Lithium what does it feel like

However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.

Keep from freezing. It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted side effects. Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremors, unsteadiness, or other problems with muscle control or coordination.

These may be symptoms of lithium toxicity. Make sure your doctor knows if you have a heart disorder called Brugada syndrome.

Brugada syndrome can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor or the emergency department right away if you have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat, unexplained fainting, lightheadedness, or troubled breathing after using this medicine.

This medicine may cause pseudotumor cerebri increased pressure in the brain. Call your doctor right away if you have blurred or double vision, dizziness, eye pain, severe headache, or nausea and vomiting. Check with your doctor right away if you have the following symptoms while using this medicine: fever, confusion, drowsiness, difficulty with speaking, uncontrolled body movements, and unusual tiredness or weakness.

Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there.

These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body. This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Use extra care in hot weather and during activities that cause you to sweat heavily, such as hot baths, saunas, or exercising. If you have an infection or illness that causes heavy sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, shakiness, or muscle weakness, check with your doctor right away. The loss of too much water and salt from your body could lead to serious side effects from this medicine.

Do not go on a diet to lose weight and do not make a major change in your diet without first checking with your doctor. Improper dieting could cause the loss of too much water and salt from your body and could lead to serious side effects from this medicine. Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This blog only represents the author's experience. For more information, have a look at our medication pages.

For medical advice, always speak to your doctor. You have protection, a barrier. But as my mood began to swing more rapidly and my life crumbled a bit more and a bit more, I began to realise I needed a little extra support. And that actually stubborn mindedness may not really be the solution right now. After trying several types and combinations of medications, I ended up being placed on lithium, an interesting drug that I never really appreciated until after I stopped taking it.

My mood, which was swinging rather violently at the time, became more manageable, and the scarily fast pace of life I seemed to be living, did appear to slow down. It gave me stability. It gave me the experience of not feeling intense pain, or exuberant joy. However, if you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your combined pill may not protect you from pregnancy.

Look on the pill packet to find out what to do. Read more about what to do if you're on the pill and you have diarrhoea. There is no clear evidence that lithium affects female fertility. However, there is small chance that it can reduce sperm count in men. However, it's best to avoid a low-sodium low-salt diet as this can increase the levels of lithium in your blood and increase the chance of getting side effects. The amount of fluids you drink is very important as it can affect the levels of lithium in your blood.

Getting dehydrated will affect the levels so it's good to drink plenty of fluids. Some people may put on weight when taking lithium. Try to eat well without increasing your portion sizes. Regular exercise can also help to keep your weight stable. When you first start taking lithium — or if the dose has recently been changed — it may make you feel tired, dizzy, sleepy and make your hands shake. You're recommended to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you know how lithium affects you and until you feel more alert.

Taking ecstasy while you're on lithium can make you dehydrated, which can lead to lithium toxicity. Page last reviewed: 18 August Next review due: 18 August About lithium Lithium is a type of medicine known as a mood stabiliser. It's used to treat mood disorders such as: mania feeling highly excited, overactive or distracted hypo-mania similar to mania, but less severe regular periods of depression , where treatment with other medicines has not worked bipolar disorder , where your mood changes between feeling very high mania and very low depression Lithium can also help reduce aggressive or self-harming behaviour.

Lithium is available on prescription. The most common side effects of lithium are feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, a dry mouth and a metallic taste in the mouth. Your doctor will carry out regular blood tests to check how much lithium is in your blood.

The results will be recorded in your lithium record book. Lithium carbonate is available as regular tablets and modified release brand names include Priadel, Camcolit and Liskonium. Lithium citrate comes as a liquid and common brands include Priadel and Li-Liquid. Lithium can be taken by adults and children over the age of 12 years.

Lithium may not be suitable for some people. Tell your doctor if: you have ever had an allergic reaction to lithium or other medicines in the past you have heart disease you have severe kidney problems have an underactive thyroid gland hypothyroidism that is not being treated you have low levels of sodium in your body — this can happen if you're dehydrated or if you're on a low-sodium low-salt diet you have Addison's disease , a rare disorder of the adrenal glands you have, or someone in your family has, a rare condition called Brugada syndrome — a condition that affects your heart you need to have surgery in hospital you are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding Before prescribing lithium, your doctor will do some blood tests to check your kidney and thyroid are OK.

It's important to take lithium as recommended by your doctor. How to take it Swallow tablets whole with a drink of water or juice. Information about your lithium treatment When you start taking lithium, you will get a lithium treatment pack usually a purple folder or book with a record booklet. When you go to the doctor for blood tests, you or your doctor will write in the record booklet: your dose of lithium your lithium blood levels any other blood test results your weight The treatment pack also has a lithium alert card.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you've lost your treatment pack or did not get one. Will my dose go up or down? Important Do not stop taking lithium suddenly or change your dose without speaking to your doctor first. What if I'm ill while taking lithium? Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you: have an illness that causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting, a high temperature or sweating have a urinary tract infection UTI are not eating and drinking much What if I forget to take it?

If you usually take: tablets or slow-release tablets — if it's less than 6 hours since you were supposed to take your lithium, take it as soon as you remember.

If it is more than 6 hours, just skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time liquid — if you forget to take a dose, just skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time Never take 2 doses at the same time.

Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. What if I take too much? It can cause symptoms such as: feeling or being sick problems with your eyesight blurred vision increased need to pee, lack of control over pee or poo feeling faint, lightheaded or sleepy confusion and blackouts shaking or muscle weakness, muscle twitches, jerks or spasms affecting the face, tongue, eyes or neck.

Common side effects These are usually mild and go away by themselves. You have 1 or more of these symptoms: loss of appetite, feeling or being sick vomiting problems with your eyesight blurred vision feeling very thirsty, needing to pee more than normal, and lack of control over pee or poo feeling lightheaded or drowsy confusion and blackouts shaking, muscle weakness, muscle twitches, jerks or spasms affecting the face, tongue, eyes or neck difficulty speaking These are signs of lithium toxicity.

How to avoid high lithium levels in your blood Make sure that you go for the blood tests arranged by your doctor. Serious allergic reaction: In rare cases, lithium may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis.

What to do about: feeling or being sick — take lithium with or after a meal or snack. It may also help if you do not eat rich or spicy food. If you are being sick, take sips of water to avoid dehydration. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor. If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Try not to have drinks with a lot of calories in as this might also mean you put on weight. If you miss a dose of lithium, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your healthcare provider. Do not double your dose or take more than what is prescribed.

Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking lithium. They may decrease the benefits e. Avoid excessive intake of caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks, since these may decrease levels of lithium and decrease effectiveness of the medication. Discontinuing caffeine use may increase lithium levels. Consult your healthcare provider before reducing or stopping caffeine use.

If an overdose occurs call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at A specific treatment to reverse the effects of lithium does not exist, but there are treatments to decrease the effects of the medication.

Only a doctor can determine if you require treatment. Signs of lithium toxicity include severe nausea and vomiting, severe hand tremors, confusion, vision changes, and unsteadiness while standing or walking. These symptoms need to be addressed immediately with a medical doctor to ensure your lithium level is not dangerously high. In rare cases, lithium may lead to a reversible condition known as diabetes insipidus.

If this occurs you would notice a significant increase in thirst and how much fluid you drink and how much you urinate. Talk to your doctor if you notice you are urinating more frequently than usual. Rare kidney problems have been associated with long-term use of lithium. The risk increases with high levels of lithium.

Your doctor will monitor your kidney function at routine check-ups to ensure this does not occur. It is very important to tell your doctor how you feel things are going during the first few weeks after you start taking lithium. It will probably take several weeks to see big enough changes in your symptoms to decide if lithium is the right medication for you.