Lithium Kidneys, dialysis, & transplants

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.

ferretguy, sorry to hear about your friend. I am going to pass on this knowledge of lithium + kidney damage to my father as he has not only been on lithium for over 20 years, but was also put on it years before that when they didn't understand the correct dosages and nearly died in ICU from drs ODing him by accident.
thanks for the all the information, not just on what lithium has done to your friend but also on transplants/donors in general.

http://www.psycheducation.org/depres...sks.htm#kidney

I talked to the one man awaiting a kidney transplant. He was on lithium 20 years before the kidney failure set in. 9 years more to be to the point of needing new kidney and a year waiting, so far.

I will be tlaking with my parents tonight so will be letting them know all of this. My father has had many side affects fromthe lithium; I really hope he doesn't have the bad luck of kidney problems on top of everything else.

I am on Lithium for Bipolar II Disorder. One year after starting Lithium my Thyroid Gland died. I developed complicated, difficult to treat, life threatening Hypothyroid Disease. My psychiatrist said, "Well, there is a pill for that!" He did not care what he had done. The monitoring was spotty because he felt I was young, healthy and would be fine. He was not concerned about monitoring. When I asked to have a lab slip to go have my blood draw he would mock me saying, "It is too soon. You are fine. I am sure everything is fine. You worry too much. Lithium is safe!!!! Just don't worry so much."

At year two my Endocrinologist MD (Thyroid doctor) informed me my Adrenal Glands which sit on top of the Kidneys and are responsible for my Immune System were now dead. That gave me the medical problem known as Adrenal Failure. My health went downhill. I had little protection from infections. I became sick constantly.

Shortly after my Adrenal Failure was diagnosed in the second year I kissed my boyfriend while he was ill. He had Mono. I contracted Mono as well from him. Because I was an adult the Mono took hold and the Epstein Barre Virus (EBV) would not leave. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) which is incurable, there is no medication for it, it leads to cancer and an early death. Getting CFS is a death sentence. I slept my way through life falling asleep while driving, standing, sitting and falling over to sleep wherever I happened to be. I was warned I could suffocate to death due to falling face forward on the sofa, floor, bed or wherever and not waking up when my face hit the surface and instead continuing to sleep. Had I NOT been on Lithium my Adrenal Glands would be alive to protect me from the CFS. I would not be as sick as I am.

Having CFS is like having Narcolepsy only there are no drugs to treat CFS.

Year 2 and a half I developed terrible Edema. I asked for a lab slip to get a blood draw. My psychiatrist said, NO, the weight gain, puffiness and bloating are all normal for Lithium. You are fine. Stop worrying. Your anxiety is too high. Here, take an Anti-Anxiety med. You will feel better. People asked me, what is wrong with you? You look terrible! I have never seen you look like this before. Are you an alcoholic now? Is that why you are so bloated and puffy? If I could see it and everyone else could see it why did the psychiatrist not see it? Oh, yeah. He sees 2,000 patients in one month and doesn't even know my name without a chart. He has no idea who I am, what is going on with me, what I need, what is wrong with me. He is checked out and out to lunch, but I must wait two years, three years before he sends me for blood work.

I changed doctors. The new doctor refused to send me for blood work for fear I would sue HIM instead of the doctor before him. I went through several doctors like this. They all said, no, you will sue me for what the other guy did. I could not get help. No one was willing to take a chance and help me. All they cared about was "Medical Malpractice Insurance" and do not sue me for what someone else did. Too bad if you need help???

Year 5 and a half on Lithium I changed insurance companies. The new insurance company did a blood draw on me for their intake. It was during this physical I was advised I am in Kidney Failure. I am dying. I need to get on the Transplant List and find a Dialysis location.

I can not afford Dialysis or a Kidney Transplant. My health is ruined. My money is gone. My retirement savings plan has been taken by the psychiatrist. I have been bled dry. I have no money to fund Dialysis or a Kidney Transplant. Even with MediCare discounting the cost I am still unable to come up with the money.

I am looking at Medical Tourism to Thailand or Malaysia where healthcare costs less. Healthcare is a fraction of the cost in the US. The doctors speak English, are educated in the West (USA, UK, Australia, etc.) and return home to work. Malaysia is the preferred destination of Westerners because the Malaysians don't charge a different price to foreigners like the Thais do. Thais have one price for Thais and one price for foreigners.

Medical Tourism is more affordable than healthcare in the US. Transplant surgery and Dialysis costs less when you are a Medical Tourist than when you get service in the US. If I can save my money and swing it? I am leaving the US for medical help.

I was on Lithium, not very long, less than a year. My blood was not monitored. In January I had bloodwork done for something unrelated, and I was diagnosed with Stage I-II kidney disease, most likely from the Lithium. I immediately went off of it, and I will have more bloodwork done in April to see what happens.

When I was put on Lithium (during a hospital stay), I was not informed of things like "do not take Motrin". I was not informed of anything.

My god.. I thought that lithium was safe..

Nope. I had a killer headache a while back, and didn't know what was safe to take. I knew Motrin is not, and Tylenol doens't work for me. So I called the on call doctor. He said Lithium is one of the trickiest meds because there are so many other meds that interact with it. Eventually we settled on Aspirin.