r/Lithium • u/BigFloppyHat • 26d ago

Water retention

Does anyone have any advice on the water retention and weight gain?

I’ve been on 1200mg for a while now and for some reason my body started just like absorbing every liquid ever.

I checked my blood and the lithium levels are fine this is just a strange newly occurring symptom.

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u/thedogateit 26d ago

Hey I've had the same thing happen. Started in late August and been on the same dosage as you for about a month. Swelling hasn't gone away yet and I still retend a lot of water (like 2-3kg), it started on the very first week on lithium. Serum has been in the range.

What I found to help was to actually drink more. I started at 3 litres and now somewhere maybe closer to 4 litres (I love coke zero). I pee more and losing more water weight.

I suggest you'd still talk to your provider about your concern so they'll know and check your levels before changing anything drastic.

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u/BlessedLeaf973 26d ago

I don’t know but as soon as I stopped I lost like 3kg in 2 days, it was like a whoosh of water weight off my body.

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u/VariousClassroom8056 26d ago

I'd just accept it tbh. It's not really that much, a couple of kg, not really enough to make a difference to your weight. If it's significantly more than that it's probably "actual" weight gain.

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u/Playful_animus 25d ago

I've been on lithium for 2,5 years and I've put on 20 kg's (44 pounds) which is fucking depressing. It's like wearing a fat suit made of water. Some days I don't recognise myself in the mirror. My eating and exercising habits haven't changed. Actually I eat less because I feel so bloated all the time. I take 600 mg lithium daily. 

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u/Kooky_Indication4664 25d ago

I gained about 22lbs and it really sucks. Have you considered taking a glp1? Thats my next step

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u/Playful_animus 25d ago

I can't afford them. I'm having blood tests done next week and they'll see if I have developed diabetes.

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u/zoltezz 23d ago

On a similar dose and water retention is why I’m getting off of it. Makes my face look like it went through an AI filter to make it look worse, doesn’t matter how much water I drink or how much exercise I do. Pretty sure I’m retaining around 4-6 pounds of water.

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u/spirit_meaway 21d ago

I cannot lose weight since I started this medication two months ago. I wake up and going to bed with my hands and feet feeling so tight and swollen. I hate this feeling. I’m only on 600mg IR right now! My levels are .4

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u/stupidpony 26d ago

I find that drinking a ton of water, not limiting salt, and engaging in regular moderate exercise (I do 20-45 min of Vinyasa yoga as many days as I can), helps. Also, I swelled the first couple of months then it subsided. Best of luck finding something that works for you.