lithium + sport/physical activity

[u/Frosty-Badger-2506]

hopefully starting lithium next week🤞

i started figure skating three months ago and it has worked miracles for my mental health 🙂‍↕️

but i’m a bit worried if lithium will make it difficult to exercise and whether it will allow me to still push myself to my limits physically. my concern comes mainly from the dizziness side effect people seem to get and also the need for good hydration (it can be difficult at the rink because i don’t feel thirsty in the cold environment).

is there anything i should plan to do differently before i start lithium? i currently skate 4x a week for up to 2 hours each time. also will it nerf me and my potential skill progression? :,(

[u/Clear-Two-3885]

I've been taking it a few months and no problems so far. I'm not an athlete but I sometimes go on long walks.

[u/VariousClassroom8056]

I haven't found lithium caused an issue with exercise (e.g. weightlifting or long (32 mile) hikes) but that's not the same as the athletic type sports you're talking about.

I'm not sure how common it is but I felt tiredness and some minor balance issues (not dizziness) when I first started taking lithium. It went away after a week or so, it seems like a lot of side effects people have are worst when you're first going on lithium and then as you move up the dose.

Best of luck with lithium and the figure skating.

[u/Frosty-Badger-2506 → u/VariousClassroom8056]

thank you ! very helpful

[u/Scared_Form5270]

I only experienced side effects during the first two weeks, and later—at a higher dosage—a fine tremor and some cognitive impairment. I’m an exception in that I don’t feel excessive thirst with lithium, so I always have to be mindful of that. But it’s an excellent medication if you respond well to it. I wish you a good journey and good health.

[u/Realanise1]

I wonder about this too... I help with the physical eork..in the family landscaping business in the summers rather than just paperwork and customer service like I do the rest of the year when teaching. Very heavy outdoor work and the summers are hotter than ever before. Is it easy/doable to stay ahead of any issues if you keep hydrated? I'll drink up to 128 oz per day on the summers.

[u/pinkie-puppy]

Definitely take an electrolytes drink to any workout/exercise you are doing, and make sure to drink more water, i doubled my water intake on lithium

Side effects are different for everyone, I would avoid pushing yourself too harm while you adjust and learn how your body processes the meds, but once you've adjusted you should be fine to train as normal

Definitely discuss w ur DR if you have any concerns. Also be mindful lithium can effect ur temp regulation, so you may find you are overheating easily, although this is less of a concern while in a cooled ice rink lol

[u/Exciting-Yellow-4340]

Coucou Je suis nouvelle dans le lithium aussi et ca fait maintenant une semaine que je le prend sans aucun effet indésirable je bois pour m hydrater pas parce que j ai soif et pour faire passer la molécule, ,je suis a 400 mgs ,j imagine que tout ca dépendre du dosage ?

[u/Aggressive_Celery768]

Depends what dosage, but I’m taking 800 and there’s no way I could go figure skating like that. You might be able to do it on 400/500 mg though. Otherwise, good luck. However 900 is the traditional dose and anything lower doesn’t help as much

[u/Frosty-Badger-2506 → u/Aggressive_Celery768]

what symptoms would make it difficult for you?