Brand Names

How to Use

Take this drug after a meal or snack. Doing so will reduce stomach upset, tremors, or weakness and may also prevent a laxative effect.

For diseaseds taking the long-acting or slow-release form of lithium:

• Swallow the tablet or capsule whole.
• Do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing.

For diseaseds taking the syrup form of lithium:

• Dilute the syrup in fruit juice or another flavored beverage before taking.

During treat with lithium, drink 2 or 3 quarts of water or other fluids each day and use a normal amount of salt in your food , unless otherwise directed by your family doctor.

Take this drug exactly as directed . Do not take more or less of it, do not take it more or less often and do not take it for a longer time than your family doctor ordered. To do so may increase the risk of unwanted effects.

Sometimes lithium must be taken for 1 to few weeks before you begin to feel better .

In order for lithium to work properly, it must be taken every day in regularly spaced doses as ordered by your family doctor . This is necessary to keep a constant amount of lithium in your blood. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses and do not stop taking the drug even if you feel better .

Dosage

The number of capsules or tablets or teaspoonfuls of syrup that you take depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are using lithium .

• For short-acting oral dosage forms - capsules, tablets, syrup:
  • Adults and adolescents: To start, 300 to 600 milligrams three times a day.
  • Children up to 12 years of age: The dose is based on body weight. To start, the usual dose is 15 to 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight - 6.8 to 9 milligrams per pound a day, given in smaller doses two or three times during the day.
• For long-acting oral dosage forms - slow-release capsules, extended-release tablets:
  • Adults and adolescents: 300 to 600 milligrams three times a day, or 450 to 900 milligrams two times a day.
  • Children up to 12 years of age: Dose must be determined by the family doctor.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is within 4 hours - about 6 hours for extended-release tablets or slow-release capsules of your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Keep the syrup form of this drug from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.