Table of Contents
Can stopping lithium cause thyroid problems?
Reversibility of lithium-associated hypothyroidism. Our study suggests lithium-associated hypothyroidism is reversible in the majority of patients who discontinue lithium. In our study, 41% of 85 patients available for follow-up stopped TRT after discontinuing lithium treatment.
What happens after stopping lithium?
If you suddenly stop taking lithium, one of the drugs most commonly prescribed to stabilize bipolar disorder moods, you can experience “rebound,” a worsening of your bipolar symptoms.
What are the side effects of stopping lithium suddenly?
Lithium – When abruptly discontinued, people who have been taking lithium to stabilize moods may experience mood instability and a relapse of mania.
Does lithium affect thyroid function?
Lithium is concentrated by the thyroid and inhibits thyroidal iodine uptake. It also inhibits iodotyrosine coupling, alters thyroglobulin structure, and inhibits thyroid hormone secretion. The latter effect is critical to the development of hypothyroidism and goiter.
Is hypothyroidism caused by lithium reversible?
Although lithium-induced hypothyroidism is usually reversible upon cessation of lithium, the development of hypothyroidism is not a contraindication to continuing lithium, and most experts advocate thyroid augmentation therapy.
Is lithium-induced hypothyroidism reversible?
Conclusions: Lithium-associated hypothyroidism seems reversible in most patients once lithium has been discontinued. In such cases, thyroid replacement therapy discontinuation could be attempted much more often than currently done.
Why is lithium being discontinued?
Because of its side effect burden, narrow therapeutic window, and an increasing pharmacopeia, there are clinical situations in which lithium is no longer a first line treatment and/or when toxicity necessitates drug discontinuation (Malhi et al.
Can lithium cause permanent hypothyroidism?
Lithium inhibits thyroid function at various points in the thyroid axis. A large number of studies have shown that anywhere from 0; to 47% of patients on long-term lithium treatment will develop clinical hypothyroidism.
How long does it take for lithium to affect thyroid?
1 Goiter usually develops within the first two years of lithium treatment and causes a thyroid gland that is approximately twice the normal size.
Does lithium cause Hashimoto’s?
Conclusions: We believe that autoantibodies against antigens shared by the thyroid gland and the brain were induced by exposure to lithium, causing the patient to develop Hashimoto’s encephalopathy.
Are there any side effects of lithium on the thyroid?
Abnormalities in thyroid function have concerned clinicians and patients since the introduction of lithium in the treatment of manic-depression. Goitre was one of the first described potential side effects of this treatment [1] and prompted subsequent studies on the interactions between lithium and thyroid function [2].
When is Lithium associated hypothyroidism reversible in most patients?
“In most patients lithium-associated hypothyroidism seems reversible once lithium has been discontinued,” wrote Ingrid Lieber, M.D., of Umea University in Sweden and colleagues. “Therefore, in such cases, TRT [thyroid replacement therapy] discontinuation could be attempted much more often than is currently done.”
When to start thyroid replacement therapy after lithium?
They were enrolled in the Lithium–Study Into Effects and Side Effects, a large Swedish study of patients using lithium. On average, thyroid replacement therapy was started 2.3 years after starting lithium.
When to see an endocrinologist about lithium?
The patient must be referred to the endocrinologist if TSH concentrations are repeatedly abnormal, and/or goitre or nodules are detected. Thyroid function abnormalities should not constitute an outright contraindication to lithium treatment, and lithium should not be stopped if a patient develops thyroid abnormalities.