Some people drink a lot more water than other people. How you going to control dosage?
Lithium toxicity is closely related to serum lithium levels, and can occur at doses close to therapeutic levels. Facilities for prompt and accurate serum lithium determinations should be available before initiating therapy.
Side effects requiring immediate medical attention
Along with its needed effects, lithium may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking lithium:
Less common
•Confusion, poor memory, or lack of awareness
•fainting
•fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
•frequent urination
•increased thirst
•slow heartbeat
•stiffness of the arms or legs
•troubled breathing (especially during hard work or exercise)
•unusual tiredness or weakness
•weight gain
Rare
•Blue color and pain in the fingers and toes
•coldness of the arms and legs
•dizziness
•eye pain
•headache
•noise in the ears
•vision problems
Incidence not known
•Blurred vision
•burning feeling in the chest or stomach
•chills
•cloudy urine
•cough
•decreased urination
•difficulty in speaking
•drooling
•dry mouth
•eyeballs bulge out of the eye sockets
•fever
•flushed, dry skin
•fruit-like breath odor
•general feeling of illness
•increase in heart rate
•increased hunger
•increased urination
•indigestion
•irregular heartbeat, recurrent
•large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals
•lightheadedness
•loss of balance control
•loss of strength or energy
•muscle pain or weakness
•muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness
•paleness or cold feeling in the fingertips and toes
•rapid breathing
•restlessness or agitation
•shakiness and unsteady walk
•shuffling walk
•sore throat
•stomach pain or upset
•sugar in the urine
•sunken eyes
•swelling of the ankles or wrists
•tenderness in the stomach area
•tingling or pain in the fingers or toes when exposed to the cold
•tremor
•twisting movements of the bod
•twitching
•uncontrolled jerking or twisting movements of the hands, arms, or legs
•uncontrolled movements, especially of the face, neck, and back
•unexplained weight loss
•unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
•unusual drowsiness, dullness, or feeling of sluggishness
•unusually strong reflexes
•wrinkled skin
some people drink a lot more water than other people. How you going to control dosage?
Those symptoms would be when taking hundreds of mg.
So they want to make everyone take lithium but prevent anyone from voluntarily taking Hydroxychloroquine.