If you have bipolar disorder, you may be offered lithium for a longer period, to prevent or reduce your risk of relapse. Your doctor may suggest that you commit to taking lithium for at least six months, possibly longer.
Although lithium has been used in significantly longer-term treatment than any other mood stabilizer, long-term therapy is not devoid of adverse effects, the most important of which is kidney damage.
Even though discontinuing lithium isn't known to cause physical withdrawal, there is a risk that your bipolar disorder symptoms might return — so it's important to make sure that a doctor is involved and can help support you during the process.
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.
It may also help relieve or prevent bipolar depression. Studies show that lithium can significantly reduce suicide risk. Lithium also helps prevent future manic and depressive episodes. As a result, it may be prescribed for long periods of time (even between episodes) as maintenance therapy.
Lithium is a common medicine used to help calm mood for treating people with mental disorders. Since such disorders need lifelong treatment, long-term use of lithium may be harmful to organs, such as the kidneys.
Adverse effects were the most common cause for lithium discontinuation. Among the adverse effects, diarrhoea, tremor, creatinine increase, polyuria/polydipsia/diabetes insipidus and weight gain were the top five reasons for discontinuing lithium.
Life after Lithium is a personal story of survival and victory in journal form told by a young woman named Rosemary who is diagnosed bipolar at age 16 and put on lithium for 20 years and is finally given a better medication that allows her to function at age 36.
Lithium can help stabilize a person's mood, but it may also cause adverse effects, such as diarrhea, tremors, and weight gain. Long-term use may affect kidney or thyroid function. Brand names for lithium include Eskalith, Eskalith CR, and Lithobid.
Lithium toxicity signs are obvious and can be identified and managed easily; however, ignoring it can be fatal. 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].
Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
If you have to stop taking lithium for any reason, talk to your GP about taking an antipsychotic or valproate instead.
One of the side effects of lithium maintenance therapy is weight gain. Scientists believe that lithium-associated weight gain occurs due to various reasons, such as increased thirst, increased appetite, alterations in metabolism, sodium retention, hormonal fluctuations, constipation, and fatigue.
Lithium remains first choice as maintenance treatment for bipolar affective disorder. Yet, about half of all individuals may stop their treatment at some point, despite lithium's proven benefits concerning the prevention of severe affective episodes and suicide.
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.
Lithium is used to treat mania that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness).
Lithium helps reduce feelings of mania — excited, high mood, distracted. It also helps to treat bipolar episodes.
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.
Ignoring or missing signs of toxicity, especially over time, can result in serious complications, including coma or death. Untreated cases of lithium toxicity can also lead to permanent complications, such as brain damage, kidney damage, and serotonin syndrome.
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. 2.
Valproic acid (Depakote)
Valproic acid is often the first choice for rapid cycling, mixed mania, or mania with hallucinations or delusions. It is a good bipolar medication option if you can't tolerate the side effects of lithium. Common side effects include: Drowsiness.
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.
There is no cure for bipolar disorder, but through behavior therapy and the right combination of mood stabilizers and other bipolar medicines, most people with bipolar disorder can live normal, productive lives and control the illness.
Lithium has adverse effects on the kidneys, thyroid gland and parathyroid glands, necessitating monitoring of these organ functions through periodic blood tests.
It does not seem to be addictive or even habit-forming. Lithium does not produce any of the classic withdrawal symptoms associated with substance use disorder, and it is inexpensive. Since lithium is a medication, it must be obtained with a prescription and according to a physician's instructions.