Manic Drugs More Disabling Than “Enabling”

Lithium, the drug of choice to control the manic swings of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, comes with few guarantees. Doctors often struggle to find the best dosage. Even when given an optimal dose, individuals suffer from one or more of a list of side effects that can render them uncomfortable and even unresponsive.

Lithium Side Effects

Side effects include blurred vision, eye pain, diarrhea, nausea, slurred speech, drowsiness, weakness, confusion, involuntary movements, ringing in the ears, increased thirst or urination, skin rash, headaches, dizziness, swollen feet and hands, weight gain, anxiety and dry mouth. Individuals who take lithium often suffer from multiple side effects and often need additional medication to treat those symptoms.

In addition, there are a number of foods and drugs, including every day substances like ibuprofen, naproxen, coffee and tea, that can interact with Lithium, causing serious and potentially fatal reactions. Because Lithium is a treatment, not a cure, patients can look forward to a lifetime of adverse reactions.

Treatment vs. Illness

Given its track record of inconsistent results and adverse side effects, it is no wonder that many individuals refuse the medication, even if it means suffering from the severe mood swings that are symptomatic of the disorder. When you add the side effects of the anti psychotics and antidepressants that doctors often prescribe with Lithium, individuals are left more disabled from the treatment than from the illness.

In recent years, the number of individuals being treated for bipolar disorder has soared, particularly among children and adolescents. While researchers debate the cause for this alarming trend, patients and their families are beginning to question conventional methods of treatment that leave different, but equally debilitating, set of symptoms in their wake.

photo by Henning Buchholz