instruction: hello doctor I am on fasting for the auspicious month dry fast but I also have to take lithium for my bipolar disorder I have seen that higher lithium concentration can cause serious damage to the kidney due to dehydration and also to the metabolism during fasting and with veto diet the body needs a lot of potassium but the cells get lithium instead what is your opinion about that is dry fasting veto diet and lithium intake at the same time harmful I take normal lithium carbonate 650 1250 my a day
output: hi see lithium can be harmful if hydration is not well maintained in such cases we recommend to increase the amount of fluid that is to consume a good quantity of fluid in the morning before your fast starts and to drink fluids once you open your fast in the evening and continue till the next morning take lithium tablets along with two glasses of water each time do not go for the veto diet you should take a proper balanced diet avoid taking a high protein diet so usually in auspicious month the fasting duration is for 12 hours in the remaining 12 hours keep on taking fluids to compensate there is no indication to stop or reduce the dosage of lithium during ramadan I hope this helps