Posted by noa on July 4, 2003, at 9:41:39
In reply to Lithium effects and side effects, posted by tina on July 2, 2003, at 20:16:30
Tina,
I was only on lithium for about 2 months, but here is my experience, fwiw:
Good effects--definitely improved my mood--less depressed.
Bad effects--for me, there were two: Thirst and thyroid effects.
I was very thirsty all the time. Watch out for what you drink, too. I developed cravings for sugary drinks, and was insatiable. I was addicted to regular Coke as well as all those fruity drinks. All that sugar--not good for me for a number of reasons, including weight gain. If you can stick to water or diet drinks, it is probably better.
Also, don't go on a low-salt diet--apparently, if you do not get adequate sodium intake, the lithium replaces the sodium in the cells, which isn't good.
Monitor your thyroid. I have hypothyroidism, and lithium exacerbated it. It doesn't mean you'd have to stop the lithium, but if it does affect your thyroid, you might need thyroid meds, too, while on lithium.
Good luck!
poster:noa
thread:238844
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030701/msgs/239191.html