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Reasons For Behavioural Changes While On Lithium For Schizophrenia
My daughter has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, she is in hospital and given lithium and she is showing behaviour problems, very aggressive and has been put into a high dependancy unit. She is also on halparadol. It was strange that within two days of being lithium she became very unwell. I have a meeting with the Drs tomorrow and preparing a repot as I am concerned that this medication is not agreeing with her. Do you have any experience on this topic. Kind regards, Marg
Wed, 12 Feb 2014
Greetings !
Well it seems unlikely that lithium is the culprit in causing her behavioral change and it may be sheer coincidence that her behavior changed just two days after she was placed on this drug, the plausible reason behind this is that lithium needs to reach steady state plasma levels before it can start it's action or result in a side effect and it takes around 2-3 weeks for it to reach that level so in 2 days it will be too early for this drug to cause such side effect because by now it must not have reached steady state levels in the plasma.
Secondly you cannot discount this behavior change as a part of underlying schizophrenia which is known for it's florid pleomorphic psychopathology and heterogenous symptoms and signs meaning that it is an unpredictable condition where in such sudden onset of violent and disruptivve behavior can be expected. In fact this sort of violent behavior will be best managed by a mood stabilizer like lithium but it shall take 2-3 weeks for that to happen so as of now raising dose of haloperidol or adding a tranquilizing agent like clonazepam can help her to calm down.
I hope this makes sense and brings objectivity.
Wish your daughter all the best.
Regards
Well it seems unlikely that lithium is the culprit in causing her behavioral change and it may be sheer coincidence that her behavior changed just two days after she was placed on this drug, the plausible reason behind this is that lithium needs to reach steady state plasma levels before it can start it's action or result in a side effect and it takes around 2-3 weeks for it to reach that level so in 2 days it will be too early for this drug to cause such side effect because by now it must not have reached steady state levels in the plasma.
Secondly you cannot discount this behavior change as a part of underlying schizophrenia which is known for it's florid pleomorphic psychopathology and heterogenous symptoms and signs meaning that it is an unpredictable condition where in such sudden onset of violent and disruptivve behavior can be expected. In fact this sort of violent behavior will be best managed by a mood stabilizer like lithium but it shall take 2-3 weeks for that to happen so as of now raising dose of haloperidol or adding a tranquilizing agent like clonazepam can help her to calm down.
I hope this makes sense and brings objectivity.
Wish your daughter all the best.
Regards
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