Lithium Flashcards
What is lithium?
Lithium is mood stabilising drug used most commonly prophylactically in bipolar disorder but also as an adjunct in refractory depression. It has a very narrow therapeutic range (0.4-1.0 mmol/L) and a long plasma half-life being excreted primarily by the kidneys.
What is MOA?
not fully understood, two theories:
interferes with inositol triphosphate formation
interferes with cAMP formation
What are the adverse effects of lithium?
nausea/vomiting,
diarrhoea
fine tremor
nephrotoxicity
thyroid - hypothyroidism
ECG: T wave flattening/inversion
weight gain
idiopathic intracranial hypertension
leucocytosis
hyperparathyroidism and resultant hypercalcaemia
What is the monitoring process?
taken 12 hours pst dose
weekly bloods
once stable every 3 months
TFTs and U&Es every 6 months
