Lithium is used to treat the symptoms of manic depression, bipolar or depressive disorders. Symptoms might include anger, aggression, poor judgment, hyperactivity, rushed speech and a reduction in the need for sleep.It also affects how sodium moves through the nerve and muscle cells in the body. Sodium is involved with how excited the body gets. Lithium can calm that excitement. Lithium's effects usually start within one week of beginning treatment, and the full effect is notice by two to three weeks. There are instructions a person needs to follow when taking lithium.
Instructions
Take Lithium
1. Obey prescription directions. Take lithium exactly the way the doctor prescribed. Do not take the lithium in more amounts than the doctor prescribed. Do not use the drug after the time the doctor said to stop using lithium. Go to the doctor if the doses might need to change. If the doctor agrees, only then should you use a different dose of lithium.
2. Swallow the pill whole. Do not break, crush or chew the lithium. It would result in a person getting exposed to too much lithium at one time. If the pill is swallowed, the medicine would gradually be released into the person's body. If a person has a liquid form of lithium, use a measuring cup or spoon to measure the right doses. A pharmacist should have a measuring device for medicine.
3. Drink a lot of fluid. Taking lithium may cause dehydration. Extra fluids will help to make up for the dehydration. In hot weather or after strenuous exercise, drink a lot of water to keep from getting dehydrated.
4. Keep lithium at room-temperature. Do not leave lithium in a place that is too hot such as a hot car or a non-air conditioned house during the summer time.
5. If you become pregnant, consult your doctor if you are using lithium. The doctor will decide if you should continue to use lithium or not. Your doses might have to be adjusted. Lithium might cause harm in an unborn baby, therefore it is imperative that you contact your doctor if you become pregnant.
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