[awebb198488]

Since we upped my Lithium to 900mg a day from 600 mg a day, my skin has started to break out...badly. I have read online that this can happen. I had horrific acne as a teenager and don't want to go through that again. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it go away?

[~Christina]

That happened to me ... I used salicylic acid it cleared right up and after about a month I stopped breaking out .My body adjusted to the medication .

Good luck

[awebb198488]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

That happened to me ... I used salicylic acid it cleared right up and after about a month I stopped breaking out .My body adjusted to the medication .

Good luck

I hope so! Thanks!

Hopefully the pimples will clear up soon. However, I know someone who had a really bad acne outbreak that didn't respond to treatment, so he had to go off Lithium completely. Good luck!

[Trippin2.0]

Another lithium related acne victim here.
It was traumatic to have zits for the first time at age 27 and really gross that I developed backne!

My skin problems didn't clear up right away after ditching the lithium, I had break outs for months after...

Even now, 2 years later, I'm prone to getting a spot or few, when my skin hardly acted up before lithium was introduced. Idk what's causing it...

I've read somwhere that people who suffered from acute acne are more prone to suffer long term effects as the usual treatments aren't very effective when lithium is the cause.

[Moose72]

I have it too. I use an antiacne face wash

[hamster-bamster]

Tazorac or Retin-a, by prescription and very expensive, plus an OTC benzoyl peroxide face wash once daily to boost the effectiveness of the prescription cream or gel.

No scrubs, no masks, no nothing. Sun protection for the face.

[awebb198488]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Tazorac or Retin-a, by prescription and very expensive, plus an OTC benzoyl peroxide face wash once daily to boost the effectiveness of the prescription cream or gel.

No scrubs, no masks, no nothing. Sun protection for the face.

If things don't improve, I will probably end up seeing a dermatologist. The funny part is that I had terrible acne throughout my teen years. So, when you said Tazorac I knew what you were talking about

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by awebb198488

If things don't improve, I will probably end up seeing a dermatologist. The funny part is that I had terrible acne throughout my teen years. So, when you said Tazorac I knew what you were talking about

Things won't improve, most likely. I was off Lithium for 6 months, but I still had acne that needed medication and still had hypothyroidism that needed medication. Before I started on psych meds, I had flawless skin and a perfectly functioning thyroid. Pdoc said these side effects can persist. I would call them tardive, even though they are not neurological.

make an appt with a dermatologist asap. Tazorac is only counterindicatec in pregnancy - otherwise, it a great thing, especially if you have insurance. And buy benzoyl peroxide today - the bottle is cheap and will last you a long time. Make sure though not to overuse it - don't wash the face more than once a day.

[awebb198488]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Things won't improve, most likely. I was off Lithium for 6 months, but I still had acne that needed medication and still had hypothyroidism that needed medication. Before I started on psych meds, I had flawless skin and a perfectly functioning thyroid. Pdoc said these side effects can persist. I would call them tardive, even though they are not neurological.

make an appt with a dermatologist asap. Tazorac is only counterindicatec in pregnancy - otherwise, it a great thing, especially if you have insurance. And buy benzoyl peroxide today - the bottle is cheap and will last you a long time. Make sure though not to overuse it - don't wash the face more than once a day.

I will make an appointment. Another copay for me! Thanks for your help!

[GardenGirl729]

I have been taking 900mg of Lithium daily for quite some time now and I too have the acne. I have found that switching to free and clear washes and lotions helped. I still feel like I have more acne than I would like, however, the good of the medication outweighs the discomfort of the blemishes (for me)