Mom Lithium level at 2.5- hospitalized. - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

jess1866 · 09-19-2007, 07:57 AM

My mother was recently admitted into the hospital because her lithium level was at 2.5.

I don't think the NP that was in charge of her meds (she also takes Lexapro, Seroquel, and Trazadone) was monitoring her blood.

She was taking 300mg 3x a day. After all this happened they're actually putting her back on it but now only 2x a day.

As angry as I want to get about this all, I don't know enough about the subject to do that.

Any input would be great.

tsohl · 09-19-2007, 09:57 AM

Hi Jess,

I don't know that much about the topic but can tell you that they may have switched her from lithium which you have to take 3xday to something like lithobid which is a timed-release med and you only take twice a day.

My guess is that she wasn't being given her meds on a regular basis or her lithium levels would not have been that low. Is she in a nursing home or facility? Sometimes the meds are given out but maybe your mom is not taking them.

Hope you can get this problem straightened out.

xxTsohl

jess1866 · 09-20-2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsohl

Hi Jess,

I don't know that much about the topic but can tell you that they may have switched her from lithium which you have to take 3xday to something like lithobid which is a timed-release med and you only take twice a day.

My guess is that she wasn't being given her meds on a regular basis or her lithium levels would not have been that low. Is she in a nursing home or facility? Sometimes the meds are given out but maybe your mom is not taking them.

Hope you can get this problem straightened out.

xxTsohl

Thanks for the reply; however, 2.5 is actually an extremely high amount of lithium to have in your bloodstream.

tsohl · 09-20-2007, 08:30 AM

Well, that goes to show I don't know what I'm talking about! My son has been on lithium for about 5 years but he's 25 and I don't know what his levels are!!

Lithium is the only med she is taking where her levels can be monitored. The others are given at the doctor's descretion.

I guess you need to impress upon the people giving the meds the need to monitor your mom more carefully.

You don't state her age, but I think when one hits a certain age, meds are metabolized less efficiently and the therapeutic dosage can vary due to circumstances.

Hope others will chime in with some good advice for you.

xxTsohl