Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking lithium. They may decrease the benefits (e.g., worsen your condition) and increase adverse effects (e.g., sedation) of the medication. Avoid low sodium diets and dehydration because this can increase the risk of lithium toxicity.
What should I watch when taking lithium?
Dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and excessive production of dilute urine may occur with higher (toxic) lithium levels. Seek urgent medical advice. Lithium may also cause irregular heartbeat, drying and thinning of hair, alopecia, dry mouth, weight gain, itchiness, and other side effects.
How much water should I drink while taking lithium?
If you take lithium in the morning, do not take it until after your blood work is done. It is important to drink 8-12 glasses of water/fluid every day.
Does lithium interact with anything?
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).
Does lithium make you emotionless?
How will it make me feel? If the amount of lithium in your blood is right, you probably will not have any problems taking this medicine. However, some people find it slows down their thinking or makes them feel a bit “numb”.
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.
What foods interact with lithium?
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 know if lithium is not working?
Notice physical changes, such as weight gain, headaches, a rapid heartbeat or problems with your blood sugar. These can be signs that your medicine is causing physical problems and you may need to try a different prescription.
Does alcohol interact 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.
Can you take Tylenol and lithium together?
In general, it is best to avoid the NSAIDS listed above when taking lithium. Certainly, they should not be used frequently or on a regular basis without consultation with your doctor(s). If you do need a pain reliever while taking lithium, acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is a safe alternative.
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).
Does lithium help with anxiety?
In fact, some patients start feeling less anxious, irritable, and depressed just days after taking low-dose lithium. Despite the evidence supporting the benefits of low-dose lithium, it is still underused as a supplement in psychiatry.
Does lithium dull your personality?
Another potential side effect is cognitive dulling, which is when a person does not feel as “sharp” or alert as they once did. Sometimes, a doctor may have difficulty telling whether a person is depressed or experiencing cognitive dulling due to lithium treatment.
Does lithium help you sleep?
Conclusion: Lithium reduced rapid eye movement sleep and prevented memory impairment induced by sleep deprivation.
Is lithium similar to Seroquel?
Seroquel is also used to treat schizophrenia in adults and children who are at least 13 years old, and major depression. Seroquel and lithium belong to different drug classes. Seroquel is an antipsychotic and lithium is an alkali-metal.
Is 600 mg of lithium a lot?
For long-term treatment of mania: Adults and children 12 years of age—600 milligrams (mg) 2 times a day, or 3 times a day up to 1200 mg per day. Children younger than 12 years of age—Use is not recommended.
How long can you stay on lithium?
The NICE guidelines for bipolar disorder recommend that you gradually reduce your dose of lithium over at least four weeks. Ideally, you would reduce it over a period of up to three months. This is to lower your risk of relapse.
Does lithium affect your eyes?
Based on the search, documented ophthalmic adverse effects of lithium include: exophthalmos; abnormal eye movements; ocular myasthenia gravis; papilledema; photophobia; and abnormal tear film, contributing to dry eye disease.
Why does caffeine affect lithium?
Lithium excretion is thought to depend largely on the sodium concentration of urine16 and caffeine, by inhibiting proximal tubular sodium reabsorption, can therefore increase lithium clearance.
What vitamins does lithium deplete?
Replenish Depleted Nutrients
Lithium therapy has been shown to deplete brain stores of inositol.
What vitamins should I take with lithium?
People with bipolar disorder who are taking lithium (a common standard treatment for this disorder) or are experiencing a manic episode often have low levels of Folic Acid. Supplementing with this vitamin seems to enhance the effects of lithium. Typical dosages are between 400-600 mcg a day for an adult.
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