Drinking on Lithium?

[Anonymous]

I'm not a huge drinker. I've only been drunk twice in my life, but would enjoy going out with my boyfriend more. The problem is, I'm on Lithium, and when you drink while on it, it's like your body instantly dehydrates. After three beers, my entire body was in so much pain I thought I might have to go to the hospital. It was like a migraine headache blanketing my entire body.

The upside is that there's a solution- drink as much water as alcohol. So I drank a few glasses of water and I was fine almost instantly.

Yet another problem is that with that much fluid in me, I'm up and out of bed about three times during the night and I end up waking my boyfriend when I do, which is annoying for anyone.

Does anyone who takes Lithium have any tips for drinking while on it? I can do the excessive water drinking, but if there's something else that would help, I'd be grateful to know about it.

If it matters, my dose is 900mg a day.

[LegateLanius]

You should not.
You can drink some alcohol while taking lithium, but you must not get dehydrated. If you drink alcohol, you can continue to drink some alcohol while taking lithium but drinking alcohol can make you dehydrated. If this happens, the lithium level may rise in your body and reach a toxic level.
Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of lithium such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with lithium.
So just don't drink for a while

[Asker]

It's likely a lifetime medication for me, which is why I'm trying to find safe ways of drinking occasionally. The last time I drank like this was about five or six years ago, that's how infrequent it is.

The only downside of mega hydration, like I said, is having to pee several times during the night, which means literally crawling over my sleeping boyfriend, so if there's an alternative to downing a half gallon of water while I'm drinking, I'm hoping someone can tell me.

[LegateLanius]

It's best to talk to a medical professional as it can be quite deadly if you take too much. It's out of my scope of knowledge as your doctor would probably know based upon other details about you.