What are the side effects of bipolar medication?

What are the side effects of bipolar medication?

Side Effects of Bipolar Drugs

• Nausea.
• Tremors.
• Hair loss.
• Sexual problems.
• Weight gain.
• Liver damage.
• Kidney damage.
• Diarrhea.

Is hypersexuality a symptom of bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder can also affect your sexuality and sexual activity. During a manic episode, you may experience hypersexuality, or an increase in sexual activity. It may place you at an increased risk for actions that may have negative effects, such as contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

How quickly can lithium toxicity happen?

These factors can make the lithium build up to harmful levels in your body. Acute on chronic toxicity occurs when you normally take lithium every day for bipolar disorder, but one day you take an extra amount. This can be as little as a couple of pills or as much as a whole bottle.

Does lithium affect memory?

Lithium has been associated with impaired memory, word finding difficulties, and impaired recall. Often, my patients have reported a cognitive “dulling” and a loss of cognitive “creativity” with lithium use that they found most disturbing. This does appear to be dose related.

Does lithium cause depression?

Thyroid problems Hypothyroidism is another concern for those taking lithium. In a person with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. This condition can cause symptoms that include: depression.

What can replace lithium medication?

Second generation mood stabilizing anticonvulsants carbamazepine and valproate are now widely used as alternatives or adjuncts to lithium.

Is Depakote safer than lithium?

Patients taking lithium had lower rates of self-harm and unintentional injury compared to those taking other bipolar drugs, such as valproate (Depacon, Depakote), olanzapine (Zyprexa) or quetiapine (Seroquel), said lead researcher Joseph Hayes.

What does lithium do to a normal person?

Lithium acts on a person’s central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Doctors don’t know exactly how lithium works to stabilize a person’s mood, but it is thought to help strengthen nerve cell connections in brain regions that are involved in regulating mood, thinking and behavior.

Does lithium dull your emotions?

5. Side effects. If you’re on the right dose and the level of lithium in your blood is right, you may not have any problems taking this medicine. However, some people find lithium slows down their thinking or makes them feel a bit “numb”.