Generic Lithobid (Lithium)

Generic Lithobid is used for treating manic episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. It is also used to reduce the frequency and decrease the severity of manic episodes in patients with bipolar disorder.

Lithium Carbonate tablets

What is this medicine?

LITHIUM is used to prevent and treat the manic episodes caused by manic-depressive illness.

What should my health care professional know before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

dehydration (diarrhea or sweating)
heart or blood vessel disease
kidney disease
low level of salt in the blood, or on a low salt diet
an unusual or allergic reaction to lithium, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
pregnant or trying to get pregnant
breast-feeding

How should I take this medicine?

Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water.Take after a meal or snack to avoid stomach upset. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. The amount of this medicine you take is very important. Taking more than the prescribed dose can cause serious side effects. Do not stop taking except on the advice of your doctor or health care professional.

Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 12 years for selected conditions, precautions do apply.

Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.

NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose (less than 4 hours), take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What may interact with this medicine?

Do not take this medicine with the following:

stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD or narcolepsy

This medicine may also interact with the following medications:

caffeine
calcium iodide
carbamazepine
diuretics
medicines for high blood pressure
medicines for mental problems and psychotic disturbances
metronidazole
NSAIDs, medicines for pain and inflammation, like ibuprofen or naproxen
phenytoin
potassium iodide, KI
sodium bicarbonate
sodium chloride
urea

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking this medicine?

Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. It can take several weeks of treatment before you start to get better.

The amount of salt (sodium) in your body influences the effects of this medicine, and this medicine can increase salt loss from the body. Eat a normal diet that includes salt. Do not change to salt substitutes. Avoid changes involving diet, or medications that include large amounts of sodium like sodium bicarbonate. Ask your doctor or health care professional for advice if you are not sure.

Drink plenty of fluids while you are taking this medicine. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea and colas. You will need extra fluids if you have diarrhea or sweat a lot. This will help prevent toxic effects from this medicine. Be careful not to get overheated during exercise, saunas, hot baths, and hot weather. Consult your doctor or health care professional if you have a high fever or persistent diarrhea.

You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells.

What side effects may I notice from this medicine?

Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:

blurred vision
clumsiness or loss of balance
confusion
difficulty speaking or swallowing
dizziness
loss of appetite
muscle weakness
nausea, vomiting
pain, coldness, or blue coloration of fingers or toes
sensitivity to cold
seizures
slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
slurred speech
swelling in the neck
unusually weak or tired
unusual weight gain

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):

increased thirst
increased frequency and urgency to pass urine
muscle twitches
skin rash
stomach bloating, full feeling
trembling of the hands

This list may not describe all possible side effects.

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children.

Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Buy Generic Lithobid

What is a generic medication?

Wikipedia gives the following definition:
“Generic drug (pl. generic drugs, short: generics) is a drug which is produced and distributed without a brand name. A generic must contain the same active ingredients as the original formulation. In most cases, it is considered bioequivalent to the brand name counterpart with respect to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. By extension, therefore, generics are assumed to be identical in dose, strength, route of administration, safety, efficacy, and intended use.”

Does a generic medication differ from a brand name drug?

Not much, actually. But there is a difference, of course. To see the difference more clearly we have made a table: click here

Comparison points	Comparison	Details
Active ingredient	same	Whether a manufacturer makes brand name drugs or generic drugs, the standards are the same. The ingredients are the most important element. The ingredient in the drug that helps cure you or make you feel better, is called the "medicinal" or active ingredient. While both generic and brand name drugs must have the same amounts of good quality medicinal ingredients, other ingredients are also found in drugs.
Effect	same	Since the active ingredient is the same, the effect produced by the generic drugs and the brand name drugs is the same.
Name	different	Generic medications cannot be manufactured under brand names since this is a copyright infringement case. Generics are usually named by their active ingredient names.
Shape	different	Shape of a pills is also a copyright of a brand, thus the shape of generic pills is different from the one of the original brand
Color	different	Color of a pills is also a copyright of a brand, thus the color of generic pills is different from the one of the original brand
Price	different	Generic medications are considerably cheaper than the brand name drugs.

Why are generic pills cheaper than the brand name ones?

The principal reason for the reduced price of generic medicines is that the creation of the generic drug runs up less cost and therefore a lower price can be offered and still maintain profitability.
Manufacturers of generic drugs are mainly able to avoid the following three costs that brand name pharmaceutical companies incur: (1) costs associated with the research and development of the drug; (2) costs associated obtaining regulatory approval (i.e. proving safety and efficacy of a drug); and (3) marketing costs.
First, Generic manufacturers do not incur the cost of drug discovery and instead reverse-engineer existing brand name drugs to allow them to manufacture bioequivalent versions.
Second, generic manufacturers do not bear the burden of proving the safety and efficacy of the drugs through clinical trials - rather, generic manufacturers must prove the generic drug’s bioequivalancy to the existing drug.
Third, these companies receive the large benefit of the marketing and advertising that goes into pushing the innovator drug. The brand name drug has to prove itself in the eyes of the consumer, generic ones do not. The drugs that generic manufacturers are selling have been on the market for usually a decade or more and do not need additional advertising. For the same reason, generic manufacturers also do not give away sample doses to promote their products. The significant research, development and marketing costs incurred by the large pharmaceutical companies in introducing a new drug to the market is often cited as the reason for the high cost of new agents - they wish to recover these costs before the patent expires. Generic manufacturers do not incur these costs, with bioequivalence testing and manufacturing costing relatively little, and are able to charge significantly less than the brand.

Where are the pills you offer shipped from?

The pills we offer are produced by Indian manufacturers. To make sure our entire product list is in stock, the orders are sent out directly by our manufacturer. Usually it takes approximately two weeks for an order to be delivered to your location but in some cases may take up to three weeks.

Are your pills FDA approved?

Since the medications we offer are produced in India they are approved by the Indian FDA. Our drug manufacturers perform a series of tests, both during and after production, to show that every drug meets the requirements for that product.