Posted by ed_uk on January 14, 2005, at 18:28:33
In reply to excessive peeing-- pretty big concern, posted by CareBear04 on January 14, 2005, at 17:07:32
Hello cb,
From Martindale.....
'Polyuria with associated polydipsia(exessive thirst/drinking), due to drug-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, is the most common result of the effects of lithium on the kidney; an early review stated that the incidence ranged from 4 to 50%. In some patients, irreversible kidney damage, associated with renal histological changes that included tubular atrophy, focal interstitial nephropathy and focal fibrosis, and impairment of glomerular filtration rate, was reported. However, although patients on long-term maintenance lithium therapy did appear to be susceptible to the development of progressive impairment of urinary concentrating ability it was most noticeable in patients with a history of acute lithium toxicity. The risk of renal damage and impaired glomerular filtration rate was thought to be extremely small in patients on stable maintenance lithium therapy without prior episodes of acute lithium intoxication.
A similar review considered that, although it was necessarily an oversimplified view, many, and perhaps all, of the renal side-effects of lithium were induced by excessive dosage. Others have also defended lithium with respect to its renal toxicity and stated that long-term therapy, if properly controlled, does not necessarily lead to chronic or irreversible renal damage.'
Ed.
poster:ed_uk
thread:442244
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050113/msgs/442303.html