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What are lithium side effects?

Are these side effects of lithium?

  • My psychiatrist gave me a perscription for lithium 4 days ago, and told me to take 2 pills a day. I don't think I am bipolar, he never mentioned that, but he said it would help level my moods. They are okay, but yesterday I was feeling quite unwell. I was extremely tired, felt like I was going to pass out... my eyes felt very heavy, my knees buckled, heart was palpitating and i was having trouble breathing a bit. I didnt drink enough water that day and the night before only slept 3 hours, could that be it? Because I had experienced feelins like that when I use to go without eating. Last night I slept for 20hours and today my arms feel weak and im still sleepy. What do you think?

  • Answer:

    Common Lithium Side Effects: Tremor is probably the most common of the common lithium side effects. Blurred vision, dry mouth, fatigue, cardiac arrhythmias, polyuria and muscle weakness are additional common lithium side effects. Gastrointestinal common lithium side effects include anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Serious Lithium Side Effects: Seizures, coma, ventricular arrhythmias, severe bradycardia, diabetes insipitus, and Raynaud’s phenomenon are among the serious lithium side effects. Thyroid toxicity including goiter, hypothyroidism, as well as hyperparathyroidism are also noted. Syncope is also among the potential serious lithium side effects. Cautions and Drug Interactions: Lithium is excreted in the urine, so significant renal impairment is a major caution to lithium use. Lithium is contraindicated in pregnancy, as well as when patients would be unable to access resources to monitor lithium levels. In cases of dehydration, lithium levels need to be watched closely, as excretion may be severely diminished. Caution is also advised at the extremes of age, in the elderly and in children under 12 years of age. Caution is also advised in coronary heart disease. Lithium is relatively contraindicated for use with diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, with many calcium channel blockers, with the phenothiazines, and with vasopressin. The list of additional cautions and drug interactions is extensive, and readers should consult the manufacturer’s prescriber guidelines or their pharmacist for more detailed specifics. Some of the more commonly used drugs where monitoring or modification of dosing may be needed include caffeine, antacids, bismuth containing compounds, methyldopa, metronidazole, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, phenytoin, potassium supplements, and topiramate. Use with the SSRI and SNRI drugs requires caution, though their concurrent use is fairly common in psychiatric patients who need both drugs’ effects.

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COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Lithium: Drying or thinning of the hair; hair loss; mild hand tremor; mild loss of appetite; mild thirst; mild tiredness; temporary, mild nausea and general discomfort at the beginning of treatment.

COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Lithium: Drying or thinning of the hair; hair loss; mild hand tremor; mild loss of appetite; mild thirst; mild tiredness; temporary, mild nausea and general discomfort at the beginning of treatment.

Common Lithium Side Effects: Tremor is probably the most common of the common lithium side effects. Blurred vision, dry mouth, fatigue, cardiac arrhythmias, polyuria and muscle weakness are additional common lithium side effects. Gastrointestinal common lithium side effects include anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Serious Lithium Side Effects: Seizures, coma, ventricular arrhythmias, severe bradycardia, diabetes insipitus, and Raynaud’s phenomenon are among the serious lithium side effects. Thyroid toxicity including goiter, hypothyroidism, as well as hyperparathyroidism are also noted. Syncope is also among the potential serious lithium side effects. Cautions and Drug Interactions: Lithium is excreted in the urine, so significant renal impairment is a major caution to lithium use. Lithium is contraindicated in pregnancy, as well as when patients would be unable to access resources to monitor lithium levels. In cases of dehydration, lithium levels need to be watched closely, as excretion may be severely diminished. Caution is also advised at the extremes of age, in the elderly and in children under 12 years of age. Caution is also advised in coronary heart disease. Lithium is relatively contraindicated for use with diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, with many calcium channel blockers, with the phenothiazines, and with vasopressin. The list of additional cautions and drug interactions is extensive, and readers should consult the manufacturer’s prescriber guidelines or their pharmacist for more detailed specifics. Some of the more commonly used drugs where monitoring or modification of dosing may be needed include caffeine, antacids, bismuth containing compounds, methyldopa, metronidazole, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, phenytoin, potassium supplements, and topiramate. Use with the SSRI and SNRI drugs requires caution, though their concurrent use is fairly common in psychiatric patients who need both drugs’ effects.

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