What is Lithium Used For?
Lithium is a mood stabilizer and can help to deal with or stop mania. It can also be used to lower the frequency of depression episodes.


Take this medication as directed by your doctor. It is very important to consume alcohol plenty of fluids while taking this medicine. Lithium may communicate with certain medicines that impact serotonin (such as antidepressants, SSRIs, MAO preventions). Inform your medical professional about every one of your medications.

Mood Disorders
Lithium is often used to treat bipolar illness, a mental illness that causes extremely quick changes in between the severe state of minds of anxiety and mania. Bipolar affective disorder can make it tough to live a typical life and can trigger severe issues in connections, job or institution. Lithium assists to avoid these severe mood modifications and reduces the intensity of anxiety and mania.

The very early research studies of lithium at Glostrup Psychiatric Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s offered convincing evidence that it can decrease the frequency of hospitalizations for depression (38 ). Baastrup and Schou's placebo-controlled discontinuance research was specifically vital due to the fact that it revealed that individuals fell back on sugar pill however not on lithium (39 ).

Your doctor will certainly examine your blood degrees consistently to see to it you are taking the right quantity of lithium. It is essential to drink plenty of liquids while taking this medication. Your physician may recommend a low-sodium diet regimen while you are taking this medication.

Attention Deficit 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 environment, with studies connecting reduced levels of it to emotional and mental illness and violent crime. The mineral was included in sodas in the 1960s, where it brightened moods and aided individuals focus and concentrate-- hence the name, 7-Up.

Lithium reduces mania by raising the activity of an enzyme that controls neurotransmitters, decreasing glutamate degrees, and assisting to balance various other chemicals in the mind. It has also been revealed to have antidepressant impacts and improve rest, impatience, hostility, and anxiety in ADHD patients.

Individuals taking lithium must have routine blood tests to check degrees-- too expensive can be harmful. It is necessary to allow physicians know about various other medicines and supplements taken, as some can interact with it. Inform your physician if you have diarrhea, throwing up, drowsiness, tremors, weak point, unsteady strolling, or fainting (particularly after workout). Usage effective contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking this medication.

Hyperthyroidism.
Lithium may be made use of as a short-term treatment for over active thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism). This is especially important if the individual has Graves condition or other autoimmune problems like thyroiditis or Hashimoto's illness. Lithium hinders the launch of thyroid hormone by obstructing iodine uptake at the thyroid gland through the sodium-iodide symporter and by hindering tyrosine iodination. [9] Lithium also hinders thyrotropin-releasing hormonal agent (TRH) stimulation and lowers the production of thyroxine from tyrosine in the thyroid gland. [10] However, lithium usage may cause hypothyroidism and a goiter in some clients. [11] Therefore, regular evaluation of thyroid feature tests and dimension is recommended in people on lithium therapy.

It is necessary to go over the benefits and dangers of this medication with your physician before starting it. It is also crucial to avoid items low in salt (salt) while taking this medicine and beverage 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 number of current studies show that lithium in therapeutic levels does not reduce the seizure threshold however in fact lowers the limit for seizure occurrence.

This is thought to result from the fact that lithium boosts cholinergic task, inhibits phosphoinositide metabolic rate and GSK-3b signalling. It also decreases glutamate excitotoxicity by raising luxury mental health treatment centers in california NMDA receptor agonist-evoked apoptotic currents and enhances the endogenous nitric oxide synthase task in nerve cells [36]

Lithium is well tolerated by the majority of people with bipolar illness, but it has a couple of negative effects that should be thought about. These include a reduced capability to focus urine (nephrogenic diabetic issues insipidus) and a rise in the focus of lithium in the blood (lithium toxicity). It is as a result really important to follow your physician's directions concerning having regular blood tests.