Lithium is a mood stabilizer and can aid to treat or protect against mania. It can also be utilized to reduce the frequency of clinical depression episodes.
Take this medicine as directed by your medical professional. It is very important to drink a lot of fluids while taking this medication. Lithium may connect with specific medicines that impact serotonin (such as antidepressants, SSRIs, MAO inhibitors). Inform your doctor concerning all of your drugs.
Mood Problems
Lithium is frequently made use of to treat bipolar disorder, a mental disorder that causes extremely fast changes in between the extreme state of minds of depression and mania. Bipolar illness can make it hard to live a regular life and can cause severe problems in connections, work or institution. Lithium aids to prevent these severe mood modifications and lowers the seriousness of clinical depression and mania.
The early research studies of lithium at Glostrup Psychiatric Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s given convincing proof that it can reduce the frequency of hospital stays for depression (38 ). Baastrup and Schou's placebo-controlled discontinuance research study was specifically essential since it revealed that clients slipped back on sugar pill but out lithium (39 ).
Your medical professional will inspect your blood degrees routinely to make certain you are taking the correct amount of lithium. It is very important to consume alcohol plenty of fluids while taking this medication. Your medical professional may suggest a low-sodium diet regimen while you are taking this medication.
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 found normally in the setting, with researches linking low degrees of it to psychological and psychological health problems and violent criminal offense. The mineral was included in sodas in the 1960s, where it brightened moods and assisted people concentrate and focus-- therefore the name, 7-Up.
Lithium reduces mania by enhancing the activity of an enzyme that manages natural chemicals, lowering glutamate levels, and helping to balance other chemicals in the brain. It has actually additionally been revealed to have antidepressant results and boost sleep, irritability, aggression, and stress and anxiety in ADHD individuals.
Individuals taking lithium needs to have normal blood examinations to monitor levels-- too high can be harmful. It is essential to let physicians understand about various other medicines and supplements taken, as some can engage with it. Inform your medical professional if you have looseness of the bowels, throwing up, sleepiness, shakes, weak point, unstable strolling, or fainting (specifically after workout). Usage efficient contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine.
Hyperthyroidism.
Lithium may be used as a short-term treatment for overactive thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism). This is especially important if the patient has Graves condition or various other autoimmune problems like thyroiditis or Hashimoto's condition. Lithium prevents the launch of thyroid hormone by blocking iodine uptake at the thyroid gland through the sodium-iodide symporter and by interfering with tyrosine iodination. [9] Lithium also hinders thyrotropin-releasing hormonal agent (TRH) stimulation and reduces the production of thyroxine from tyrosine in the thyroid gland. [10] Nevertheless, lithium use may lead to hypothyroidism and a goiter in some people. [11] Therefore, constant examination of thyroid feature tests and size is advised in people on lithium treatment.
It is very important to go over the substance abuse counseling benefits and risks of this drug with your medical professional prior to starting it. It is also vital to stay clear of products low in salt (salt) while taking this medication and drink enough liquids. If you have any type of issues, call your doctor or the emergency situation division right now.
Epilepsy.
The anticonvulsant effects of lithium are well developed from both professional and experimental studies. It is necessary to keep in mind that as opposed to a few primitive professional reports and the lithium-pilocarpine animal version, a variety of recent researches demonstrate that lithium in therapeutic degrees does not reduce the seizure threshold yet really lowers the limit for seizure occurrence.
This is believed to be because of the fact that lithium raises cholinergic task, inhibits phosphoinositide metabolic rate and GSK-3b signalling. It likewise reduces glutamate excitotoxicity by raising NMDA receptor agonist-evoked apoptotic currents and improves the endogenous nitric oxide synthase task in neurons [36]
Lithium is well tolerated by most individuals with bipolar affective disorder, but it has a couple of side effects that have to be taken into account. These include a minimized ability to focus urine (nephrogenic diabetes mellitus insipidus) and an increase in the focus of lithium in the blood (lithium toxicity). It is consequently very vital to follow your physician's guidelines regarding having normal blood tests.
