lady_lovelace Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Trying to figure out what happened today. I'm on 900 mg Lithium now. I woke up today and ate a smaller breakfast than usual and took one of the 300mg pills as usual. On the bus to go do errands I started feeling very nauseated but chalked it up to not having eaten enough food. When I got something to eat (and I drank quite a bit of water at the time) the nausea was relieved but came back 30 minutes after. I took a nap when I got home and now I have had this damn nausea for going on 5 hours now. It was very hot today so I could have been dehydrated, but my hands aren't shaking badly and I don't have other side effects of toxicity. To make things worse I don't do well in the heat to begin with, earlier in the week I got (what I thought was at least) a heat related headache/nausea and had to throw up. It didn't feel like a toxicity thing but I don't know. I've had this kind of thing in the past when I wasn't on Lithium but now that I am I just want to be sure I'm not messing up. I've tried to drink a lot of water since then and that will make me feel better maybe for 5 mins and then the nausea will start up again. Has anyone had anything like this? I'll be more careful for sure in the future on hot days, but it's hard to tease the two apart... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 When was you serum level last checked and what was the level? Lithium is all about serum level. Start of toxicity (rough rule of thumb) is a 1.2 level. Some people are fine at that level. I didn't feel too bad until I hit 1.8. Dehydration can drive the level up, but if you were staying hydrated and/or have a low level, that probably didn't happen. No one here can give you a real answer. The best thing to do, especially since summer has started and it will continue to be hot, is to call you pdoc to explain what happened and ask if you should get a level check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 level check sounds like a good idea, for piece of mind. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Good time for a level check. I find I'm thirsty all the time on lithium with mid-normal (0.76) levels, and I also tremble. I drink a lot of water and juice, I always have some with me. I horseback ride, and its hot, and I have thrown up (I did before lithium as well) from the heat and exertion. I always have a bottle of Gatorade with me at the barn. Lithium can cause nausea, its common. If you can't get in to see your pdoc asap ask if you can take something for nausea. But a level check is your best option. Keep hydrated, good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Lithium does displace Sodium from the blood. Sometimes I find that either a salty snack with water or Gatorade helps. I also tend to crave salt more in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady_lovelace Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Thanks guys, I am getting the check tomorrow so that's all good. I went up to 900 about a week ago so I'm surprised I'm having side effects now instead of earlier in the week, although I guess now I have a more steady blood concentration. I called my doc, actually an ANRP and she told me I have to ask primary care for the anti-emetic, which is too bad. I scheduled a visit right after the blood draw yesterday. What do you guys take for nausea if anything? I wish my doctor was doing it because I don't trust that they will know all the interactions, and in addition these days primary care has been refusing to give me meds sometimes because of all the psyc meds I take and they don't want to risk an interaction. Ugh. I had a bad reaction to the D2 blocking anti nausea pills so I have to be very careful what I get. Thankfully right now I only pay a maximum of 35 dollars for a supply of pills, I have seen most other kinds of nausea pills to be around 60 dollars a pill! I've been nauseated for over 24 hours now, although it has subsided a bit... I thought it would go away after I went to sleep for the night and digested all the food in my tummy but apparently not. Does actually throwing up help this kind of nausea? I ask because I have migraines and sometimes the only way for it to go away is throw up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady_lovelace Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 I ended up getting the generic for Zofran today for nausea, and I think it has helped. I guess I'm just going to have to wait these side effects out, since my doc didn't think it seemed like toxicity.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Your doc may be right. Did he order a blood test to check you serum level? If not, I'd look for a new pdoc if you plan on taking Lithium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady_lovelace Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Oh yes, I had one scheduled for a while before and did it yesterday. She's not that out of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.