Lithium and OTC pain relievers

[ahalo]

I currently only have the net on my phone so i cant look this up... Is there any over the counter pain reliever that doesnt interact with lithium? I know ibuprofen and tylenol do but what about aleve or aspirin? Thanks for any info.

[Cetkat]

I currently only have the net on my phone so i cant look this up... Is there any over the counter pain reliever that doesnt interact with lithium? I know ibuprofen and tylenol do but what about aleve or aspirin? Thanks for any info.

You're safe with Tylenol and Asprin, but not the others. However, a couple doses here and there of the NSAID's won't do much of anything for your Lithium level - just don't overdo it.

[ginger_flybaby]

I currently only have the net on my phone so i cant look this up... Is there any over the counter pain reliever that doesnt interact with lithium? I know ibuprofen and tylenol do but what about aleve or aspirin? Thanks for any info.

You're safe with Tylenol and Asprin, but not the others. However, a couple doses here and there of the NSAID's won't do much of anything for your Lithium level - just don't overdo it.

I concur.

[AirMarshall]

While it's listed as a possible interaction, I don't recall any members complaining of any reaction.

I take naproxen and ibuprofen without any trouble. YMMV.

[ahalo]

Thanks everyone. My last lithium level was 1.1 so i need to avoid nsaids which is a bummer because I have pain only ibuprofen can touch. But i will figure out something... Maybe i'll have to get an rx if thats possible.

[mj1127]

I've found aspirin to be surprisingly effective for every kind of pain I've tried it for except migraine. I don't seem to tolerate any of the rx migraine meds I've tried (many), and the only thing that seems to work is ibuprofen (or naproxen, though not as well) with caffeine. At one time my level went up to 1.4 because of ibuprofen, so I realize the risks here, and the month I had to drop my dose afterward was pure hell.

I've negotiated with my pdoc a protocol for when I have to take ibuprofen - I only take 400mg at a time instead of the 800mg I used to take (does not always make the pain go away but usually makes it bearable), and if I take one dose of ibuprofen in a day, I take half my usual dose of Li. If I take more than one dose of ibuprofen in a day, I take no Li that day. Under either circumstance, I take half a dose of Li the next day, and go back to regular dosing the third day. My level may still go up, but not to a dangerous point.

If you only need to take the NSAIDS occasionally, you might want to ask your pdoc whether you might be able to alter your Li dose to accommodate the NSAIDs. However I would NOT try this without discussing it first with your pdoc.