Lithium Toxicity

Hello,

I was really hoping to find some advice and help even if it is just to tell me i'm being silly and worried over nothing. I'm a little worried (scared) I've given myself lithium toxicity as i'm feeling really...off.

Basically I've just started a new job which is rather labour intensive which I am not used to at all, I am also sleep deprived and incredibly stressed so I could put it all down to that. However what I am quite worried about is I got incredibly dehydrated at work (over 13 hours) and started to feel really ill even after re hydrating myself I still felt pretty awful the next day and had to be sent home from work. it's been two days now and what I feel like to be honest is utterly hungover but without touching a drop of alcohol. I also feel very dizzy like I've just got off a roller-coaster or choppy boat trip and my roommate has described me as seeming "stoned".

I don't know how lithium toxicity works, google isnt helpful and my pdoc never really told me. Is it a sort of vague feeling something isn't right or is it something you definitely know you have?

I am poor and cannot afford a trip to the doctor unless I am certain something is wrong and i'm not just stressed and sleep deprived.

Thanks for any help! Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

From rxlist.

hallucinations, seizure (blackout or convulsions); fever with muscle stiffness, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats; or. early signs of lithium toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremor, lack of coordination, blurred vision, or ringing in your ears. Just Google symptoms of lithium toxicity...brings up a bunch of info.

not trying to play doctor, but have you thought about an anti-seizure drug? some of them...trileptal, lamictal, keppra...don't require much in the way of blood work, so toxicity is not a big issue. depakote is rough stuff and can turn toxic, so id steer clear of that one, personally.

i take a standard dose of trileptal and a low dose of lamictal. aside from the usual anti-seizure drug cognitive stuff for the 1st month or so, its been smooth sailing. i also taking abilify.

Blor -

This has happened to me as well.

I felt really nauseous and threw up my medication several times when just starting Lithium. Other signs are shaking hands and soft bowl movements.

Drink water!!
Also, if you got the little pink instant release pills, try getting the hard orange or white extended release pills. This will help.

Let me know what you think.

I've had toxicity 3 times. It can be sneaky so it's worth getting a level checked. Usually when I felt like that it meant I needed water and something salty and then I'd be fine but I also ignored the early signs of each toxicity and could have had a much easier time if I'd paid attention to the feeling that something was off. Your pdoc would probably be happy to send in the lab order for you.

Call your doctor...tell him what you've told us. Let him decide. He'll probably order a lab and see from there.