copy & paste replied: "No. LITHIUM does not decrease your appetite. Red below: "What are the common side effects of Lithium? Many people get no side effects at all. The list here is to tell you what occasionally happens to some people. Because lithium is very similar to sodium (a salt), taking lithium is like taking small salt tablets: it makes you thirsty. If you dont drink more water than usual, you can have dry mouth. But when you do drink more, you will also urinate more. During the day this is usually not a problem, but some people have to get up at night to urinate when they did not need to before. Most people taking lithium will notice these effects somewhat, more so at higher doses. Some people can have nausea from lithium. The slow-release versions (Lithobid, Eskalith) are much less likely to cause this but can cost you more (not generic). After you have been taking lithium without nausea, becoming nauseous is a dangerous sign: your level may have become too high; get a lithium level if this does not get better, or if you get other lithium side effects. As the dose and blood level go up, some other side effects can occur. Tremor (usually seen as shaky hands) is common. It can often be controlled with low doses of propanolol, a blood pressure medication, if you and your doctor decide to continue lithium at this dose. Weight gain can occur with lithium. At first almost everyone will gain a few pounds as their body hangs on to more water (salt effect). Some people can continue to gain weight, though. This is much less of a problem with lithium than with valproate, both in how often it happens and how much weight is gained. Usually at this point we will switch medications, but some people can control the weight issue with regular exercise, wise eating, and avoiding alcohol entirely -- all good health habits anyway. Some people can have edema, when your body has too much water, which shows up as ankle swelling or feeling bloated. High doses can cause dry skin. At higher doses, loose stool or even diarrhea are frequently noted. Most of the other side effects you will see reported are uncommon. Too high a dose causes nausea, feeling very unsteady or wobbly, slurring of speech, and confusion. If you notice these, call the on-call physician (she or he may arrange for a lithium blood test, and may lower your dose until the test shows what to do). It is dangerous to continue lithium if you have these side effects..""