Discussion Overdosing on Lithium: Tell me all about it

[DonTellMeToStayAlive]

I have 81 grams of Lithium Carbonate (in non controlled-release tablet form). And a prescription for Clonazepam (Klonopin). Along with that, I also have access to 130 mg Aripiprazole (Abilify), 222 mg of Melatonin, a few pills of Atomoxetine (Strattera), Armodafinil (Nuvigil), Escitalopram (Lexapro) and Quetapine (Seroquel). In addition I have access to 90 mg(9 tablets) of Domperidone.

It is obvious that Lithium is the most dangerous drug I currently have access to, (and I just bought a huge quantity of it as well) and most likely the most dangerous drug I will ever be prescribed.
But Lithium, in spite of its relatively lower median lethal dose and relatively easy access compared to other drugs (from what I think) Lithium is not listed on the Peaceful PIll Handbook. This must mean that Lithium is definitely not a 'peaceful' pill, even if it may be effective in catching the metaphorical bus.

Now, regarding its efficacy, i know that I have more than the median Lethal dose for my body weight (slightly less than 100 kg). That gives me something like a 50% chance at death.
But what would my death look like ? What will happen to me first thing after overdosing, and at that time what internal changes will be going on in my body ? What symptoms will I experience ?

If I end up not dying, or being saved, what parts of my body will be fucked up, and to what extent ? Would I be in pain, requiring some kind of medical intervention like dialysis or kidney transplants throughout my life, or would I be just fine ?
If I die, what aspect of the excess lithium in my body is most likely to kill me ? What are the reasons I could die ?

I know that I will experience vomiting after overdosing on Lithium, can that vomiting be mitigated with the amount of Domperidone I have ?

Do you all know any stories of Lithium overdoses ? How did they end up, what did the person experience, how obvious is the overdose to others ?
Please give me all the details you have. Budding doctors, as well as anyone who knows anything about Lithium overdoses, please share your information, so that I may get an idea on whether to ctb using this method or not.

Thanks in advance!

 

[wljourney]

I can tell you that lithium ODs are quite uncomfortable and definitely not peaceful.
Shaking, sweating, nausea, diarrhea are just the beginning. Seizures and altered mental states are next. And that can go on for hours.

You can severely injure your kidney and that can lead to longterm serious consequences needing dialysis or even a transplant. You don't want to risk that.

Honestly. Especially not with a 50/50 chance of survival.

I've had serotonin syndrome from meds and it was 3 days of hell until my body had gotten rid of the poison.
Zero stars.
Do not recommend.

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

This is a very, very bad plan. The damage to your body will be extensive, it will be painful and you may very well survive.

I took lithium for 10+ years by prescription and went toxic last fall. My blood level was more than 3.1. Just to give you an idea, when I was receiving a therapeutic dose, my blood level was .6.

I went to the ER shaking, sweating, unable to control my hands and feet, thoroughly nauseated but unable to vomit, and I was mentally and physically unable to speak coherently, hold a thought or answer a question. I was also utterly exhausted but unable to sleep. At the time, we had no idea what had caused the problem - I had been taking my therapeutic dose as usual. To this day, we still don't know what happened to cause the toxicity.

I also had Seroquel onboard and Duloxetine (Cymbalta) as part of my cocktail.

It is very hard to adequately describe how miserable I was. My memories from that time are incomplete - I remember my frustration at not being able to finish a thought in the ER. They were trying to get a current meds list from me and I could not hold the questions in my brain long enough to answer them. I could not speak coherently when I did have answers. I also have big holes in my memory, especially of the first 24-48 hours. I was lucky that they put me into a room right away and I did not have to wait in the waiting room. I was unable to sit still but was too unsteady to walk around. I did a lot of rocking and moaning, thought I never intended that.

You will absolutely injure your kidneys. I very narrowly escaped dialysis. I was in the hospital for 5 nights while I was pumped full of fluids to flush out the lithium. My kidneys sustained some damage but the nephrologist is hopeful that it may be reversed. Lithium is dangerous to kidneys even at a therapeutic dose and lithium overdoses can destroy them completely. A different treatment team might have elected to start dialysis immediately and that decision would have been perfectly valid as well. Since you cannot stand well but are being filled with fluid, you may well wind up with a catheter. You will certainly have diarrhea. You will poop while you are sleeping/passed out and will stay in your filth until you realize it and someone can come to clean you.

