Lithium side effects

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Hello, I am working on a case study for my psychiatric nursing class and I'm a bit stuck on one question. The question is really simple, "what are 3 side effects of Lithium to watch for?". The trouble I'm having is that there are many side effects for lithium to watch for. I don't know which 3 are considered the most important. Does anybody out there have any clues? They are greatly appreciated :)

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seizures, arrhythmias, and......no idea.

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I would say mental status changes since there are so many side effects that fall under that category...maybe?

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Specializes in LDRP.

Hmmm...I would say definitely the seizures and arrhythmias, and for the third one, based on what my pharm teacher taught us, I would put POLYURIA. This is because lithium replaces sodium inside the cell and if excessive sodium is being lost (which is of major concern), polyuria would be one of the signs. JMO!

Hope this helps! :nurse:

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