ok so monday i HAVE to start taking it and i'm scared to DEATH. they say one of the possible side effects are rapid heart rate and that alone will trigger an anxiety attack for me. so if any of you have taken it can you please share you stories, the good and the bad? i want to be totally prepared for this. if i dont start taking it he's not going to give me my other meds i take for anxiety, which i thought was pretty mean of him to say.
2007-01-25 05:28:35 · 8 answers · asked by atreyu17244 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
what are renalside effects?
2007-01-25 05:45:59 · update #1
The good about Lithium:
When it works, it works very well. It is an excellent mood stabilizer, that will level out extreme highs and lows. Included in this is the side benefit that if you are having difficulties with anxiety, it can help with that too.
The bad:
As with any medication, there are side effects. Be educated about what they are and know that these side effects may or may not happen to you. The ones that are of the most concern to doctors are that it can, in the long run, affect your thyroid and your kidney function. The good news about this is that it can be mitigated or controlled by observing your blood levels and by doing regular blood tests to be sure that your body is taking the Lithium well.
It's okay to be afraid of taking a medication, but the important thing is to look at the big picture of what it might be helping. Your doctor has said that he will not give you your other medications unless you take Lithium. It is quite possible that he is concerned that the disorder that he wants to treat with the Lithium is the one of the biggest concern and by treating it, you may need less of the other medications.
Give it a try; monitor your reactions & side effects; and follow your doctors advice in taking the medication.
2007-01-25 05:58:34 · answer #1 · answered by barbieisthe1 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have been on Lithium for 10 years. It is great.
Initally you will have some side effects that may include:
thirsty, having to pee all the time, tremors, weight gain, stomach upsetment
But all these will go away once your body gets used to it.
Make sure that you have your blood tests as prescribed, because there is a fine line between safe lithium levels and toxic lithium levels. Most doctors like to keep blood levels between 0.8 and 1.2.
If you reach the toxic level, you will gte sick, have really bad diarreha, and have convulsions. BUT IF your doctor is monitoring your blood levels, you will be fine.
Drink ALOT OF WATER because lithium is a salt and in the body it is metabolized in the kidney.
It really has helped keep me stable. Don't be worried about it!
2007-01-25 05:35:36 · answer #2 · answered by riptide_71 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My sister had to start taking it and has been fine...more than fine, compared to how she was. She still gets a bit hyper, but not like she used to. I can't see rapid heart rate being a side effect, but I suppose it is part of the risk and has to be mentioned. My mother has also had to use lithium and it just balanced her out, stopped the fits she used to have. Don't worry, I think it should be just fine.
2007-01-25 05:37:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The good thing is that its very effective medication for depression and anxiety... This medication is working against what so called Adenylyl cyclase enzyme..... That as a result inhibit the CyclicAMP substance and thus lead to decrease panic and anxiety and depression. By decreasing the sympathetic flow of neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and nor-adrenaline,
the most prominent side effect is not palpitation ( increased heart reat) But the renalside effects, that the level should be monitored closely....
Good luck...
2007-01-25 05:42:08 · answer #4 · answered by PharmaAce 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a student that took lithium and she was fine. Also don't stand for the withdrawl of your other meds. These were prescribed to you!
2007-01-25 05:33:14 · answer #5 · answered by snfcricket 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Besides cost, lithium battery has a shorter lifespan then conventional lead acid battery.
2016-03-14 23:48:27 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I WAS ON LITHIUM AND IT CAUSED ME TO HAVE A LOW MOOD AND DIARRHEA , PLUS MORE ANXIETY AND DARK TUNNEL FEELING WITH MY MIND IT GAVE ME ALOT OF DEPRESSION!
2007-01-25 05:55:26 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you relay dont need to be scared..ok the bad thing about is its not that bad.. for me food taste alittle funny, dry mouth & you may get alittle sleepy..thats the bad.. the good you will be verey happy with it..i am when you eat i here you need alittle salt on youer food.drink alittle more water too thats it,its ok:)
2007-01-25 05:57:00 · answer #8 · answered by xo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