The Side Effects of Lithium: My Love Affair with Water

I never go anywhere without a drink in my hand. My nosey neighbor had the nerve to ask me if I was an alcoholic. I’m not an alcoholic. I just love ice water, huge, plastic glasses of ice water. The lithium did that to me. Lithium carbonate, which used to be a medication of choice for bipolar individuals, is a salt. It makes you ridiculously thirsty. For over 15 years, I ingested a lot of it daily. The result was a constant, unquenchable thirst. I don’t physically need water anymore, but I’m kind of addicted to it psychologically. Funny, I don’t want juice or coffee or pop. I want water. This drinking activity will be with me for the rest of my life, I’m sure. I’m constantly on the lookout for extra-large, plastic glasses. I prefer plastic to glass. It’s safer. I find a lot of my drinking glasses at thrift stores. Huge containers meant for iced tea, they’re perfect for my water fix. And guess what? I’m constantly going to the bathroom. If I added up how much time I spent relieving myself, I’d rack many days a year. We can’t predict what kind of side effects will materialize from taking these psychotropic drugs for our mental health issues. My craving for water was a benign side effect of lithium. What lithium side effects were worse? Horrible acne. For years, I endured life with enormous pimples on my face. I had acne that no acne medication could cure. I tried everything from garden variety Clearasil to oral antibiotics to expensive prescription creams...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Antidepressant Bipolar Creativity Depression Habits Medications Personal Adverse Side Effects Bipolar Disorder Lithium Medication Side Effects Mood Stabilizer Sex Drive Sexual Dysfunction Weight Gain Source Type: blogs