salisbury5...
I worked in the field of mental health for 25+ years, and
it's commonly known that lithium contributes significantly
to the likelihood of weight gain.
Elevated body weight itself is a risk factor for Type II
Diabetes, especially with regard to body-mass index (BMI)
measurement higher than 27. Age, an apple-shaped figure,
increased blood pressure, and higher cholesterol levels
are additional, related risk factors. See this page about
diabetes on the Public Health Agency of Canada website:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccdpc-cpcmc/diabetes-diabete/english/risk/index.html
In controlled scientific studies, such as this one, summarized
in an abstract on the PubMed website, by Vestergaard P, Schou M.,
states definitively:
"Fasting blood sugar was determined in manic-depressive patients
before the start of lithium treatment and at intervals during
treatment for up to 6 years. The total exposure time to lithium
was 495.5 years. Even though the patients gained significantly
in age and body weight during the treatment, their mean blood
sugar values remained the same as before treatment was started,
and only 1 patient developed manifest diabetes. There is no
reason to believe that long-term lithium treatment leads to
increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3683801&dopt=Abstract
While you haven't noted your age, or whether your current
weight is higher than it was when you began treatment with
lithium, my experience tells me that you have likely gained
some weight, and this, along with your advancing age, is
enough to contribute to a return of the symptoms of the
Type II Diabetes with which you were previously diagnosed.
If the lithium has been effective in treating the bipolar
disorder, it's also likely that you are somewhat less
physically active than previously, and this would be yet
another contributing factor.
There are, nonetheless, several sources which indicate that
lithium is one of many factors which could result in higher
measurements during testing, such as this one from the
LabTestsOnline website:
"Some of the other diseases and conditions that can result
in elevated glucose levels include:
- Acromegaly
- Acute stress (response to trauma, heart attack, and stroke
for instance)
- Chronic renal failure
- Cushing syndrome
- Drugs, including: corticosteroids, tricyclic antidepressants,
diuretics, epinephrine, estrogens (birth control pills and
hormone replacement), lithium, phenytoin (Dilantin),
salicylates,
- Excessive food intake
- Hyperthyroidism
- Pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatitis"
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/glucose/test.html
Note that the study cited above stated that "their MEAN blood
sugar values remained the same as before treatment was started".
So, if I were you, I would expect the occasional test to turn
up an elevated level due to the lithium, but if the levels are
consistently high, I would look to the other factors such as
weight gain, lack of exercise, increasing waistline, advancing
age, and elevated blood pressure cholesterol levels.
You could also explore, with your doctor, alternate medications
which might cause less weight gain.
Since you never mentioned weight gain or your age or any of the
other factors, I could be completely off here. If that's the
case, please feel free to elaborate on your specifics.
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Additional information may be found from an exploration of
the links resulting from the Google searches outlined below.
Searches done, via Google:
lithium "blood sugar"
://www.google.com/search?q=lithium+%22blood+sugar%22
diabetes "risk factors"
://www.google.com/search?q=diabetes+%22risk+factors%22
"fasting glucose" lithium
://www.google.com/search?q=%22fasting+glucose%22+lithium
"bipolar disorder" medication "causes less weight gain"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22bipolar+disorder%22+medication+%22causes+less+weight+gain |
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