starpirate555 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 i just found out yesterday on the internet that lithium increases your appetite from the very beginning. there was this psychiatrist who had 15 years experience in this topic. she says lithium does very little water retention and she believes that the thyroid is not affected by lithium. isn't that a surprise. well anyway what are some ways to control appetite while on lithium. i appreciate some good answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sorrel Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Appetite increase on lithium happens sometimes but is not guaranteed or even common. Hate to tell you, but the potential of lithium to affect the thyroid is well-established, and I would put any doctor claiming otherwise in the "potential quack" category. Obviously it does not affect the thyroid in everyone. Nonetheless, I think you have spoken of appetite/weight issues many times. Have you considered seeing a nutritionist? They might have good suggestions about managing appetite while maintaining a healthy diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenllama Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 If anything Lithium almost certainly will retain water as it has a chemical structure very similar to sodium (sodium is the element below lithium in the periodic table and elements in the same row have very similar properties) I have actually had very little appetite while on lithium and am loosing weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscillateWildly Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 You've also got to consider that lithium is an antimanic and mania usually involves lower appetite due to numerous factors. That she observes her patients eating more may be because they are not as manic. Lithium lowers norepinephrine, which is why it is an antiaggressive, and partly why it is an antimanic. Norepinephrine plays a role in appetite and fat burning, but theraputic lithium shouldn't reduce norepi below normal levels. Norepinephrine, also, plays a central role in mania. Lithium absolutely affects the thyroid and the cause is well known - Li competes with iodine, which can damage they thyroid. Lithium is more known for nausea and possible loss of appetite thereby than it is an increase in hunger (like with say, seroquel, which causes a direct increase in appetite as well as metabolic derrangements). All in all, compared to your usual antimanics, such as depakote zyprexa seroquel, lithium is the most weight friendly of this bunch, and the least likely to cause serious metabolic diseases thereby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witchywoman Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I don't think Lithium has raised my appetite. That didn't happen until I started Seroquel XR. However, as far as thyroid, the first time I was on lithium, my thyroid went bad and I ended up on 50 mcg levothyroxine. This time almost as soon as I started it, my thyroid went bad again, and Im now on 75 mcg of levothyroxine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 I am now always hungry on lithium, but I've got no appetite. Will this make me fat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailFlower Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 papertrees if you take in more calories than you are expending, yes you will gain weight. Your body will store extra fat. Lithium can increase the appetite, but you can choose not to overeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.