Do I need to wean off lithium?
Do I need to wean off lithium?
If you need to stop taking lithium, it is best for you to come off it gradually, over at least four weeks, but preferably over three to six months. Gradually reducing the dose will make it less likely that your symptoms come back (compared to stopping the lithium quickly).
Is it safe to stop lithium for chronic kidney disease?
No systematic evidence exists on which to base a decision to stop lithium, particularly for moderate degrees of chronic kidney disease. We recommend not trying to decide whether progressive chronic kidney disease results specifically from lithium—and no evidence exists that renal biopsy is useful in the decision making.
Can a person have a relapse after stopping lithium?
Three studies have shown, for example, that people are more likely to have a relapse after stopping lithium than they were before they started it (5-7).
How often should you reduce your lithium dose?
The longer you have taken Lithium, the longer the withdrawal process should be. For example, if you have taken Lithium for 2+ years, it is suggested that you should reduce the dose you are taking by 10% every month until you are down to nothing.
How long does it take to develop renal problems from lithium?
The reason for this confusion is that nearly all the data is uncontrolled. It takes around 30 years for renal problems to develop in patients taking lithium, and we are unlikely to see controlled trials that last that long. Limitations aside, what we can glean from the available data is: 1.
When to discontinue lithium for kidney failure?
The benefit of discontinuing lithium once the kidney begins to fail is a controversial decision. There are no clear guidelines about when and how to stop the prescription.
When is the best time to stop lithium?
There are no clear guidelines about when and how to stop the prescription. While not in this case, the beneficial renal effect of discontinuing lithium is observed mainly in patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (creatinine clearance >40 mL/min) (Baig et al. [ 2011 ]; McKnight et al. [ 2012 ]).
When was the last time Lithium was discontinued?
Her only hospitalization for euphoric mania was in 1983, at which time lithium was started. After mood stability was achieved, the medication was discontinued, with recurrence of major depression several months later.
What are the most common reasons for lithium discontinuation?
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.