Lithium: End-stage renal disease and chronic kidney disease stage 3b: 2 case reports.

The article in "Reactions Weekly" presents two case reports of women with bipolar I disorder who developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3b while being treated with lithium. In the first case, a woman's renal function deteriorated over 23 years, leading to ESRD and the need for renal transplantation. In the second case, a female patient's eGFR decreased, resulting in CKD stage 3b, and despite discontinuing lithium, she died by suicide within a year. The cases highlight the potential renal complications associated with lithium therapy in patients with bipolar disorder. [Extracted from the article]