Drug Name

Lithium Carbonate

Drug Uses

Lithium Carbonate is used to treat the manic episodes of manic-depressive illness, a condition in which a person's mood swings from depression to excessive excitement. A manic episode may involve some or all of the following symptoms:

• Aggressiveness;
• Elation;
• Fast, urgent talking;
• Frenetic material activity;
• Grandiose, unrealistic ideas;
• Hostility;
• Little need for sleep;
• Without money judgment.

Some doctors as well as prescribe lithium for premenstrual tension, eating disorders such as bulimia, confident movement disorders, as well as sexual addictions.

How Taken

Take Lithium Carbonate as directed by your doctor.

• To avoid stomach upset, take Lithium Carbonate immediately after meals or with food or milk.
• While using Lithium Carbonate, you should drink 10 to 12 glasses of water or fluid a day. To minimize the risk of harmful side effects, eat a balanced diet that includes some salt as well as lots of liquids. Incase you possess been sweating a large deal or possess had diarrhea, make sure you get extra liquids as well as salt.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may possess about how to take Lithium Carbonate.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Lithium Carbonate is an antimanic agent. Exactly how Lithium Carbonate works is unknown, but it may work by altering the balance of confident chemicals in the brain.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose of Lithium Carbonate as well as are using it regularly, take it as soon as likely. Incase it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Lithium Carbonate at room temperature, between 68 as well as 77 degrees F (20 as well as 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, as well as light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep in a close, light-resistant container. Keep Lithium Carbonate out of the reach of children as well as away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not take Lithium Carbonate if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Lithium Carbonate;
• you possess moderate to very bad kidney, heart, or blood vessel problems;
• you possess abridged blood sodium levels;
• you are severely dehydrated, sick, or weakened;
• you are using an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (e.g., enalapril) or a diuretic (e.g., furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide).

Contact your doctor or health care provider fair away incase any of these apply to you.

Important:

• Lithium Carbonate may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse incase you take it with alcohol or confident medicines. Take Lithium Carbonate with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Do not take more than the recommended dose without checking with your doctor.
• It may take 1 to 3 weeks for Lithium Carbonate to work. Do not halt using Lithium Carbonate without checking with your doctor.
• Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Lithium Carbonate before you receive any health examination or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
• Fever, infection, vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive sweating may affect the levels of Lithium Carbonate in your blood. Incase you experience any of these conditions, contact your doctor. Talk to your doctor about how to replace the salt lost through sweating during exercise.
• Do not change the amount of salt in your diet unless instructed by your doctor. Check with your doctor before restricting your salt intake. Tell your doctor incase you are on a low-salt diet.
• Lab tests, including blood lithium levels as well as kidney function tests, may be performed while you take Lithium Carbonate. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor as well as lab appointments.
• Take Lithium Carbonate with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Lithium Carbonate should not be used in children younger than 12 years old; safety as well as effectiveness in these children possess not been confirmed.
• Pregnancy as well as breast-feeding: Lithium Carbonate may cause harm to the fetus. Incase you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits as well as risks of using Lithium Carbonate while you are pregnant. Lithium Carbonate is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while using Lithium Carbonate may cause harm to the fetus. Incase you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits as well as risks of using Lithium Carbonate while you are pregnant. Lithium Carbonate is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while using Lithium Carbonate.

Likely Side Effects

Check with your doctor incase any of these most ordinary side effects persist or become bothersome:

• mild hand tremor; mild thirst; temporary, mild nausea as well as common discomfort at the beginning of treatment.

Seek health examination attention fair away incase any of these very bad side effects occur:

• very bad allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision; confusion; diarrhea; drowsiness; excessive weight gain; fainting; giddiness; inability to control the bladder or bowels; increased thirst; increased or decreased urination; involuntary twitching or muscle movements; loss of consciousness; loss of coordination; muscle weakness; persistent headache; persistent or very bad nausea; ringing in the ears; seizures; unhurried or irregular heartbeat; slurred speech; swelling of the ankles or wrists; unsteadiness; vision changes; vomiting.

More Information

Lithium Carbonate is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.

If your symptoms do not improve or incase they become worse, check with your doctor.