Lithium is a mood stabilizer and can help to deal with or stop mania. It can likewise be used to reduce the regularity of depression episodes.
Take this drug as routed by your doctor. It is very important to consume a lot of liquids while taking this medication. Lithium might interact with specific medicines that impact serotonin (such as antidepressants, SSRIs, MAO preventions). Inform your medical professional concerning all of your medications.
Mood Disorders
Lithium is typically utilized to deal with bipolar disorder, a mental illness that triggers extremely quick changes in between the severe state of minds of clinical depression and mania. Bipolar illness can make it tough to live a regular life and can create serious problems in relationships, work or school. Lithium helps to prevent these extreme mood changes and decreases the severity of depression and mania.
The early studies of lithium at Glostrup Psychiatric Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s offered convincing evidence that it can reduce the frequency of hospitalizations for depression (38 ). Baastrup and Schou's placebo-controlled discontinuance study was especially important because it showed that people slipped back on sugar pill yet out lithium (39 ).
Your medical professional will certainly inspect your blood levels on a regular basis to make certain you are taking the right quantity of lithium. It is very important to consume lots of fluids while taking this medicine. Your doctor might advise a low-sodium diet plan while you are taking this medication.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Lithium is a mineral so soft you can cut it with a knife and so light it drifts on water. It is located normally in the atmosphere, with research studies linking reduced degrees of it to emotional and mental health problems and terrible criminal activity. The mineral was included in sodas in the 1960s, where it brightened moods and aided individuals concentrate and concentrate-- hence the name, 7-Up.
Lithium reduces mania by raising the activity of an enzyme that controls neurotransmitters, decreasing glutamate levels, and aiding to stabilize various other chemicals in the brain. It has additionally been revealed to have antidepressant impacts and improve rest, impatience, hostility, and stress and anxiety in ADHD patients.
Individuals taking lithium must have routine blood tests to check 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 (particularly after exercise). Use reliable birth control to avoid maternity while taking this medicine.
Hyperthyroidism.
Lithium might be utilized as a short-term therapy for over active thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism). This is especially important if the person has Graves condition or other autoimmune conditions like thyroiditis or Hashimoto's condition. Lithium prevents the release of thyroid hormonal agent by blocking iodine uptake at the thyroid gland via 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 people. [11] For this reason, frequent analysis of thyroid function tests and dimension is advised in people on lithium therapy.
It is necessary to go over the benefits and dangers of this medication with your medical professional before beginning it. It is also vital to avoid items low in salt (salt) while taking this medicine and beverage enough liquids. If you have any troubles, call your doctor or the emergency situation department as soon as possible.
Epilepsy.
The anticonvulsant effects of lithium are well developed from both clinical and speculative studies. It is necessary to note that as opposed to a couple of primitive professional records and the lithium-pilocarpine animal model, a number of recent research studies show that lithium in healing levels does not reduce the seizure limit but in fact lowers the threshold for seizure event.
This is thought to be because of the reality that lithium enhances cholinergic task, hinders phosphoinositide metabolic process and GSK-3b signalling. It additionally reduces glutamate excitotoxicity by boosting NMDA receptor agonist-evoked apoptotic currents and improves the endogenous nitric oxide synthase task in nerve cells [36]
Lithium is well tolerated by most individuals dual diagnosis treatment programs with bipolar disorder, however it has a couple of side effects that need to be taken into consideration. These include a lowered ability to focus pee (nephrogenic diabetes insipidus) and a boost in the concentration of lithium in the blood (lithium toxicity). It is consequently very crucial to follow your doctor's instructions regarding having normal blood tests.
