If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-80) from anywhere in the United States. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. Significant poisoning can result when the amount of lithium taken is more than this range. Lithium is a medicine with a narrow range of safety. This can be as little as a couple of pills or as much as a whole bottle.

Acute-on-chronic toxicity occurs when you normally take lithium every day, but one day you take an extra amount.

These factors can make the lithium build up to harmful levels in your body. This is actually quite easy to do, because dehydration, other medicines, and other conditions can easily affect how your body handles lithium.

Chronic toxicity occurs when you slowly take a little too much of a lithium prescription every day for a while.Acute toxicity occurs when you swallow too much of a lithium prescription at one time.

This article focuses on lithium overdose, or toxicity. Lithium is a prescription medicine used to treat bipolar disorder.

Lithium toxicity antidote