Spanophile Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Has anyone else ever developed diabetes insipidus (diabetes of the kidneys) from taking Lithium? What are your experiences? I've developed it and have been told it will PROBABLY go away once I stop taking the Lithium. Lithium works so well for me and I don't want to stop it but I also don't want to have damaged kidneys. For those who don't know about diabetes insipidus here is the National Institutes of Health webpage about it: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000511.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verti_goat Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Has anyone else ever developed diabetes insipidus (diabetes of the kidneys) from taking Lithium? Sorry to hear about your kidney issues. I've never heard of this but of course know that Lithium is rough on the kidneys -- I think I read that 99% of Lithium is excreted in urine and thus through the kidneys. The link you posted also talks about electolyte disorders as being a cause of DI; that combined with Lithium could double whammy your kidneys. Any possibilities with electrolytes or salt imbalance? Not enough fluids? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spanophile Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I'm drink a lot of water when I'm at work anyway. And it doesn't run in my family. My general practitioner used to be the GP for a psychiatric hospital and he says he has seen this quite a few times. It doesn't happen to everyone of course but it is somewhat common apparently. It's the thirst that is horrible - I'm dying of thirst all the time. Peeing every 15-20 minutes is annoying too of course! The only thing I've changed is I used to drink caffeine all the time but when I started Metadate CD (like Ritalin) I stopped because I didn't want to get jittery. That may have pushed my lithium levels up somewhat. My lithium levels have always been pretty good but on the lower side of therapeutic so I had a buffer anyway. I see my psychiatrist next Thursday and I'm scared she is going to put me on Depakote because she has mentioned it in the past. I'm scared of Depakote! I've heard nothing but horror stories about it. And Lithium has kept me so stable that I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I go off of it and go on something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 I see my psychiatrist next Thursday and I'm scared she is going to put me on Depakote because she has mentioned it in the past. I'm scared of Depakote! I've heard nothing but horror stories about it. And Lithium has kept me so stable that I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I go off of it and go on something else. Well...many people have come here that have heard naught but horror stories about lithium, y'know. (And now, you have to come up with a new one! Gads!) I do know how it is to have to switch from a nice effective med and head into the world of unknowns. But, if that effective med is gonna mess your ass (or, um, othher side) up, then it's just gotta be. Besides, depakote is maybe just a beginning point. One obviously hopes it will work great with few side effects but if not there's other meds in the cabinet. Hopefully you'll level out with a minimum of fuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Are your creatine clearance levels off by a wide margin?? That's the warning sign. Here is a good article by Dr. Phelps on lithium risks. SZS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 No, but my kidneys certainly hate it. I've been on it twice, resulting in urinating blood and persistent UTIs. Drinking 4 liters of water and cranberry juice a day didn't prevent it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhiteQueen Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 So sorry you have developed this. I sure hope it does go away. I have only been on lithium for a couple months or so, and am trying to drink plenty of water and uncarbonated beverages like juice. But I guess sometimes you can do all you're supposed to do, and it still happens. That really sucks. Lots of luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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