Lithium drugs: Uses, indications and precautions when using

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Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder. This is a drug with a narrow therapeutic range, high levels of lithium in the blood can cause many unwanted side effects. Therefore, the patient must strictly follow the treatment instructions of the doctor.

1. What are the uses of Lithium?

Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder. By restoring the balance of certain neurotransmitters, the drug helps stabilize mood and reduce extreme behaviors. Other uses of the drug include reducing the frequency of manic episodes, reducing symptoms of manic episodes such as feeling excessively happy, feeling that other people want to harm you, irritability, anxiety, talking. fast and loud, aggressive, hostile,...
How to use Lithium bipolar disorder medication is as follows:
Lithium is a prescription drug, used as prescribed by a doctor. Patients should carefully read the instructions on the drug label before use, if there are any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Lithium drugs have many dosage forms, trade names with different concentrations. Patients are not allowed to change medications on their own without consulting a doctor or pharmacist. Lithium is taken by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually 3-4 times a day in adults and 2-3 times a day in children. Lithium is taken with or immediately after a meal to relieve digestive irritation. During treatment with the drug, each day the patient needs to drink 8-12 glasses of water (240ml each) or other liquids, and eat a healthy diet with the amount of salt as directed by the doctor. Large changes in the amount of salt in the diet can alter blood levels of lithium. Do not change the amount of salt in your diet during lithium treatment unless directed by your doctor. The dose of the drug is prescribed by the doctor based on the medical condition, the level of lithium in the blood, and the patient's response to treatment. Children's lithium dosage is also based on weight. Patients need to take lithium regularly and at regular intervals for the drug to work best. To facilitate memorization, patients should take Lithium at the same time each day. If using liquid Lithium, measure the medicine with a graduated cup, do not use a household spoon to measure the medicine because it may take the incorrect amount. Continue taking your Lithium even if your symptoms have improved. Patients should not stop taking the drug on their own, the condition may become worse if the drug is stopped suddenly. It can take 1-3 weeks of taking Lithium for it to take full effect. Patients should tell their doctor if taking this medicine over time but their condition does not improve or gets worse.

2. Lithium bipolar disorder drug side effects

When treating bipolar disorder with Lithium, patients may experience side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, thirst, increased frequency of urination, weight gain, slight tremors. These symptoms usually go away as the patient's body adapts to the medication. Tell your doctor if these side effects persist or get worse.
Most people using Lithium do not experience serious side effects. However, patients need to be very vigilant, immediately notify a doctor or seek help immediately if after taking Lithium, you experience the following symptoms:
Diarrhea, vomiting, swelling, joint pain, muscle weakness, pain, unsteadiness, confusion, difficulty speaking, blurred vision, severe hand tremors, vision changes (such as increasing blind spots, decreased vision); discoloration of fingers and toes; cold hands and feet. Severe dizziness; slow, fast, irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, convulsions, fainting. Lithium drugs rarely cause serotonin syndrome. However, this risk increases if the person is also taking other medications that also increase serotonin. Get the sick person to the nearest medical facility if symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, heart palpitations, hallucinations, loss of coordination, severe dizziness, muscle twitching, fever are present. clear cause, agitation, unusual restlessness,... Serious allergic reactions to Lithium are very rare, but very serious consequences can be life-threatening. Therefore, seek medical attention immediately if, after taking this medicine, you develop symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as swollen lymph nodes, itching, rash, severe dizziness, swelling (especially in the face, tongue, throat), difficulty breathing,... The above is not a complete list of possible Lithium side effects. Patients should contact their doctor or pharmacist if during treatment with Lithium, the body appears side effects other than those listed above.

3. Precautions when taking Lithium

Before taking Lithium medicine, please inform your doctor if you have one of the following conditions:
Allergy to Lithium or other components of the drug. You have a medical history, especially conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, urinary problems (such as difficulty urinating), hypothyroidism, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, severe dehydration, associated infections high fever, a skin disorder (such as psoriasis),... Depending on the patient's health condition, the doctor will adjust the Lithium prescription or switch the patient to another more suitable drug. .
Some other precautions when treating with Lithium include:
Brugada syndrome: Brugada syndrome is an inherited cardiovascular syndrome, which is life-threatening. Some patients may not know they have this syndrome. Brugada syndrome can cause severe dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, ... even sudden death. Although rare, treatment with Lithium may increase the risk of serious complications of Brugada syndrome. Therefore, before taking lithium, tell your doctor if you have risk factors such as: Brugada syndrome, unexplained fainting, family history of certain heart problems such as heart disease. Brugada syndrome, sudden unexplained death before age 45,.. Lithium drugs can make patients dizzy, drowsy, blurred vision. Therefore, the patient must not drive or use machines until fully awake. Alcohol use can make drowsiness and dizziness worse. The use of alcohol and alcoholic beverages should be limited during lithium treatment. If severe sweating or diarrhea develops, see your doctor for instructions on how best to continue taking lithium. Before surgery or dental procedures, tell your doctor or dentist about all medications you are taking, including Lithium. Lithium is not recommended for use in pregnant women due to the risk of harm to the fetus. However, psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, if left untreated, can also harm a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. Therefore, pregnant patients should not stop taking lithium unless directed by their doctor. Pregnant women should ask their doctor if there is a safer alternative to lithium. For lithium-treated women of childbearing age, tell your doctor if you are planning to become pregnant or think you may be pregnant. Lithium can pass into breast milk and has no adverse effects on a nursing infant. Therefore, breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with Lithium.

4. Lithium drug interactions

Interactions between Lithium and concomitant medications can change the way the drugs work and increase the risk of serious side effects. Therefore, patients need to fully report all medications they are taking to their doctors and pharmacists. Do not arbitrarily use, stop using, or change the dosage of any medication without your doctor's approval.
Some interactions with Lithium drugs to note include:
Drugs that affect the elimination of lithium from the body such as: ACE inhibitors (captopril, enalapril,...), receptor blockers. angiotensin II (such as losartan, valsartan), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as celecoxib, ibuprofen), diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide), other antipsychotic drugs (such as chlorpromazine). , haloperidol, thiothixene),... Your doctor may need to adjust your lithium dose if you are taking these medicines. The risk of Serotonin syndrome increases if the patient uses Lithium and other drugs that also increase serotonin such as SSRIs such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, SNRIs such as duloxetine, venlafaxine, ...

5. Other notes when using Lithium

If the patient overdoses on Lithium and has symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, difficulty walking, unusual drowsiness, convulsions, tremors, loss of consciousness,... take the patient to the nearest medical facility for timely intervention.
If the patient forgets to take a dose of Lithium, take it as soon as he remembers. If the next dose is due in the next 4 hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Never take a double dose of Lithium to make up for a missed dose.
Different dosage forms of Lithium drugs have different storage conditions, need to carefully read the instructions on the label or ask the pharmacist to store the medicine properly. Do not leave Lithium pills in the bathroom, keep them out of reach of children.
During treatment with Lithium, the patient needs to have periodic check-ups, perform tests such as kidney function tests, thyroid function, lithium and calcium levels in the blood, ... to the doctor. assessment of response to treatment and early detection of adverse events.

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Reference source: webmd.com