It took months to recover. Since the lithium is in your bloodstream, it effects every part of your body. I was weaker by a good measure after my hospital stay and unable to recover that strength for months. I remember the day I was able to take a shower without sitting down in the middle - it was about 2 months later and I thought of it as a triumph.

This is not the way to go. Trust me. The risk of long-term damage is very, very real and the process itself is horrible.

 

[DonTellMeToStayAlive]

This is a very, very bad plan. The damage to your body will be extensive, it will be painful and you may very well survive.

I took lithium for 10+ years by prescription and went toxic last fall. My blood level was more than 3.1. Just to give you an idea, when I was receiving a therapeutic dose, my blood level was .6.

I went to the ER shaking, sweating, unable to control my hands and feet, thoroughly nauseated but unable to vomit, and I was mentally and physically unable to speak coherently, hold a thought or answer a question. I was also utterly exhausted but unable to sleep. At the time, we had no idea what had caused the problem - I had been taking my therapeutic dose as usual. To this day, we still don't know what happened to cause the toxicity.

I also had Seroquel onboard and Duloxetine (Cymbalta) as part of my cocktail.

It is very hard to adequately describe how miserable I was. My memories from that time are incomplete - I remember my frustration at not being able to finish a thought in the ER. They were trying to get a current meds list from me and I could not hold the questions in my brain long enough to answer them. I could not speak coherently when I did have answers. I also have big holes in my memory, especially of the first 24-48 hours. I was lucky that they put me into a room right away and I did not have to wait in the waiting room. I was unable to sit still but was too unsteady to walk around. I did a lot of rocking and moaning, thought I never intended that.

You will absolutely injure your kidneys. I very narrowly escaped dialysis. I was in the hospital for 5 nights while I was pumped full of fluids to flush out the lithium. My kidneys sustained some damage but the nephrologist is hopeful that it may be reversed. Lithium is dangerous to kidneys even at a therapeutic dose and lithium overdoses can destroy them completely. A different treatment team might have elected to start dialysis immediately and that decision would have been perfectly valid as well. Since you cannot stand well but are being filled with fluid, you may well wind up with a catheter. You will certainly have diarrhea. You will poop while you are sleeping/passed out and will stay in your filth until you realize it and someone can come to clean you.

It took months to recover. Since the lithium is in your bloodstream, it effects every part of your body. I was weaker by a good measure after my hospital stay and unable to recover that strength for months. I remember the day I was able to take a shower without sitting down in the middle - it was about 2 months later and I thought of it as a triumph.

This is not the way to go. Trust me. The risk of long-term damage is very, very real and the process itself is horrible.

That sucks. I'm sorry.
I only asked because I have read that death by kidney failure is not exactly painful if I choose not to have dialysis. Though yes I would not want it to be administered to me involuntarily, because dialysis sucks. Also I dont want my parents or brother to sacrifice a kidney or something for me if i survive long enough to see their faces,. I want a peaceful exit, all by myself, without ever meeting anyone again. If I live for a couple of years and then die of kidney failure after taking lithium, i do not get what I want. I am not sure if I would prefer that.

So idk yeah, thelithium will only stay in my cabinet for now.

Might as well live

 

[youhavethedove]

That sucks. I'm sorry.
I only asked because I have read that death by kidney failure is not exactly painful if I choose not to have dialysis. Though yes I would not want it to be administered to me involuntarily, because dialysis sucks. Also I dont want my parents or brother to sacrifice a kidney or something for me if i survive long enough to see their faces,. I want a peaceful exit, all by myself, without ever meeting anyone again. If I live for a couple of years and then die of kidney failure after taking lithium, i do not get what I want. I am not sure if I would prefer that.

So idk yeah, thelithium will only stay in my cabinet for now.

Might as well live

Hmmmmm.