Posted by danf on July 7, 2000, at 10:32:14
In reply to Re: Kerry's Question about Water Intake--Anyone?, posted by noa on July 7, 2000, at 8:55:42
Kerry & noa,
good day to you guys.
noa, how are you today ? Up , I hope . banish those blues !
Kerry, I must say your recent posts sound so much better. Happy for you.
some things about Lithium.
The most important thing about li & water is to be consistant. Li works in a different way than all other meds. It is physically diluted in the body. It changes membrane potentials of nerves & of all cells.
for it to work the concentration must be in a certain range. The ratios of Li to others lytes like Mg, Na, K, Ca, etc are important in the membrane effect.
Our bodies have a control mechanism for the other 'normal' lytes to keep them in a functional range. Li is not a 'normal' lyte so the body does not know how to control its concentration. It is 'confused' by the body with Na & K to a minor extent.
dehydration will increase side effects & toxicity without any benefits.
A very high water intake can wash out Li + other electrolytes like sodium.
This is a simplified explan but other details don't help much in the practical arena.
Once a stable dose is found, it is best to have all lyte intake & water intake remain about the same. However our bodies do a good job of keeping things status quo, so in practice, it is not as important for most people as I have made it sound.
in practice a liter is about a quart. 3 quarts or liters a day is reasonable.
poster:danf
thread:39399
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000630/msgs/39666.html