I have a member of a group I am in that is awaiting a kidney trasplant due to administration of lithium over the years. I have also known of several others that ended up on dialysis for the same cause. I was wondering if others have run into problems with this medication? I suppose it is also an interest as I was once misdiagnosed and was on lithium about 6 months. Only for about a month did they monitor the blood serum level. It just seems there should be something safer, given I have known of a good 6 people over the years that had kidney failure due to lithium. He is on the waiting list and in 6th place for the next available match. So, he is ready and packed to get to the hospital within 6 hours of a kidney becoming available.

I know of a second person awaiting a kidney transplant. He was in a traffic accident more than 20 years ago. They gave him a pancreas and kidney transplant that lasted for 15 years. Now he has been on dialysis about 8 years. He is in need of finding a donor within the year.

Awareness is made about how much benefit can come to others for making transplant organs available upon death. I had been on the list for bone morrow transplant until I turned 61 and no longer qualify as a live donor.

I am interested in avoiding any medications that tend to be destructive on the liver or kidneys. I was on dialysis myself after an incident 20 years ago. But my kidneys regenerated and resumed normal function. It tends to stand as a weak point that I don't care to overly tax.