• extreme thirst, urinating more or less than usual;

• weakness, fever, feeling restless or confused, eye pain and vision problems;

• restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;

• pain, cold feeling, or discoloration in your fingers or toes;

• feeling light-headed, fainting, slow heart rate;

• hallucinations, seizure (blackout or convulsions);

• fever with muscle stiffness, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats; or

• early signs of lithium toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremor, lack of coordination, blurred vision, or ringing in your ears.

Less serious side effects may include:

• mild tremor of the hands;

• weakness, lack of coordination;

• mild nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain or upset;

• thinning or drying of the hair; or

• itching skin.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effects.

What other drugs will affect lithium?

Before taking lithium, tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications, especially any of the following:

• acetazolamide (Diamox);

• aminophylline (Truphylline) or theophylline (Elixophyllin, Respbid, Theo-Bid, Theo-Dur, Uniphyl);

• sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer, Bicitra, Polycitra, or baking soda home remedy antacid);

• carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol);

• fluoxetine (Prozac);

• metronidazole (Flagyl);

• potassium iodide thyroid medication (Pima);

• an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik);

• a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem (Tiazac, Cartia, Cardizem) or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);

• a diuretic (water pill) such as amiloride (Midamor, Moduretic), bumetanide (Bumex), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Vasoretic, Zestoretic), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Mykrox, Zaroxolyn), spironolactone (Aldactazide, Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide), torsemide (Demadex), and others;

• medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as haloperidol (Haldol), aripiprazole (Abilify), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril, Fazaclo), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), pimozide (Orap), risperidone (Risperdal), or ziprasidone (Geodon); or

• celecoxib (Celebrex) or an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac (Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with lithium. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about lithium.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.