Long-term effects on your body Taking lithium for long periods of time can affect your kidneys and your thyroid gland. Your doctor will recommend blood tests to check your: kidney function. thyroid gland.
The most serious concern in patients on long-term lithium therapy is the possibility of nephropathy in the course of interstitial nephritis. In such conditions, the main changes in laboratory results are increased creatinine concentration and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
Indeed, in some cases, lithium toxicity can lead to coma, brain damage, or even death. Moreover, lithium can induce serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal and life-threatening condition[31].
Serum lithium levels of 1.5-2.0 mM may have mild and reversible toxic effects on kidney, liver, heart, and glands. Serum levels of >2 mM may be associated with neurological symptoms, including cerebellar dysfunction. Prolonged lithium intoxication >2 mM can cause permanent brain damage.
Though often perceived as a “silver bullet” treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), lithium has seldom reported to lose its efficacy over the time.
Lithium is generally safe to take for a long time. Most people take it for years with no problems. 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.
The development of tolerance has similarly been multiply documented where lithium doses are consistently maintained, but after an extended period of excellent responsiveness, affective episodes of increasing severity, frequency, or duration begin to break through.
Long-term treatment with lithium is associated with a reduction of the GFR and a twofold increased risk of chronic kidney disease (86). Patients with BD in older age are consequently at a higher risk of these adverse effects after having taken lithium for several years (78).
In those exposed to lithium, 9.7% of patients were also subsequently diagnosed with dementia. In those that weren't exposed to lithium, 11.2% of people went on to develop dementia. Lithium conferred this beneficial effect even when people were exposed to it for less than one year.
Lithium mining leads to the contamination of local ecosystems and water basins which makes water consumption for people and animals in those localities harmful. The damages can be minor health damages or even death. Increased levels of Carbon Dioxide Emission.
“Based on the research conducted on this issue, the average weight gain that people who take lithium experience is usually between 10 and 26 pounds,” says Faisal Tai, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and CEO of PsychPlus, a mental health services provider in Houston.
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.
The life expectancy for someone with bipolar disorder is approximately 67 years old. A 2021 study researched the effect of bipolar disorder on longevity and found that: risk of death is 2.6 times greater than the general population. the average life span is between 8–12 years shorter than the general population.
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.
The reputation that lithium got for being "toxic," "mind numbing," and so forth, certainly those things have an element of truth to them. But they come from earlier studies where people were kept at a much higher doses and blood levels of lithium.
Short-term side effects can include nausea and diarrhoea, muscle weakness or a dazed feeling. A long-term side effect can be weight gain. Your lithium dose needs to be adjusted to suit you. Go for your blood tests to make sure you have the right amount in your system.
Results: Of 873 patients treated with lithium, 54% discontinued lithium, corresponding to 561 episodes of lithium discontinuation. 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.
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.
Lithium can have toxic effects on the central nervous system (CNS) that can be both acute and chronic. The syndrome of irreversible lithium-effectuated neurotoxicity (SILENT) was suggested in the 1980s to describe lithium intoxication-induced persistent neurological sequelae.
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. No generalized effects were found in the responses to the personality inventories. 1.
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.
In addition to its effects on mood, lithium is known to alter neurocognition-improving some functions while impairing others. These opposing and complex actions likely occur both acutely and long term and are probably subject to changes in plasma levels.
Pros & Cons of Lithium
“Lithium can help you feel better and has been proven to stabilize mood and reduce negative symptoms. Conversely, it may also cause negative effects such as weight gain, skin dryness, drowsiness, and fatigue.”