Does lithium stop working?

Lithium is a mood stabilizer medication that has been used for decades to treat bipolar disorder. It is considered the gold standard treatment for this condition and has helped millions of people worldwide manage their symptoms. However, some patients report that lithium seems to stop working over time. In this article, we will explore why this may happen and what can be done about it.

What Is Lithium?

But first, let’s discuss what lithium does exactly. Lithium works by altering how certain chemicals called neurotransmitters function in the brain. It reduces activity in certain areas while increasing activity in others —specifically those related to mood regulation.– This makes it an effective treatment for bipolar disorder because one of the key features of this illness is shifting moods or affective instability.

Lithium also helps prevent mania and depression by acting as a kind of buffer zone between these two poles so that neither gets too intense before switching into its opposite state.–making it much easier for people with bipolar disorder to live a more stable life.

However, like all medications, lithium can have side effects such as hand tremors (shakes), increased thirst or urination levels (due to increased sodium excretion), nausea, diarrhea among others but overall these are quite manageable compared with alternatives,– –such as antidepressants which can cause manic symptoms/suicidal thoughts,- – so most physicians consider them part of life when taking lithium

So if lithium works so well at first then why do some people report that it stops working? There are several possible reasons:

Tolerance

One possibility is tolerance –related not just because naturally someone who takes any medicine over time develops larger doses(higher plasma concentrations) than they started when began medication . When you take a drug consistently over long periods:be that days/weeks/months/etc.the body begins to adapt and become tolerant of it. Just like when someone goes to the gym- if you start lifting weights for example 5kg every day after a while your muscles will not feel heavy anymore, you will not have sore feelings then in order to progress further you need more than 5kg of weight and start having once again that post-workout pain.

However, with lithium tolerance is unusual since blood serum levels are carefully monitored by physicians regularly (At least biannually) so they can adjust each patient’s dosage accordingly

Noncompliance

Another possibility is non-compliance; which means missing doses or take lower dosages than prescribed/planned.That could happen because one forgets his pills or thinks he/she does not need them that specific day—this place could be easily underestimated & neglected especially on holiday seasons—additionally also patients sometimes reported feeling fine without any issues so they genuinely thought there was no requirement at all taking their medication next week(e.g.). However, just because symptoms are reduced/absent –meaning if disappearing/diminishing slowly- -they must continue treatment .

Minor note: If a patient ceases therapy abruptly can lead to medication withdrawal syndrome – seems similar if alcohol/drug addicts withdraw suddenly from ingesting these substances

It’s essential never advise anyone discontinue medications before consulting with a medical specialist/pharmacist/etc because addiction and relapse rate soar through forced detoxing methods– even under professional supervision.

Pharmacodynamics or PD refers to how drugs work, while pharmacokinetics or PK describes how drugs move around/between different parts within the human body( for achieving its action), such as absorption in digestive system(oral ingestion);distribution via bloodstream throughout our organ systems/tissues/cells/brain-concentration achieves an effect onset/slowing down clearance rates by filtration/metabolism/excretion.

PKPD together comprise what medicinal researchers call ‘drug design’ field, which aims creating better medication with improved delivery pharmacokinetic profiles making them more effective & allowing fewer side effects.

As we coexist PK and PD facts they matter in terms of diminishing efficacy over time because one’s pk/pd profile slowly changes due to aging /dietary habits/weight variability/other meds he/she is using/problems that appear inside our body but never figured out their origins. These biological individuality factors can alter lithium’s efficiency at buffer zon volatility/mood regulation as well if drug clearance mechanisms become less efficient for example–so higher plasma concentrations are required— this is where dose adjustments come into play—although frequency increases itself depend on serum levels fluctuation other toxicity concerns.

Drug Interactions

      Something else closely linked to how drugs move around the body relates/correlated with polypharmacy or several drug interactions occurring simultaneously . Theoretically (and also practically) another medicine someone ingesting might alter/biase lithium's metabolism/concentration altering its effectiveness for improving mood stability among other things.
 However, as medics state cautiousness must be exerted when combining new lithium treatments alongside potent psychotropics like benzodiazepines/opiates/amphetamines(other central CNS depressants stimulants).

Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help prevent loss of efficacy or improve it again:

Re-evaluate Dose

A doctor may need to reevaluate a patient’s dosage level based on regular bloodwork going much deeper than blood-pressure measurement.( Every time checking sodium/lithium/plasma potassium concentrations/Urea/Creatine/Blood Count along liver/kidney functionality tests). Based these assessments/information provided by patients the NP could adjust doses according balancing between therapeutic effect/toxicity risks .

Adjust Timing and Frequency

Sometimes, physicians may have to adjust the time of day that a patient takes their medication or how frequently they take it –or either switching different preparation formats (e.g. from pills to liquid/or both interchangeably) in terms adjusting serum levels maintenance/titrating them intelligently per each individual.

Consider Other Medications

              If a drug is losing its effect- another approach could be searching for other alternatives working similarly/equally as sustainably without any adverse interactions . This might include combination therapy with other mood-stabilizing agents/antipsychotics depending upon patient needs/preferences/toxicity risks.

However adding new medications does not essentially affect satisfaction among patients at least initially if too many of them ought be using(at high dosage rates)–as one reported side-effects as low-quality life reported by some bipolar Lithium-females(no common hetero-group related uncovered) so an NP must assess judiciously when discuss polypharmacy topic .

Use Adjunct Therapies

Other helpful therapies complementing lithium’s efficacy can involve standard cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy techniques/mindfulness meditation approaches-and-by-way physical workouts alongside light exposure therapy during poor sunlight seasons(also called SAD syndrome).

Lithium is an effective mood stabilizer treatment often used for bipolar disorder; however, it may lose its effectiveness over time due to various factors mentioned above -mostly concerning measuring plasma concentrations regularly/dose adjustment/plasma levels fluctuation-body physiology changes (such as diet/exercise/hormonal disruptions etc). Fortunately, there are strategies available such revaluating dosages/frequency intervals /consideration comparing plusses/minuses adding additional therapeutics on top(or instead-of)/adjunctive non-pharmacological molecular add-ons.
So don’t worry if you notice your lithium isn’t working like it used to–there are plenty ways NP’s use improve or regain therapeutic effects back — just be patient and inform your doctor or treatment recipient if something feels out of kilter in terms symptom-wise progression /adverse effect experiences.