I was the same way when on Lithium.

I just could NOT drink enough water to slake my thirst.

Eventually , I became toxic on Lithium and had to stop anyway.

It's very difficult to live a "normal" life when you have to use the toilet every 1/2 hour !

in my adult life I have been on lithium 12 years. there was a long break .

I guess I am a little confused because my pdoc and endocrinologist suspects it in me however are going to do a water deprivation test when I am ready this fall (I have surgery on parathyroid coming up don't wana play with water) My endocrinologist also used a kidney reading from a 24 hr urine collection test to begin backing her suspicions. This is caused by your pituitary gland misbehaving and I believe the endo said there is a med for it.

Lithium keeps me stable where for 10 years nothing else could. I will live with the excessive drinking and make sure I know where the bathrooms are when I am out and about. Hell in the beginning I had to do this anyway and it had nothing to do with diabetes insipidus. so I got good at bladder control before this side effect started..............

Bleh. I suppose if the Lithium is working great for you, it's worth putting up with excessive thirst and a need to urinate.

But having to pee every 30 minutes sure sounds like it can put a crimp in your lifestyle!! Major annoyance.

You might want to ask your doctor and/or a pharmacist if you would possibly do well to add a potassium supplement to your treatment.
Sometimes all that extra drinking and peeing can deplete your potassium levels.

Good luck!!
It would be nice if that side effect goes away!!!
Here's hoping!!!

(((((Hugs)))))

I've had it for a long time getting worse lately. Long road trips are the worse, I've peed in a lot of unsanitary road side locations ;-P lolz I have bad kidneys and they get far worse if I over due it on sugar. You might try going sugar free for about four days, works wonders for my need to go - it still sucks but not nearly as bad.

I'm not sure why I'm on Lithium with my kidneys not up to part to start with, but I am.

It's not nearly as bad as the anti-psychotic side effect of feeling like you want to peel your skin off type of anxiety and needing to eat 24/7 in huge amounts to try to get the feeling to stop, but it doesn't stop... that is massively driving me crazy but there isn't anything to do but hope I get used to it.

Good luck on the bladder front, I'm just used to it by now and it's the family in-joke. Going without water can be dangerous and sometimes I make sure I have gatoraid or something with electrolytes - seems to help. Cheers!

I'm a long-time lithium user and never had that kind of problem, which doesn't mean your situation isn't valid. However, the problem might be a low sodium/salt intake. That can cause problems. When using lithium we cannot restrict our sodium intake or lots of trouble results. If that's not it, get off lithium and go to depakote.

I don't understand did your doctor order any tests to confirm or just throw it out there because long term lith use can bring this on? Id bet other things can but ive not had time to look deeper before they do my testing.........I think it is dangerous to tell anyone oh your peeing and drinking a lot and on med its this live with it. It actually can be plain diabetes it can be high blood pressure it could be so many things

. Ive fought with many doctors these past two years to be treated properly because they see my med list and decided everything was caused by lithium or in my head.........last doctor did proper testing and I had a surgery in Dec I have one in Aug I have had med changes but I still have my stinkin lithium and life out side a phospital as a benefit.