The lithium is used as a mood stabilizer drug especially in case of bipolar disorder where the people may be suffering from depression or mania regardless if it is acute or if it is chronic. However, the lithium treats well the mania than the depression. It can also be used to reduce the suicide occurrence found in bipolar people. The lithium is preferred to other type of the medicines because it is natural with few side effects.
The treatment is used to treat the mania and the bipolar disorder. It can be also used to treat the hallucination, delusions and other types of mental disorders. The common problems found with the bipolar disorder are the schizophrenia and delusional disorders. The antipsychotic is also used to counter psychosis like the psychotic depression. Sometime the lithium can be used in combination with other medicine such as antidepressant, mood stabilizer, anti impulsive, cognitive enhancers, anti suicidal or hypnotic medication. The lithium can also be used to treat the old people of dementia. This can be used as a compulsory treatment in inpatient. Sometime the doctors can use force or persuasion so that the patient can take the medicine. The children also can take this medicine in case of agitation, aggression and irritability. It can also be used with children with autism.
The lithium side effects can be among the following
- The lithium with other antipsychotic can cause fatal diabetic and diabetes mellitus.
- It can cause pancreatitis
- Some of the antipsychotic including the lithium and olanzapine can cause the weight gain.
- Sometime lithium can cause some mental side effects such as dysarthria, ataxia and hyperreflexia. It can also cause other different disorders such as stupor, central incontinence, coma, blackout, sleep dizziness, vertigo, pseudotumor, seizures or cerebri among others. It has also been found out that continuous usage of the lithium can damage the peripheral nerves. However these problems are not too severe to lead to the discontinuation of the therapy. The nervous system also can be affected in terms of the lethargy, tremor, lassitude or muscle weakness. Sometime there is also the case of decreased concentration, headache and confusion.
- The side effects that affect the gastrointestinal are the vomiting, nausea, anorexia, diarrhea, dry mouth and abdominal pain. To reduce the occurrence of this problem, you can take the lithium with the meals.
- The side effects that affect the renal system include diabetes insipidus, polyria and polydipsia. In some case the patient also can suffer dehydration.
- The lithium side effects of the cardiovascular are the arrhythmias, peripheral circulatory and hypotension.
The dosage to give to the people who need the lithium will depend on different factors and their responses to the medicine. The blood levels also play a great role in determining the dosage, this is why there is always the testing for every individual who needs to take the lithium. The recommended starting dose for the lithium is 600mg divided in three times a day.
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