Side effects of lithium carbonate

Manic-depressive disorder, followed with the manic episodes, are treatable with medicine called Eskalith. Manic depressive disorder is recognizable because patient has an extreme mood swings that escalate from depression to over-excitement.

Manic episodes patients are having following symptoms:

have speedy, urgent tone of voice while talking, have a big and unreal ideas, have a bad judgment, have elations, have aggressive attitude toward things, have a need for frenetic activity, have a little or no need for sleep.

Manic episodes are actually mania and when the condition gets worse patient need treatment with Eskalith. Treatment is induced for longer period, but in very little dosage, to decrease manic episodes that are going to escalate in the future, no matter of the drug and to limit intensity of manic depression.

With female patients it is possible to prescribe lithium to treat PMS as well as depression. Lithium is usually in general, prescribed for mobility disorders, addictions to sex, eating disorders bulimia or other way around.

General Lithium Carbonate ToxicityLithium may be toxic, and its toxicity may escalate if the level of lithium serum aggravates. Dosage higher than 1,5 mEq/l is more risky then any lower levels of lithium serum. Lithium toxicity may occur with lithium sensitive patients, if levels of serum are under the 1,5 mEq/l. Symptoms of lithium toxicity are

muscular weakness bad coordination vomiting diarrhea

and may happen if levels of lithium go under the 2 mEq/l. And increased level of lithium poisoning may bring on

tinnitus giddiness dilute urine ataxia unclear vision

Level higher then 3 mEq/l create a complex clinical image of multiple systems of organs in the body. And in the acute phase of treatment lithium levels can not go above 2 mEq/l.

The acute manic phase initial therapy may bring light symptoms such as light thirst, polyuria and hand tremor. In the beginning of therapy with lithium, patient may feel transient nausea and general ailment and it may be inconvenient for patient. These side effects may reduce with constant treatment and limiting (cutting down) of lithium dosage.

Side Effects

Side effects are not directly linked to a levels of dosage prescribed. There are different side effects recorded unrelated to lithium dosage taken and in general are: dehydration, sleeping problem, fatigue, transient scotomata, lethargy, extreme weight loss, leucocytosis, headache etc (there are more). But, according to what body system are affecting there is a following classification:

Cardiovascular side effects include hypotension, sinus node dysfunction accompanied with severe bradycardia, peripheral circulatory collapse and cardiac arrhythmia.

Gastrointestinal side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and anorexia.

EEG Changes include potentiation and disorganization of background rhythm, diffuse slowing, frequency spectrum widening, isoelectricity of T-waves and reversible flattening.

Genitourinary include polyuria, oliguria, glycosuria and albuminuria.

Dermatologic include anesthesia of skin, psoriasis alopecia and exacerbation, chronic folliculitis, xerosis cutis and thinning of hair.

Thyroid Abnormalities include hypothyroidism, elevated oidine 131 or hyperthyroidism.

Autonomic Nervous System includes dry mouth and blurred sight.

Neuromuscular include hyperirritability of muscles, tremor, ataxia and hyperactive deep reflexes of tendons.

Central Nervous System includes blackouts, vertigo, dizziness, epileptiform seizures, block of urine or feces, psychomotor retardation, confusion, coma, acute dystonia.

Neurological include higher intracranial pressure and papilledema, enlargement of the blind spot, limited visual ability.