Active ingredient
- lithium citrate tetrahydrate
Legal Category
POM: Prescription only medicine
POM: Prescription only medicine
The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine. It is possible that the leaflet in your medicine pack may differ from this version because it may have been updated since your medicine was packaged.
Below is a text only representation of the Patient Information Leaflet. The original leaflet can be viewed using the link above.
The text only version may be available in large print, Braille or audio CD. For further information call emc accessibility on 0800 198 5000. The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PL 00427/0074.
Li-Liquid 509mg/5ml Oral Syrup
Patient Information Leaflet
Li-Liquid™ 509mg/5ml Oral Syrup
Lithium Citrate (equivalent to 200mg/5ml Lithium Carbonate)
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
What is in this leaflet
1. What Li-Liquid is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Li-Liquid
3. How to take Li-Liquid
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Li-Liquid
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Li-Liquid is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Li-Liquid 509mg/5ml Oral Syrup (referred to as Li-Liquid in this leaflet). It contains lithium citrate. This belongs to a group of medicines called ‘anti-manics’.
Lithium acts on the brain to calm your moods and emotions.
Lithium can be used to:
2. What you need to know before you take Li-Liquid
Do not take Li-Liquid and tell your doctor if:
Do not take this medicine if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Li-Liquid.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if:
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Li-Liquid.
Kidney tumours: Patients with severe kidney impairment who received lithium for more than 10 years may have a risk of developing a benign or malignant kidney tumour (microcysts, oncocytoma or collecting duct renal carcinoma).
Having operations and tests
Other medicines and Li-Liquid:
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines. This includes medicines you buy without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because Li-Liquid can affect the way some other medicines work.
Also, some medicines can affect the way Li-Liquid works as this can affect the levels of lithium in your blood.
In particular, check with your doctor if you are taking any of the following:
The following medicines can increase the chance of side effects when taken with Li-Liquid. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following before taking Li-Liquid:
Li-Liquid with food and drink
It is important that you drink plenty of fluids whilst taking this medicine particularly in very hot weather or if your workplace is very hot.
Pregnancy and Breast-feeding:
Information for women who could become pregnant
Information for women who are pregnant
If your doctor decides that you should have Li-Liquid while you are pregnant, he or she will:
If it is decided you should have Li-Liquid during late pregnancy or during labour, your baby may appear ‘floppy’. This returns to normal without any treatment.
Breast-feeding
Driving and using machines:
This medicine may slow down your reactions or make you feel drowsy. If this happens to you, you should not drive or use any tools or machines.
Li-Liquid contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate, propyl parahydroxybenzoate, glucose, sorbitol and ethanol:
3. How to take Li-Liquid
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Taking this medicine
Thoughts of harming or killing yourself
If you have a mood disorder, you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting Li-Liquid or changing your dose of Li-Liquid. Like other medicines of this kind, Li-Liquid may not relieve your symptoms straight away. If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself or worsening of your symptoms at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
You may find it helpful to tell a relative, close friend or carer that you have a mood disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your mood disorder is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour.
Adults
The usual dose for adults is:
Children
Lithium is not recommended for children and adolescents.
Older people
If you are an older person you may be more sensitive to the medicine. This means you have more of a chance of getting some of the side effects listed in section 4. Your doctor will start you on a lower dose.
If you take more Li-Liquid than you should
Talk to a doctor or go to a hospital straight away. Take the medicine pack with you so the doctor knows what you have taken.
If you forget to take Li-Liquid
Do not take a double dose (two doses at the same time) to make up for forgotten doses. Skip the missed dose then go on as before.
If you stop taking Li-Liquid
Keep taking Li-Liquid until your doctor tells you to stop. Do not stop taking your medicine suddenly just because you feel better. If you stop, your illness may return. When your doctor says that you can stop taking Li-Liquid, your dose will be lowered gradually. Your doctor will help you to do this.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, lithium can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Stop taking the medicine and contact your doctor or hospital casualty department straight away if you get:
If any of the above applies to you, stop taking this medicine and contact your doctor or hospital casualty department straight away. This is especially important if you are an older person.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you get any of the following:
Tell your doctor if you get any of these side effects:
Tests
A change in blood tests may occur, particularly high white blood cell counts, high blood sugar levels, and high magnesium or calcium levels. Your doctor will notice this when you have your blood tests.
A test on your heart may show changes in the way your heart is working.
Lithium taken for a long time can cause kidney damage. This can usually be avoided if your kidney function is tested regularly by your doctor. Drinking plenty of fluids while taking this medicine will also help avoid kidney damage.
Frequency unknown: Benign/malignant kidney tumours (microcysts, oncocytoma, or collecting duct renal carcinoma) (in long-term therapy). Eruption of the skin or mucous membranes (lichenoid drug reaction).
If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Li-Liquid
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Li-Liquid contains
What Li-Liquid looks like and contents of the pack
A bright yellow syrup with an odour of cherry.
It comes in a brown glass bottle holding 150ml of syrup.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
This leaflet was last revised in 12/2019
H2YD1RBJ3
Rosemont House, Yorkdale Industrial Park, Braithwaite Street, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS11 9XE
+44 (0)113 244 1400
+44 (0)800 919 312
+44 (0)113 245 3567
+44 (0)7836 557 879