Lithium Test

Lithium Toxicity

Lithium or the Li element is known for its therapeutic effects, especially in cases of psychological health issues like Bipolar disorder or mania. Recognizing its therapeutic properties, doctors, a long time ago, started making use of Lithium in the treatment of people with such psychological concerns.

To date, Lithium compounds make for a very important antipsychotic drug for the treatment of Bipolar disorder. Doctors usually build up the body’s response to the Lithium drug by gradually increasing the Lithium dosage of their patient.

So, a Lithium Test becomes very useful when undergoing such treatment to ensure that

The body is actually receiving an effective dose of Lithium, the body is not receiving too much dose of Lithium, and lithium is not interfering with any other medicine (in case you take any during the treatment).

The most common psychological disorder that requires the use of Lithium as an antipsychotic drug for Bipolar Disorder. In this state of mental health, the person experiences intense emotions, marked by major mood instability, and this can negatively affect their ability to function properly. Lithium is also medically termed as the “mood stabilizer” that has a positive effect on stabilizing the mood of a person with Bipolar Disorder or mania.

In India, the incidence of mental disorders has increased over the years. Yet, people do not often receive treatment and can end up making their situations worse. So, going for proper medical treatment as prescribed by your psychiatrist is beneficial for those suffering mentally. Undergoing treatment will involve Lithium, and this increases the importance of regularly conducting the Lithium Test.

Other Names of the Lithium Test

Lithium Test is often also called Lithium Serum Test.

What does the Lithium test detect/measure, and who is this prescribed for?

Doctors prescribe their patients to take the Lithium Test in the following situations:

• To check if the current Lithium dosage is working

When Lithium therapy begins for managing Bipolar disorder, the initial doses given to a patient are not as strong. They are gradually made stronger. However, it can happen that the initial doses are too weak and are not having any effect on the patient’s mood. So, to make sure that the dosage is just enough, doctors go for a Lithium Test of their patients frequently in the starting weeks of the treatment.

• To monitor that the Lithium dosage is staying in the therapeutic range.

The ‘therapeutic range’ is a reference range in which the Lithium dosage should stay when undergoing Lithium Treatment for managing mania or Bipolar disorder. After the first few weeks, when the patient has been observed to show some improvement, the frequency of taking the Lithium Test decreases. However, the Lithium Test is still taken every few weeks.

• To diagnose Lithium Toxicity

Lithium toxicity is the result of ingesting too much Lithium in the body and can have grave consequences for the body. A Lithium Test is prescribed by the doctor usually on observing the following symptoms in the patient’s body that can be indicative of Lithium poisoning:

• Observing an allergic reaction to Lithium that can manifest itself into difficulty in breathing, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Drowsiness or a lack of energy
• Dizziness
• Weakness in muscles
• Experiencing a lack of coordination
• Talking in slurred speech
• Gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Confusion
• Shaking or irregular tremors
• Going through restlessness
• Showing apathy
• Frequently urinating
• Feeling extremely thirsty
• Running a fever

• To see if Lithium is interacting with any other medication

The therapy for managing Bipolar disorder is usually lifelong. During this long time, you may have to take any other medicine while also taking Lithium as an antipsychotic drug. To make sure that the medicine is not interacting with Lithium, the doctor may ask you to take the Lithium Test.

You can refer to the following table to interpret your Lithium Test results:

Here is a detailed interpretation of the Lithium Test results:

• Lithium level is below therapeutic range: This can indicate that the present levels of Lithium in the body are not enough and can be ineffective in improving the condition. Your doctor might increase your dosage after the test results.

• Lithium level is within the therapeutic range: This test result indicates that the present levels of Lithium are enough to improve the patient’s condition and effectively manage their Bipolar disorder or mania. The exact Lithium levels can be different for different people but usually lie within this range only.

• Lithium levels are above the therapeutic range: This can be potentially dangerous because such high levels of Lithium in the body are not healthy and can lead to Lithium toxicity.

The Lithium Test is conducted by means of a blood draw. The lab technician will take your Lithium Test blood sample from your arm.

How To Prepare For The Lithium Test?

Taking the Lithium Test does not require any specific preparations that need to be done by the patients. It won’t require any sort of fasting before giving the Lithium Test blood sample.

You can continue to eat and drink healthy as you were doing before blood is drawn from your body to conduct the Lithium Test.

If you are taking any medicines, then you should ensure that it is still fine to take them before giving your blood sample. However, you will have to inform your lab technician about the last time you took your Lithium dosage. This is because your lab technician can only take the Lithium Test blood sample after about 12 hours of when you took your last dose of Lithium.

The procedure of drawing blood for conducting the Lithium Test usually does not involve any major risks. However, since a needle will be injected into your body, there can be incidents like excessive bleeding or clot formation, in cases of which you should immediately inform the lab technician.

Some people can also feel weak and dizzy after giving their blood samples. So, you should ask someone else to drive you back home if you feel dizzy and weak after the blood draw.

Lithium Test Parameters

The Lithium Test is used to measure the current levels of Lithium in the body. This element may be injected into the body as a part of antipsychotic treatment. Further, the levels of Lithium detected in the body and thereby interpreted by the Lithium Test results can be affected by a few factors. These parameters include the following:

• The time of the test when the sample is collected.
• The time interval between the next dose and the sample collection.
• How far along you are in your treatment.
• Present health conditions (which includes any pre-existing health disorders).

Make sure to get your test results interpreted by the doctor because they will consider all these parameters and interpret your results accordingly.

How Frequently Should You Take the Lithium Test?

A lithium test is not part of your routine health checkup unless you are currently undergoing Lithium Therapy or Lithium Treatment for managing Bipolar Disorder or mania.

For people taking Lithium on their doctor’s prescription, the test is conducted more often at the beginning of the treatment, and as the dose stabilises, the frequency of taking the Lithium Test reduces.