One of the best medications for mood disorders is Lithium Carbonate. It is also known simply as Lithium. Lithium is primarily utilized to treat bipolar depression disorders. It is also effective in treating unipolar depression disorders. Lithium can be added to antidepressant medications in cases of major depression. This will make the anti-depression regimen much more effective.
Lithium is used in a variety of ways. It can be used to treat mania. This includes high mood, agitation, and racing thoughts. In this case, Lithium needs to be administered in high doses because the level of Lithium in the blood needs to be high. The high levels of lithium however could result in unwanted side effects. To prevent this, other medications are used in the initial stages of the treatment. Lithium is only used in the latter stages to better manage the mood.
Lithium can also be used as a mood stabilizer. Lithium can be a great help in preventing the recurrence of various mood swings. This is especially so in cases where an acute period of a bipolar illness has just passed. Even when Lithium is not able to completely stop or remove the mood swings, it is usually effective enough to reduce it significantly. But Lithium takes a long time to take effect. It may take a couple of weeks or even several months. In some cases, it takes almost two years for it to completely take effect.
Lithium is also very useful in boosting the effectiveness of other antidepressant medications. In cases where some antidepressants are not able to work effectively in treating depression and mood swings, an additional dose of lithium might be able to address the problem.
As effective as Lithium is, there are side effects that result from its use. The most common of these are: slight shakiness, mild diarrhea or loose bowel movement, mild weakness, a metallic taste in the mouth, and dryness in the mouth. These side effects usually subside though once the body adapts itself to the Lithium.
If Lithium is taken for a prolonged period, there are other side effects that could occur. Some may notice weight gain and swollen ankles due to the increased water retention capacity of the body. Others may experience more frequent passing of urine and the need for better hydration. Others still may experience an under activity of the thyroid gland. An underactive thyroid gland can lead to several other symptoms. These include a feeling of weakness or lack of energy, and a frequent feeling of coldness.
On some occasions, patients may experience mild memory difficulties when taking Lithium. This may be a side effect of Lithium, but sometimes the problems with memory are connected to the original mood and depression illness.
Despite these potential side effects, Lithium still remains to be the most effective drug for treating mood disorders and depression. It has proven to have the best results in improving the effect of antidepressants. Many patients have experienced that it is very helpful in improving their mood condition and that it is invaluable in enriching their lives.
