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Lithium and kidney disease

Heismercy
Heismercy

Hi all. I've been taking lithium 30 years. I was diagnosed with kidney disease this week. Lithium did it. I knew lithium would catch up with me but it keeps me from jumping off a building. I would not have made it out of my twenties without it. I'm old school and not educated on new meds. I've been stable 20 years now taking the same thing all this time. Lamictal and lithium. If you take it, think long term. Is there something else that might work for you?  So I gotta come off of it. I have no idea what will happen. 

OlderCPer
OlderCPer
I took Lithium for 15+ years and when I went off of it I went to Tegretol, it worked well, had low side effects and did the job.

If you've been on Lithium for 30 years and just this week was DX'd with Liver Disease I doubt is was just the Lithium. Lamictal can cause Liver issues as well, along with your diet and what you put in your body while taking these medications.
mlr0853
mlr0853
Hi...I took lithium too and it messed up my kidneys too/plus kidney cancer, so I have one kidney. I do a blog at davita.com with a lot of info. I take lamictal and have my kidney function blood work done every three months and a special diet. If you "want to" go to davita, a kidney website, go to intro after making an account, then click on ckd 3 kidney disease.
MisterMojoRisin
MisterMojoRisin
There's a guy on the PTSD board who had the same thing happen. I'm sorry that happened to you. That's really rough.
SensitiveHoboLady
SensitiveHoboLady
Sorry to hear. Is there a plan to try a replacement med at this time?

I’ve been in med limbo steady holding pattern after reducing my long term seroquel bc my liver tests were starting to show abnormalities. I don’t know if you see a therapist but it can help tremendously with managing the anxiety during med tweaks.
beckyp
beckyp
I have stage 3 kidney disease and I think, but don't know for sure, that it was the lithium.
Sunshinegirl0228
Sunshinegirl0228
I have been on lithium several years and it has been my miracle drug. It did give me hypothyroidism but luckily everything is being managed with meds. I do not know much about other meds you may be able to take but whatever you end up on , I hope it does not compromise your stability.
Community LeaderSunCloudJD
SunCloudJD
Welcome to the board Heismercy…… I am so sorry that this has happened to you

I hope that you can find something that won't effect your kidneys but will help with stability..... Big hug....xo
MayB
MayB
Lithium wrecked my thyroid and that was scary enough...I was on for 5 years a bd happily went promptly off...
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