Is there a good chance of surviving a lithium overdose ?

Question

my best friend took her whole prescription of lithium last night and is at the hospital right now. she took all except for 5 pills . i would like to please know what the chances are of her surviving this. i looked on various websites but they all are only about accidental overdoses. I'm really worried and we still havnt heard anything good yet the only thing they told her mom so far is they are worried her organs will shut down so they moved her to a childrens hospital. please help i would like to get a better idea of whats going on even if its not professional. anything will ease my mind right about now. thank you .

Answer 1

one of my friends has taken 2 overdoses recently, not lithium though. what she took was serious amounts of valium and diazipam and she survived against the odds.

i'm sorry i can't offer you any medical advice at all but pray pray pray and reply if you ever need someone to talk to.

so sorry you have to go through this :( xx

Answer 2

I hope your friend is better this morning. You have my sincere sympathy as I know how worried you must be.

Any overdose in a patient who has been taking chronic lithium therapy should be regarded as potentially serious. A single acute overdose usually carries low risk and patients tend to show mild symptoms only, irrespective of their serum lithium concentration. However more severe symptoms may occur after a delay if lithium elimination is reduced because of renal impairment, particularly if a slow-release preparation has been taken. The fatal dose, in a single overdose, is probably over 5g.

If an acute overdose has been taken by a patient on chronic lithium therapy, this can lead to serious toxicity occurring even after a modest overdose as the extravascular tissues are already saturated with lithium.

Lithium toxicity can also occur in chronic accumulation for the following reasons:

Acute or chronic overdosage.

Dehydration e.g. due to intercurrent illness.

Deteriorating renal function.

Drug interactions, most commonly involving a thiazide diuretic or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

In patients with a raised lithium concentration, the risk of toxicity is greater in those with the following underlying medical conditions: hypertension; diabetes; congestive heart failure; chronic renal failure; schizophrenia; Addison's disease.

The hospital, more than likely performed a gastric lavage and has her on IV fluids. Whole bowel irrigation might have been performed. It's hard to say.

SOMETIMES, haemodialysis is the treatment of choice for severe poisoning and is usually considered in all patients with marked neurological features. It is the most efficient method of lowering lithium concentrations rapidly but substantial rebound increases can be expected when dialysis is stopped, and prolonged, or repeated treatments may be required.

Can you let us know how your friend is this morning, or as soon as you hear?