For Bipolar Disorder: I've been on lithium for 6 months for Bipolar I and have had such amazing results. They may become less troublesome after a few weeks as your body adjusts to the drug. Lithium has been the treatment of choice for patients with bipolar disorder (BD) for nearly 70 years. Side effects of lithium that are different from Zyprexa include hand tremors, increased urination, mild thirst, diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, muscular weakness, lack of coordination, giddiness, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears. Dealing With Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder? There are a few serious risks to consider. Treatment options for bipolar disorder. Medicines for Mania. © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. What to Know About Depakote Before You Start Taking It, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Lithium for bipolar disorder: A re-emerging treatment for mood instability. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Your doctor will also probably suggest you drink eight to12 glasses of water or fluid a day during treatment and use a normal amount of salt in your food. A multicenter study of young patients with bipolar disorder provides what may be the most scientifically rigorous demonstration to date that lithium a drug used successfully for decades to treat adults with the condition can also be safe and effective for children suffering from it. Lithium-induced diabetes insipidus: Prevention and management, Taking your medication with food to avoid abdominal upset or nausea, Using an anti-diarrheal medication for a time, until your system adjusts to the lithium, Taking doses throughout the day instead of using an extended-release form, Sucking on a sugar-free lozenge to relieve dry mouth, Potentially having your dose lowered if side effects do not decrease. National Alliance on Mental Illness. J Psychiatry Neurosci. Episodes of depression tend to last longer, often 6 to 12 months. If you experience side effects that do not go away after a time, talk to your doctor about lowering your dose of lithium. Doctors don't know exactly how lithium works to stabilize a person's mood, but it is thought to help strengthen nerve cell connections in brain regions that are involved in regulating mood, thinking and behavior. Though it has side effects, these can generally be kept to a minimum by starting with a low dose and gradually increasing to the desired strength. Curr Psychiatry. In addition to starting with lithium prescribed at a lower dose to begin with, and then raising the dose as tolerable, there are a handful of ways to help keep side effects to a minimum. They include: You may have to take lithium for several weeks before you notice that it helps. There has been renewed interest in the use of lithium recently because of its tolerability and effectiveness. Side Effects You Should Know If Taking Trileptal for Bipolar Disorder, Why You Might Crave Sweets When You Take Nortriptyline, Possible Side Effects of Anti-Psychotic Medication Navane, How Mood Stabilizers Are a Cornerstone of Bipolar Treatment, Side Effects of Thorazine for Bipolar Disorder, How Zoloft Is Used in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder. Sometimes, side effects of lithium can be relieved by tweaking the dose. Your doctor will order periodic blood tests during your treatment, because lithium can affect kidney or thyroid function. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. About 75% of people who take lithium for bipolar disorder have some side effects, although they may be minor. Dealing with racing thoughts? WebMD Assess Plus: Bipolar Disorder Assessment. Do not change the brand of lithium without checking with your doctor or pharmacist first. Always feeling tired? Nausea, seen in 10–20% of lithium-treated patients, tends to be more prominent early in treatment and is much less common in long-term therapy (Schou et al. Rarely, serious side effects can occur. If you experience any of the following side effects, be sure to call your doctor right away or get emergency medical attention. If so, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Joffe RT. “Been on lithium for about 2 years now for bipolar 1 disorder this medication helped in the beginning but now it does nothing for my unstable mood the side effects get worse each day it also causes severe acne and weight gain I wouldn't recommend lithium to anyone lots of … It is important that the lithium level in your body not be too low or too high. Lithium also helps prevent future manic and depressive episodes. US National Library of Medicine. More Common:Increased frequency of urination; increased thirst; nausea; trembling of hands (slight) 2. Weight gain. Sleepiness is a common side effect of taking medications for bipolar disorder. If you notice any other side effects, check with your doctor. Like with most medications, bipolar disorder medications come with typical side effects.