Camcolit

Lithium carbonate

Treatment & prophylaxis of mania, manic-depressive illness & recurrent depression in adults. Treatment of other behavioural disorders.

Initially 400 mg bd. When blood tests are stable, it can be taken once daily.

Should be taken with food: Swallow whole, do not chew/crush. May be divided only along the score-line.

Hypersensitivity. Hypothyroidism; arrhythmias; Brugada syndrome or family history thereof; low Na levels. Serious kidney disease. Lactation.

Epilepsy & concomitant use w/ anti-epileptics; concomitantly taking antipsychotics; heart disease; persistent headaches &/or visual disturbances; low amounts of K, Mg & Ca in the blood. Check kidneys, urine, thyroid & heart before initiating treatment & during treatment. Perform blood monitoring especially during dose changes; in case of infection or other existing disease/disorder; large changes in the amount of fluid or Na intake; concomitantly taking other medicines; presence of kidney disease. Risk of kidney tumours in patients w/ severe kidney impairment receiving lithium for >10 yr. May impair ability to drive or use machines. Pregnancy. Elderly. Should not be used in childn.

Changes in heart rate; serotonin syndrome; neuroleptic malignant syndrome; persistent headaches &/or visual disturbances. Heart rhythm problems; encephalopathy; permanent nerve tissue damage; kidney problems; benign/malignant kidney tumours (in long-term therapy); parkinsonism; thyroid problem, parathyroid adenoma; oedema; wt gain, loss of appetite, too much Ca, Mg or sugar in the blood; hand tremor, vertigo, dazed feeling, not being able to think clearly, difficulty remembering, fits, changes in sense of taste, shaky movements, slurred speech, dizziness, rapid eye movements, blurred vision, or blind spots, unconsciousness, coma & myasthenia gravis; skin problems including worsening of psoriasis, hair loss, acne, soreness around the hair root, itching rashes & redness of the skin; low BP; leucocytosis; sickness, feeling sick, diarrhoea, upset stomach, dry mouth or too much saliva; sexual problems; abnormal taste sensation.

Increased conc w/ medicines causing kidney problems; tetracyclines, metronidazole, co-trimoxazole, trimethoprim & spectinomycin; NSAIDs (eg, diclofenac or ibuprofen) including COX-II inhibitors eg, celecoxib; ACE inhibitors (eg, ramipril or lisinopril) or angiotensin II receptor antagonists (eg, losartan or irbesartan); diuretics including herbal prep; steroids eg, prednisolone, betamethasone or hydrocortisone. Decreased conc w/ theophylline or caffeine; Na bicarbonate; carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; urea. Risk of causing other side effects w/ haloperidol, olanzapine or clozapine; carbamazepine, phenytoin or clonazepam; methyldopa; SSRIs (eg, fluoxetine or paroxetine), tricyclics (eg, amitriptyline), tetracyclics; Ca channel blockers (eg, amlodipine or diltiazem); muscle relaxants; NSAIDs eg, indomethacin; triptans eg, sumatriptan. Risk of serious heart rhythm disorders w/ quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide, amiodarone, ajmaline, cibenzoline, hydroquinidine, azimilide, dofetilide, ibutilide, sotalol; ranolazine; arsenic trioxide; erythromycin (IV), sparfloxacin; amisulpride, haloperidol, pimozide, sertindole, mesoridazine, clozaril, droperidol, thioridazine; terfenadine, astemizole; cisapride; mefloquine, artemisinin derivatives, halofantrine; ketanserin; dolasetron.

Antidepressants

N05AN01 - lithium ; Belongs to the class of lithium antipsychotics.

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