Can you OD on lithium?

[DreamEnd]

Title

 

[d3c96524be95]

It seems possible to OD, but looks rather unlikely.



Deaths were only chronic in this study. So not actually ODs.

Also this: https://europepmc.org/article/med/12893375



You'd probably need to ingest extraordinary large quantities to actually OD, but it should be possible to OD. Beware with the "2% died" though. The study indicates that the complications may not be due to the Lithium itself but to the other substances (or combination of substances) they've ingested in their suicide attempt.

You'll have cardiac issues and ruin your liver way before OD IMO. I would not recommend.

 

[Disaster]

Well, alcohol could be lethally overdosed too. Or table salt. Also, not every overdose is a lethal overdose. Something having some deadly potential doesn't exactly make it a legit CTB method. If you are a competent adult researching CTB methods, I'd suggest looking through other options. If you rather want to overdose/poison yourself but not lethally, I'm not gonna judge you for that, but I doubt being alive and needing dialysis could improve your situation. We can chat a bit if you rather want to vent, but I'm not great at uplifting stuff.
Take care!

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

It is very difficult and will be very uncomfortable. I went toxic on lithium about a year and a half ago and it was incredibly difficult to deal with. I had the large buildup of extended release tablets described above.

If you fail, you will likely blow out your kidneys. I missed dialysis by a hair's breath - another doc might have decided to put me on dialysis right away and he would also have made a viable medical decision. It could have gone either way.

When I hit the ER, my level was more than 2.0 - therapeutic levels are .6 - 1.2. I was almost incoherent and could not form a decent thought. I could not tell the docs my current meds, even though they desperately needed to know them. I was shaking uncontrollably, violently nauseated, and dizzy/unstable as hell. For a while, I could do nothing but writhe on the floor, wishing I would pass out.

You will pass through all of this on your way to any fatal event. It takes time for your body to process lithium, so even if you take a huge dose, you won't get there right away. It won't knock you out on the way - I remember every miserable minute.

It took 5 days of IV fluids on full bore to get me down to a manageable level. The first 24 hours were absolute hell. I would never wish that on anyone.

You really should consider something else.

 

[sheepgirl]

I take lithium and there was a lot of concern about risks if I had access to overdose on it when I was started on it. I believe you can die but I was told about someone who overdosed on it and needed diyalisis permanently

 

[temporal_anchorite]

You can overdose on literally anything, even an over-consumption of water.

 

[webawl]

If it's lithium carbonate, I think so. I was prescribed it once but my psychiatrist required someone I lived with to administer them because according to them, I could easily OD on it. With that being said, and as others have said, it probably isn't the most comfortable experience.

 

[lionetta12]

Title

You can overdose on most things in theory, even water, but it's extremely hard to successfully CTB by overdosing.