Eskalith
Eskalith is lithium carbonate 300mg tablets, used to treat mania and to keep bipolar mood swings in check over the long term.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300mg | 30 tablets | $32.10 | $1.07 |
| 300mg | 60 tablets | $55.20 | $0.92 |
| 300mg | 90 tablets | $74.70 | $0.83 |
| 300mg | 120 tablets | $91.20 | $0.76 |
| 300mg | 180 tablets | $122.40 | $0.68 |
| 300mg | 360 tablets | $216.00 | $0.60 |
- Category
- Mental Health
- Active ingredient
- Lithium
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Capsule, Tablet
- Strengths
- 300mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Bipolar disorder
- Therapeutic Class
- Mood Stabilizer
- Pharmacological Class
- Antimanic
- Minor Side Effects
- Hand tremor, Increased thirst, Mild diarrhoea
- Moderate Side Effects
- Frequent urination, Weight gain, Drowsiness
- Dosage Forms
- Capsule, Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Novartis
- Onset Time
- 1–2 weeks
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, NSAIDs
- Age Restrictions
- Use with caution in all patients
What you will receive
Eskalith is the originator brand name, made by Novartis. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Eskalith.
- The same active ingredient (Lithium) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What Eskalith pack sizes can I order?
Eskalith comes as 300mg tablets in packs of 30 to 360. It is generic lithium carbonate, not the original Eskalith. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
What if my Eskalith parcel goes missing?
Eskalith ships in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside about the contents. If your parcel does not arrive within the delivery window, it is sent again free; if that is not possible, the order is refunded.
What are the alternative names for Eskalith and lithium?
Eskalith and Lithobid are brand names of lithium, which is also sold as Priadel, Quilonum and Liskonum. Here, lithium can be bought online as generic Eskalith, and also as generic Lithobid and lithium tablets. These are generics, not the original brand.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Eskalith?
Drinking can sharpen the drowsiness and unsteadiness lithium sometimes causes, and a heavy session leaves you short of fluid, which pushes blood levels up. Have water between drinks, and go steady rather than heavy.
What if I miss a dose of Eskalith?
Take the tablet when you remember, as long as your next dose is still several hours away. If the two would fall close together, leave the missed one out and carry on with your usual pattern; never take two tablets to make up for it.
Does ibuprofen affect Eskalith?
Yes — ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers such as naproxen and diclofenac make the kidneys hold on to lithium, so blood levels can climb within a few days of starting them. It is worth knowing this before taking one regularly.
Does salt in food affect lithium levels?
Sodium and lithium are handled in similar ways by the kidneys. Cutting salt sharply, or losing it through heavy sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea, makes lithium levels rise. Keeping your salt intake roughly the same from one day to the next helps keep levels steady.
Does Eskalith cause weight gain?
Weight gain is one of the more common effects, and it often creeps up over the first months rather than appearing at once. Thirst can lead to more sugary drinks, which adds to it. Regular weigh-ins make it easier to notice early.
About Eskalith
What Eskalith is used for
The classic case for lithium is a manic phase of bipolar disorder: little sleep, racing thoughts and energy far out of proportion. Eskalith supplies it as 300mg lithium carbonate tablets, in packs from 30 up to 360. Over a few days it settles the mania, and over a longer stretch it makes new manic and depressive episodes less likely. Some people also take it for recurrent depression, and a few for aggressive behaviour. Most who start it stay on it for years.
How lithium works
Lithium is a simple salt, but it changes the way nerve cells pass signals to one another, which flattens the peaks and troughs of bipolar mood. It is not a sedative, and it does not lift mood in the way an antidepressant does. The amount in the blood has to sit inside a narrow band — low levels do little, high levels are toxic — so the dose is set and adjusted from blood test results rather than fixed in advance.
Blood tests and daily habits
On the morning of a blood test the first tablet waits until the sample has been taken; the result then decides whether the dose stays the same, goes up or comes down. The rest of the routine is plain: the tablets go down whole with a drink, once or twice a day depending on the dose, and a meal softens any stomach upset. Fluids matter more than most people expect, so drink the same amount day to day and more in hot weather or during vomiting or diarrhoea.
Side effects worth knowing about
A fine shake of the hands, thirst, passing more urine, a metallic taste and mild stomach upset are common in the first weeks and often settle. Tiredness and weight gain are also reported. A continuing hand tremor is the most noticeable long-term effect, and lithium can affect the thyroid gland and the kidneys over months and years; the regular blood tests are how those changes are picked up.
A heavy tremor, unsteady walking, confusion, slurred speech, vomiting, blurred vision or ringing in the ears can mean too much lithium is in the body. Those signs need urgent treatment.
What pushes lithium levels up
Anti-inflammatory painkillers — ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and similar — make the body hold on to lithium, as do water tablets (diuretics) and ACE inhibitors used for blood pressure. A low-salt diet, heavy sweating, vomiting and diarrhoea do the same. Alcohol adds to the drowsiness and dizziness lithium can bring, and a heavy session that leaves you dehydrated can nudge the level up too.
Sources
- Lithium: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus
- Lithium Carbonate Essential Pharma 250 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 10828 — electronic medicines compendium (emc)