Lithium is a mood stabilizer and can help to deal with or protect against mania. It can additionally be utilized to reduce the regularity of clinical depression episodes.
Take this medicine as routed by your physician. It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids while taking this medicine. Lithium might connect with certain medicines that affect serotonin (such as antidepressants, SSRIs, MAO inhibitors). Tell your physician concerning every one of your drugs.
State of mind Disorders
Lithium is frequently utilized to treat bipolar affective disorder, a mental disease that creates really rapid changes in between the severe state of minds of depression and mania. Bipolar disorder can make it hard to live a normal life and can cause major problems in relationships, work or school. Lithium helps to prevent these extreme mood changes and reduces the severity of depression and mania.
The early studies of lithium at Glostrup Psychiatric Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s provided convincing evidence that it can reduce the regularity of hospital stays for clinical depression (38 ). Baastrup and Schou's placebo-controlled discontinuance research was specifically crucial since it revealed that individuals fell back on placebo however not on lithium (39 ).
Your doctor will check your blood degrees regularly to make sure you are taking the correct amount of lithium. It is important to drink plenty of fluids while taking this medication. Your medical professional might suggest a low-sodium diet plan while you are taking this medicine.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Lithium is a mineral so soft you can cut it with a blade therefore light it floats on water. It is discovered naturally in the setting, with researches connecting low levels of it to psychological and psychological health issue and fierce crime. The mineral was added to sodas in the 1960s, where it lightened up state of minds and assisted people concentrate and focus-- for this reason the name, 7-Up.
Lithium decreases mania by enhancing the action of an enzyme that manages natural chemicals, reducing glutamate levels, and aiding to stabilize other chemicals in the brain. It has actually additionally been shown to have antidepressant effects and improve rest, irritation, aggression, and anxiety in ADHD people.
Individuals taking lithium ought to have regular blood examinations to keep an eye on levels-- too high can be poisonous. It is very important to let doctors find out about various other medications and supplements taken, as some can connect with it. Inform your physician if you have diarrhea, throwing up, drowsiness, tremors, weak point, unsteady walking, or fainting (specifically after exercise). Use effective contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking this medication.
Hyperthyroidism.
Lithium might be used as a temporary treatment for overactive thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism). This is specifically essential if the patient has Tomb disease or various other autoimmune conditions like thyroiditis or Hashimoto's disease. Lithium hinders the release of thyroid hormonal agent by blocking iodine uptake at the thyroid gland through the sodium-iodide symporter and by disrupting tyrosine iodination. [9] Lithium also hinders thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) excitement and reduces the production of thyroxine from tyrosine in the thyroid gland. [10] Nonetheless, lithium use might result in hypothyroidism and a goiter in some patients. [11] For this reason, frequent mental wellness support analysis of thyroid function examinations and size is advised in individuals on lithium therapy.
It is very important to talk about the advantages and risks of this drug with your physician prior to starting it. It is additionally essential to stay clear of products reduced in sodium (salt) while taking this medication and drink sufficient fluids. If you have any kind of problems, call your medical professional or the emergency division immediately.
Epilepsy.
The anticonvulsant results of lithium are well established from both professional and experimental researches. It is important to keep in mind that in contrast to a few primitive professional reports and the lithium-pilocarpine pet model, a variety of current research studies show that lithium in therapeutic degrees does not decrease the seizure limit however in fact lowers the limit for seizure event.
This is thought to result from the fact that lithium boosts cholinergic task, inhibits phosphoinositide metabolic rate and GSK-3b signalling. It also minimizes glutamate excitotoxicity by raising NMDA receptor agonist-evoked apoptotic currents and enhances the endogenous nitric oxide synthase task in nerve cells [36]
Lithium is well tolerated by most individuals with bipolar disorder, however it has a couple of side effects that need to be taken into consideration. These include a minimized ability to concentrate pee (nephrogenic diabetes mellitus insipidus) and an increase in the focus of lithium in the blood (lithium poisoning). It is for that reason really important to follow your physician's guidelines about having routine blood examinations.
