Lithium is a medication that’s able to impact the flow of sodium through nerve and muscle cells inside the body. Sodium is responsible for forms of stimulation such as excitation or mania. Lithiums primary use is to help people who suffer from manic episodes or manic depression. Manic symptoms can include problems such as hyperactivity, rushed speech, poor judgment, reduced need for sleep, aggression, and anger. Lithium is also able to help reduce the severity of a manic episode.
What are some of the possible side effects you might face if you decide to use this medication?
Allergic Reactions-Symptoms would include a hard time breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, hives or a skin rash.
Urinating more or less than usual
Feeling restless or confused
Eye pain and vision problems
Restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck
Pain, cold feeling, or discoloration in your fingers or toes
Fainting, slow heart rate
Hallucinations, seizure (blackout or convulsions)
Fever with muscle stiffness
Fast or uneven heartbeats
Early signs of lithium toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremor, lack of coordination, blurred vision, or ringing in your ears
What are some of the more common side effects you face if you use this medication?
Mild tremor of the hands
Lack of coordination
Loss of appetite
Stomach pain or upset
Thinning or drying of the hair
How do you know if a medication like Lithium is well suited for you?
The first thing you need to think about is whether or not your level of depression is high enough to use a drug like Lithium. Understand that this medication is very powerful to the point of having a high like effect on some people. There are addiction problems and the last thing you need is to end up being addicted to a medication. If you would benefit from this drug though, then you want to make sure you use it right.
The best way for you to know if Lithium is right for you would be to look at what your other options are first. There are other medications out there designed to treat depression and some of them might not come with the same risk of addiction as this one. Second, you need to understand why your depressed. In some cases the depression your experiencing is something that will pass. In this case it wouldn’t be good to take medication, because all you need to do is allow a little bit of time before you started to feel better.
If depression is something you’ve struggled with for a long time though, and you’ve already used other non drug treatment options without success, then using Lithium might be the best way to finally see some results. The thing you have to be careful of though is not looking at it as an instant fix. You’ll still need to do things that will help you to deal with depression that don’t involve taking drugs. This is what’s going to enable you to not become too dependent to the point of being addicted.
Also, if you do end up getting a prescription for this drug then you’ll need to make sure you take it exactly as you need to. This means you can’t take it with alcohol nor can you use narcotics. Some people who are depressed make use of these sorts of things as a means to feel better. Using them with a drug like Lithium though can increase your chances for side effects and you want to avoid this at all costs.