Lithium is a mood stabilizer and can assist to treat or protect against mania. It can additionally be utilized to decrease the regularity of anxiety episodes.
Take this medication as directed by your physician. It is important to drink lots of fluids while taking this medicine. Lithium may interact with particular medications that impact serotonin (such as antidepressants, SSRIs, MAO inhibitors). Tell your medical professional regarding all of your medications.
Mood Conditions
Lithium is usually utilized to treat bipolar affective disorder, a mental illness that triggers extremely fast changes between the severe moods of depression and mania. Bipolar affective disorder can make it hard to live a regular life and can cause significant issues in relationships, job or institution. Lithium aids to avoid these extreme state of mind changes and reduces the severity of anxiety and mania.
The early researches of lithium at Glostrup Psychiatric Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s offered persuading evidence that it can minimize the regularity of hospital stays for depression (38 ). Baastrup and Schou's placebo-controlled discontinuance research study was especially essential because it revealed that individuals relapsed on placebo yet not on lithium (39 ).
Your medical professional will inspect your blood degrees routinely to see to it you are taking the correct amount of lithium. It is necessary to drink lots of liquids while taking this medication. Your doctor might recommend a low-sodium diet while you are taking this medication.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Lithium is a mineral so soft you can cut it with a knife therefore light it drifts on water. It is found naturally in the atmosphere, with researches connecting low levels of it to psychological and psychological health issue and violent crime. The mineral was contributed to sodas in the 1960s, where it lightened up moods and aided people focus and concentrate-- therefore the name, 7-Up.
Lithium minimizes mania by boosting the activity of an enzyme that regulates neurotransmitters, decreasing glutamate levels, and assisting to stabilize other chemicals in the mind. It has actually also been shown to have antidepressant impacts and enhance rest, impatience, aggression, and anxiety in ADHD clients.
People taking lithium must have regular blood tests to monitor levels-- too expensive can be hazardous. It is necessary to let doctors understand about various other drugs and supplements taken, as some can connect with it. Inform your doctor if you have diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, tremblings, weak point, unsteady walking, or fainting (especially after exercise). Use efficient contraception to prevent maternity while taking this medication.
Hyperthyroidism.
Lithium may be utilized as a temporary treatment for overactive thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism). This is particularly vital if the person has Graves disease or other autoimmune conditions like thyroiditis or Hashimoto's illness. Lithium prevents the launch of thyroid hormonal agent by obstructing iodine uptake at the thyroid gland with the sodium-iodide symporter and by disrupting tyrosine iodination. [9] Lithium additionally hinders thyrotropin-releasing hormonal agent (TRH) excitement and lowers the production of thyroxine from tyrosine in the thyroid gland. [10] However, lithium use may result in hypothyroidism and a goiter in some individuals. [11] Therefore, constant analysis of thyroid feature tests and size is recommended in clients on lithium therapy.
It is essential to talk about the benefits and risks of this medication with your doctor prior to beginning it. It is also vital to stay clear of items reduced in salt (salt) while taking this medicine and drink enough fluids. If you have any type of troubles, call your medical professional or the emergency situation department as soon as possible.
Epilepsy.
The anticonvulsant impacts of lithium are well established from both medical and experimental studies. It is important to keep in mind that in comparison to a dual diagnosis treatment programs few primitive medical records and the lithium-pilocarpine pet design, a number of current research studies demonstrate that lithium in healing degrees does not decrease the seizure limit yet really reduces the threshold for seizure event.
This is believed to be due to the fact that lithium raises cholinergic activity, inhibits phosphoinositide metabolic process and GSK-3b signalling. It also reduces glutamate excitotoxicity by raising NMDA receptor agonist-evoked apoptotic currents and improves the endogenous nitric oxide synthase activity in nerve cells [36]
Lithium is well tolerated by the majority of people with bipolar affective disorder, but it has a couple of adverse effects that should be taken into account. These include a minimized ability to focus pee (nephrogenic diabetes insipidus) and a boost in the concentration of lithium in the blood (lithium poisoning). It is therefore extremely important to follow your physician's instructions concerning having routine blood examinations.
