What is involved in lithium therapy?
Lithium therapy involves the use of lithium carbonate, a type of salt, to treat symptoms of certain mental disorders such as bipolar disorder. Some people who use antidepressants to treat depression can also use lithium because antidepressants may not adequately control their symptoms. During this treatment, patients will have to work closely with their doctors to monitor the correct dosage of the drug and its possible side effects.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by cyclic mood changes and other symptoms. Patients in a depressive episode usually have energy loss, feelings of depression and can experience suicidal thoughts. Those in the manic episode usually experience racing ideas and tend to show impulsive behavior and the need to speak much more than usual. Lithium therapy is used to help control these symptoms to improve the quality of life of the patient.
Before prescribing lithium, the doctor is likely to require a patient to undergo kidney function and function teststhyroid. During treatment, patients should undergo frequent blood testing to prevent lithium toxicity. Most patients will have a drug level between 0.8 and 1.4 milliequivalents per liter (meq/l) of blood. It is necessary to avoid lithium overdose, because toxicity can start at 1.5 meq/l or sometimes even lower levels.
patients using lithium therapy should be carefully monitored in terms of lithium toxicity signs and should gain immediate medical attention if they experience vomiting, diarrhea and lack of coordination, which are timely warning signals. As the condition progresses, the patient may notice that the ears are ringing, muscle failure and unusually large amounts of urine.
Other serious side effects of lithium therapy may include coloring into digits, unusual feelings of colds and restless muscle Moviments. There may also be eye pain, confusion and fever withby stiffening the muscles. Some patients reported seizures, hallucinations and fainting, as well as lightness and slowed heart rhythm.
Special measures should be followed when using lithium therapy to treat mental disorders. Alcohol and recreational drugs should avoid and patients should drink a lot of fluids during exercise and hot weather. They should avoid changing their normal daily salt intake, unless otherwise ordered by a doctor.
Before starting lithium therapy, patients must publish their other health conditions, medicines and supplements. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use this medicine and use contraceptives for those who take it. Lithium therapy can be contraindicated for use by those who have kidneys or heart disease, insufficiently active thyroid gland or organic brain syndrome. This drug can interact with diuretics, non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) AY antacides that contain sodium bicarbonate.