Lithium
About
Lithium belongs to a psychological class of drugs called 'Anti-manic agents' or 'Mood stabilizers' primarily used to prevent and treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder. Mania is a mental condition that causes intense excitement, high energy, and delusions (misbeliefs). Bipolar disorder is a mental condition associated with extreme mood swings ranging from the hyper stage of mania to low mood depression.
Lithium contains Lithium that helps to treat mental disorders by increasing the activity of chemical messengers in the brain thereby, suppressing the excessive and abnormal activity of nerve cells in the brain and helps in stabilizing a person’s mood.
Take Lithium as prescribed. Your doctor will advise how often you take Lithium based on your medical condition. Some people may experience loss of appetite, dizziness, dry mouth, taste change, diarrhoea, blurred vision, slurred speech, shaky movements, increased thirst, and urination. Most of these side effects of Lithium do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
If you are known to be allergic to Lithium or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is advised to consult a doctor before using Lithium. Regular blood tests are recommended while taking Lithium to monitor the levels of lithium in blood. If you have fits, kidney or heart problems, thyroid, persistent headache, vision problems, and if you are planning or had weight loss surgery, please inform your doctor before taking Lithium.
Uses of Lithium
Medicinal Benefits
Lithium is a mood stabilizer that is used to prevent and treat mood disorders such as mania and bipolar disorder. Lithium contains Lithium that helps to treat mental disorders by increasing the activity of chemical messengers in the brain thereby, suppressing the excessive and abnormal activity of nerve cells in the brain and helps in stabilizing a person’s mood. Thus, Lithium relaxes nerves and calms the mood, which helps in having a better social life and enables to do daily activities comfortably.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Lithium
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Taste change
- Diarrhoea
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech
- Shaky movements
- Increased thirst and urination
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Regular blood tests are recommended while taking Lithium to check lithium levels in blood. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Lithium. If you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), please inform your doctor before taking Lithium as it may cause low thyroid levels. If you notice decreased amount of urine, dark, reddish urine, muscle pain or weakness, inform your doctor immediately as it may be due to a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis (muscle tissue breakdown) which may lead to kidney problems.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Lithium may have interaction with high blood pressure-lowering medicines (ramipril, lisinopril, methyldopa, amlodipine, diltiazem), pain killers (ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib, indomethacin), asthma drugs (theophylline), antipsychotics (olanzapine, haloperidol, clozapine, sertindole), fits related drugs (phenytoin, clonazepam, carbamazepine), heart-related medicines (quinidine, amiodarone, propafenone, ranolazine, procainamide, disopyramide, ajmaline, cibenzoline, hydroquinidine, azimilide, ibutilide, sotalol, dofetilide), antidepressants (paroxetine, amitriptyline, fluoxetine), antibiotics (trimethoprim, spectinomycin, co-trimoxazole, metronidazole, tetracyclines).
Drug-Food Interaction: Lithium may interact with caffeine. Therefore, reduce the intake of caffeine including coffee, tea or herbal medicines as it may decrease the effect of Lithium. Also, avoid alcohol intake as it may increase side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness or difficulty in concentrating. Intake of sodium may also alter lithium levels. Hence, maintain a constant dietary intake of salt.
Drug-Disease Interaction: If you have fits, kidney or heart problems, thyroid, persistent headache, vision problems, Brugada syndrome (a hereditary syndrome affecting the heart), hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) and low sodium levels, inform your doctor before taking Lithium.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended to avoid consumption of alcohol with Lithium as it may increase the risk of side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness or difficulty in concentrating.
Pregnancy
unsafeLithium is a Category D pregnancy drug and is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it may cause harm to the unborn baby.
Breast Feeding
unsafeAvoid breastfeeding while taking Lithium as it may be excreted in breast milk and cause adverse effects in the baby.
Driving
unsafeLithium may cause dizziness, drowsiness or other severe adverse effects. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel drowsy or dizzy after taking Lithium.
Liver
safe if prescribedLithium is safe to use in patients with Liver diseases/conditions if prescribed by a doctor.
Kidney
cautionTake Lithium with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required. Lithium is not recommended for patients with severe kidney problems.
Children
cautionLithium is generally not recommended for children below 12 years. However, Lithium may be used in children above 7 years for treating bipolar I disorder only if prescribed by a doctor.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid low-sodium diet as it may increase lithium levels in blood and cause adverse effects.
- Limit the intake of caffeine as it may reduce the effectiveness of Lithium.
- Do regular exercise and maintain a stable weight as Lithium may cause weight gain.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and try to drink same amount of water everyday as any major changes in quantity may affect lithium levels.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol as it may increase drowsiness.
Special Advise
- Regular blood tests are advised every week while taking Lithium to monitor the levels of lithium in blood. When lithium levels are constant, blood tests may be done for every 3 months.
- Drink constant amount of water daily and maintain a constant sodium intake as any major changes in these two may alter the levels of lithium in blood.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Mania: It is a mental condition which causes intense excitement, high energy and delusions (misbeliefs). Mania may occur due to lack of sleep or changes in sleep pattern, high levels of stress and alcohol intake. Seek medical help immediately if you have any self-harming or suicidal thoughts. Bipolar disorder also called as maniac depression is a mental condition associated with extreme mood swings ranging from maniac highs to depressive lows. The symptoms of bipolar disorder include mania (high energy and excitability) and depression (loss of interest, hopelessness, low energy). Bipolar disorder involves lifelong treatment.
FAQs
No, you are not recommended to take Lithium with fluoxetine or other antidepressants such as paroxetine and sertraline as co-administration of these medicines may increase the risk of a rare and serious condition known as serotonin syndrome. If you experience blurred vision, increased heart rate, hallucination, fits, confusion, muscle stiffness or spasm, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, excessive sweating, stomach cramps, fever, shaking or shivering, please consult a doctor immediately. However, before using Lithium with any other medicines, you are advised to contact your doctor.
Lithium is not recommended for hypothyroid (underactive thyroid gland) patients as it may increase the risk of low levels of thyroid hormone. Therefore, if you have hypothyroidism, please inform your doctor before taking Lithium. Also, thyroid levels are checked generally before starting treatment with Lithium so that if the levels are too low, Lithium is not advised.
Yes, Lithium may cause weight gain but it is not necessary for everyone taking Lithium to experience this side effect. However, in order to avoid gaining weight while taking Lithium, you are advised to do regular exercise and avoid high-calorie drinks. Instead take non-alcoholic drinks, herbal tea and lemon water.
It is advised to inform your doctor if you are planning or had weight loss surgery as the dose may be adjusted accordingly based on lithium levels in blood.
Yes, Lithium may cause dehydration especially if you have low sodium levels in the body or consume too much alcohol. However, if you notice dark, strong smelling urine or decrease in urination, it indicates that you are dehydrated and may affect lithium levels in blood. Therefore, you are recommended to drink plenty of fluids while taking Lithium to avoid dehydration.
No, you are not recommended to stop taking Lithium without consulting your doctor as it may worsen the condition or cause recurring symptoms. Therefore, take Lithium for as long as your doctor has prescribed it and if you experience any difficulty while taking Lithium, please consult your doctor so that the dose may be gradually reduced.
