Various side effects associated with Lithium use can be unbearable including: weight gain, hair loss, memory problems, and decreased thyroid function. A. Lithium is a drug most often used to treat people with bipolar disorder (sometimes known as manic-depressive illness), a psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, from excessively euphoric (mania) to desperately sad or hopeless (depression). Patients who underwent a dosage reduction with conseq … These side effects usually subside with continued treatment or with a temporary reduction or cessation of dosage. Q. Lithium is highly reactive, it reacts to stimuli and is difficult to control. That said, properly monitored, lithium can be safe as well as effective in controlling moods. All medications can cause side effects and as much as it is effective, Lithium comes with its side effects … Lithium is a mood stabilizer that can be helpful with bipolar disorder and other conditions but is well known for causing side effects and toxicity. The most common side effects of lithium are feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, a dry mouth and a metallic taste in the mouth. It is these high doses that are responsible for most of lithium’s adverse side effects. Side-effects of lithium. Side effects and lithium levels in the blood are inherently linked. If persistent, a cessation of lithium therapy may be required. However, a sudden worsening of side effects may be indicative of lithium toxicity. Lithium side effects Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to lithium: hives ; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Lithium Side Effects that Can Be Harmful - Although Lithium can be a helpful form of medical treatment, it also has dangerous side effects. Some of the more common side effects include a dulled personality, reduced emotions, memory loss, tremors, or weight gain [5,6].   As a result, a patient on lithium must be closely monitored by their health care provider. Too much lithium in your body can cause death. The medication also acts as a sedative, which can be increased if the patient consumes alcohol. Drinking alcohol with lithium may affect the potency of the lithium. Learn more about Lithium (Lithobid) at EverydayHealth.com. Occasionally if one takes lithium during the day, it might make one sleepy. Often, other medicines are used initially to treat mania because of the increased risk of side-effects with high levels of lithium and because it takes a number of days to work. While we should be aware of these side effects, they are not usually common, and can also be controlled by serving size. This is not a comprehensive list. Compare mood stabilizers. FROM NIH STUDY: “Prescription lithium is in the form of lithium carbonate, and doses can be as high as 180 mg. Side effects of lithium in the body. True and actual lithium withdrawal symptoms occur in cases of relapse where stopping the drug causes bipolar disorder symptoms to resurface. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. What can you tell me about the side effects of lithium? Side effects can be mild, severe, or life-threatening, which is also uncommon. Provided by (June 2019) Lithium toxicity. Christodoulou GN, Siafakas A, Rinieris PM. However, there are side effects to consider. Lithium may affect the thyroid gland and the kidneys, so periodic blood tests are needed to be sure they are functioning properly. Lithium Side Effects. Lithium withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on a person’s physiological make-up, though most symptoms experienced are actually leftover side effects from taking the drug. Influences such as high environmental temperatures, too high charging voltage, short circuit, or even too much of a heavy strain can cause exothermic reaction in the battery. Short Term Side Effects from Lithium - Lithium is a drug commonly prescribed to treat bipolar disorder, but it can have its own difficult side effects. Side Effects of Lithium Carbonate When administered in the body, this medication affects the activity of other electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. In Chile, for instance, “lithium mining uses nearly 65% of the water in the country’s Salar de Atamaca region, one of the driest desert areas in the world, to pump out brines from drilled wells,” the U.N. notes, because nearly 2 million liters of water are needed to produce a ton of lithium. 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