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.
Results: Long-term lithium treatment is associated with a reduced urinary concentrating ability, with subsequent polyuria and polidypsia and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (in 10-40% of patients).
For some people, lithium can help decrease abnormal activity in the brain, manic episodes and suicidal feelings. Short-term side effects can include shaking, fatigue, headache and gastrointestinal problems, while a long-term side effect can be weight gain.
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.
Your doctor may suggest that you commit to taking lithium for at least six months, possibly longer. This is because it can take some time to make sure the medication is working effectively.
A common complaint made by those who take lithium, but one which may easily be overlooked, is cognitive compromise. Clinically, patients describe this as “brain fog”-an elusive admixture of complaints regarding attention, concentration, and memory occurring in conjunction with a slowing of thought processes.
Lithium is known to have a mood stabilizing and calming effect in individuals thus used in schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder treatment.
2) Although not very common, weight gain is another adverse effect seen with chronic use of lithium. 3–5) An early study had found that lithium maintenance therapy stimulated weight gains of over 10 kg in 20%, which was attributed to increased thirst in majority of individuals.
Neurotransmitter Regulation: Lithium increases the activity of calming GABA receptors and decreases the activity of more stimulating dopamine and NMDA receptors, resulting in an overall relaxing, stabilizing effect.
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 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 ones that treat bipolar depression are cariprazine (Vraylar), lurasidone (Latuda), olanzapine-fluoxetine combo (Symbyax), and quetiapine (Seroquel).
Conclusions: Taken in the context of prior evidence, lithium may have an important role in treating comorbid anxiety in bipolar disorder, both as adjunct and monotherapy. Lower doses of lithium may provide equivalent efficacy and enhance tolerability and compliance.
Research has shown that in some bipolar patients, weight gain occurs with lithium monotherapy because lithium alters their taste. This side effect causes cravings for beverages and food that are salty, fatty, or sugary.
Can I drink alcohol 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.
Diarrhea increases in prevalence in patients through the first 6 months of treatment and is seen in up to 10% of lithium-treated patients (Vestergaard et al. 1988). Serum lithium levels >0.8 mEq/l are associated with higher rates of diarrhea (Vestergaard et al.
While there are different medications used to treat manic and depressive episodes in people with bipolar disorder, lithium is a commonly used medication. Studies suggest that lithium is very effective at both treating symptoms of bipolar disorder and preventing relapses of the condition.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer that is used to treat or control the manic episodes of bipolar disorder (manic depression). Manic symptoms include hyperactivity, rushed speech, poor judgment, reduced need for sleep, aggression, and anger.
Furthermore, in a study done by Schou, all three patients that were given dosages of lithium all appeared emotionally flattened to their families, as if the drug had had a “blunting effect” on their personalities.
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.
Chronic lithium has been shown to enhance spatial working memory and to promote long-term retention of a weak aversive contingency (Tsaltas et al. 2007a, b). It has also been shown to promote learning in three different spatial cognitive tasks involving positive reinforcement (Nocjar et al. 2007).
Conclusions: Many patients administered lithium carbonate complained of mental slowness. Lithium carbonate also appeared to have definite, yet subtle, negative effects on psychomotor speed. Studies reviewed also showed a trend toward impaired verbal memory.
It will probably take several weeks to see big enough changes in your symptoms to decide if lithium is the right medication for you. Mood stabilizer treatment is generally needed lifelong for persons with bipolar disorder.
Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) is one of the most widely used and studied medications for treating bipolar disorder. Lithium helps reduce the severity and frequency of mania. It may also help relieve or prevent bipolar depression. Studies show that lithium can significantly reduce suicide risk.