone who takes the medication.
Contents