Does lithium shorten your lifespan?

Lithium May Extend Longevity

In addition to the well-known positive effects on mood,¹⁸ lithium has also been linked with longer overall longevity. Two studies have found that individuals living in areas with even modest, low levels of lithium in the drinking water tend to live longer.

Is lithium harmful long-term?

With long-term use, lithium can cause chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis, which is characterized by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and may lead to chronic kidney disease (lithium nephropathy) (97, 98).

What is the downside of taking lithium?

If you've been taking lithium for some time, it can cause weight gain. It can also cause problems with your kidneys or thyroid gland. Common signs of an underactive thyroid are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed.

Why is lithium no longer prescribed?

In 62% of episodes, lithium was discontinued due to adverse effects, in 44% due to psychiatric reasons, and in 12% due to physical reasons interfering with lithium treatment.

What are the long-term effects of lithium on the brain?

Adverse effects of long-term lithium treatment

Some clinicians believe that lithium may cause impaired cognition. A meta-analysis of bipolar patients treated with lithium and patients treated with other medications showed that lithium had a moderately unfavorable effect on cognitive function.

What's the History of Lithium? How Does It Treat Bipolar Disorder? | Dr. Andrew Huberman

What are the dangers of lithium?

► Exposure to Lithium can cause loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. ► Lithium can cause headache, muscle weakness, twitching, blurred vision, loss of coordination, tremors, confusion, seizures and coma.

What organs can lithium damage?

The three organ systems that may be negatively affected by lithium are the thyroid gland, kidneys and parathyroid glands.

Is there a safer alternative to lithium?

Sodium-ion batteries are an emerging technology with promising cost, safety, sustainability and performance advantages over commercialised lithium-ion batteries.

What can replace lithium for bipolar?

The ones that treat bipolar depression are cariprazine (Vraylar), lurasidone (Latuda), olanzapine-fluoxetine combo (Symbyax), and quetiapine (Seroquel).

What is lithium belly?

Research has shown that in some bipolar patients, weight gain occurs with lithium monotherapy because lithium alters their taste. This side effect causes cravings for beverages and food that are salty, fatty, or sugary.

What are two long-term side effects of lithium?

Results: Long-term lithium treatment is associated with a reduced urinary concentrating ability, with subsequent polyuria and polidypsia and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (in 10-40% of patients).

What is the most concerning side effect of lithium?

Excessive urination and thirst (polyuria and polydipsia) are consistently found to be among the most common side effects associated with lithium with rates up to 70% in long-term patients (Bone et al.

Is it worth it to take lithium?

While there are different medications used to treat manic and depressive episodes in people with bipolar disorder, lithium is a commonly used medication. Studies suggest that lithium is very effective at both treating symptoms of bipolar disorder and preventing relapses of the condition.

Does lithium mess with your memory?

In research settings, lithium appears to have virtually no effect on concentration or on short- or long-term memory, but it does have modest effects on psychomotor speed, verbal memory, and verbal fluency.

Do you have to take lithium forever?

Much of the information available says that—once you are diagnosed with bipolar disorder—you will have to take medication for the rest of your life. Most commonly included medications are Lithium, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.

Is lithium a lifelong drug?

It will probably take several weeks to see big enough changes in your symptoms to decide if lithium is the right medication for you. Mood stabilizer treatment is generally needed lifelong for persons with bipolar disorder.

What is the newest drug for bipolar disorder?

In December 2021, the FDA approved Caplyta (lumateperone) to treat depressive episodes in bipolar 1 or 2 disorder in adults. It can be taken by itself or combined with lithium or valproate (Depakote). Caplyta is an oral capsule that you take once a day with or without food.

What chemical is lacking in bipolar?

The chemicals responsible for controlling the brain's functions are called neurotransmitters, and include noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. There's some evidence that if there's an imbalance in the levels of 1 or more neurotransmitters, a person may develop some symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Why do bipolar patients stop taking lithium?

Adverse effects were the most common cause for lithium discontinuation. Among the adverse effects, diarrhoea, tremor, creatinine increase, polyuria/polydipsia/diabetes insipidus and weight gain were the top five reasons for discontinuing lithium.

Why is lithium not commonly used?

Heart disease: Lithium may cause irregular heart rhythms. This may be a problem, especially for people who have heart disease. Kidney disease: Lithium is removed from the body by the kidneys.

Why is lithium controversial?

Since its introduction, the prescription of lithium has grown increasingly controversial due to reports of poisoning, memory loss, and the drug having a “lobotomizing effect” on patients.

How do I get lithium naturally?

The main sources of Li in the diet are cereals, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and some mineral waters [44]. It may also be found in some spices such as nutmeg, coriander seeds, or cumin; however, their share in the total supply of this element is negligible in many geographic regions [49].

Can lithium damage your brain?

Prolonged lithium intoxication >2 mM can cause permanent brain damage. Lithium has low mutagenic and carcinogenic risk.

Can lithium give you brain damage?

Rarely, lithium is reported to cause irreversible, permanent neurological sequelae such as cerebellar impairment, dementia, parkinsonian syndromes, choreoathetosis, brain stem syndromes, and peripheral neuropathies.

What drugs should not be taken with lithium?

Common drug–drug interactions with lithium

The most commonly prescribed drugs that have the potential to interact with lithium are ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists (sartans), diuretics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).