Lithium and kidney failure

I have bipolar and have been treated with Lithium for 15 years. Well, yesterday I found out I have stage 3 kidney failure. My psychiatrist did a routine blood test and discovered it. He said he'd have me see my regular doctor tomorrow, and discuss the solution, since I am also diabetic it complicates everything. My psychiatrist said he'll probably have to take me off of Lithium because my lithium levels are increasing in my blood stream.

I'm frightened and don't know exactly what to think next. I'll follow doctors' orders, but I am very frightened about the results.

I am so sorry this has happened to you. you think they would have noticed something before it got so severe. good luck at the drs. take care.

my mom is/was a diabetic and her kidneys failed and she got a transplant.

Are they saying the lithium caused the kidney failure? I've been on it for about 5 months and my biggest worry is kidney failure...I could not go through dialysis..I'm freaking out just thinking about it.

Good luck

Please keep us posted on your treatment. Is there anything that the Dr can do immediately? Taper off lithium, extra fluids, cranberry juice, and possibly IV fluids (can be done in urgent care, without hospitalization). IV fluids very quickly dilute blood and reduce the lithium concentration in the blood. It helped me get over lithium intoxication in 2012.

Last summer, my husband suffered lithium toxicity so severe that his kidneys were shutting down and they immediately started dialysis. He spent 8 days in the ICU and became severely psychotic because the dialysis pulled all his meds off his system so suddenly. We were within 24hours of irreversible kidney damage or death.

Fortunately, they caught it just in time and because they did dialysis so quickly, he did make a full recovery and has no permanent kidney damage believe it or not.

That kind of severe toxicity is fairly rare. None of the doctors, including his psychiatrist and the nephrologists, had ever seen such a severe case in their entire careers.

i was on 450mg. daily of lithium for 35 years which was enough to keep my hypomania in check. throughout those years, i had thyroid issues somewhat resolved by taking meds; then had parathyroids removed and then started having some kidney issues. i've had some great drs. in the past who have told me lithium has been the main contributor to these other health issues. i finally decided to get off lithium and have not replaced it w/another mood stabilizer tho i take 1/2 klonopin daily for anxiety and some 1/2 seroquel nightly so i can sleep.
there have been occasions where i had to pee in a bottle for 24 hrs. to check my kidneys but since i'm off lithium have not been rechecked…do know i don't pee as frequently and surprisingly, the anger which i would experience daily when i would just wake up, is no longer there.
i'd suggest that you do your own research and get other dr. opinions. lithium did work for me for many years…but it had consequences.

For what it's worth, when I started Lithium my doc said that the therapeutic dose was between overdose and not enough. In other words, a very fine line in the dark. They usually test your thyroid levels, but I haven't heard them test for kidney failure. If you think about it, the liver and kidneys are your body's filters. Processing all those chemicals plus the everyday things we consume must take a toll on them.

Mine always tests for kidney function at the same time as lithium and thyroid levels.

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