Ok... I am a kidney dialysis Nurse. Here's the scoop. The Lithium didn't mess up your kidneys. Most likely, it was the diabetes. Diabetes makes your blood vessels hard and brittle. That makes the teeny tiny and very fragile vessels in the kidneys prone to damage. They can't be repaired once damaged.

Step 1) - go see a nephrologist. Find a good one. If you are in NW Indiana or The S. Side of Chicago hit me up, I know many good ones. You are not at End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) yet. That's GOOD!!!! Seeing a nephrologist will help you maintain what kidney function you have left. You can live on 25% of ONE kidney!!!! One it's gone though, it's time for Dialysis and the transplant list.

Step 2) - Go to your primary care doc and get your diabetes under control. That's paramount. You will have a lot more than kidney failure to worry about if you don't.

Step 3) - Talk to your PDoc and get on another medication. Lithium is NOT broken down by the liver like most medications. It is simply flushed out of your system by the kidneys. Since yours have limited function, you are running the risk of problems. Lithium is a very old med. Sometimes it is the only option, but it sounds like now is a good time to explore other options for you. If your lithium level reaches toxic levels, you will wind up in the ER and I might be dragging my Dialysis Machine down to clean your blood. Trust me, NOT FUN, especially if you just had a catheter placed into your groin.

Step 4) - Realize this is not the end of the world or the end of your life. I have had patients on Hemodialysis for over TWENTY YEARS!!!! The better you control your diabetes and the better you take care of yourself, the better off you will be. Right now you need to educate yourself and learn how to change your habits to make your life better. Easier said than done, I know.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

William