Started lithium orotate today

There is no evidence for the use of lithium orotate in clinical treatment in preference to lithium carbonate, and some suggest that it may be harmful. However, one study suggests that lithium orotate may be useful in the treatment of addictions.[2] Some patients prefer to use it in place of lithium carbonate, as they believe that it is more bioavailable and the side effects are perceived to be significantly reduced.

An animal study by Smith and Schou suggests that the kidneys clear lithium orotate significantly less effectively than lithium carbonate, and that this accounts for the higher serum levels of lithum when lithium orotate is taken compared to the equivalent amount of lithium carbonate. They conclude: "The higher lithium concentrations could be accounted for by the lower kidney function. It seems inadvisable to use lithium orotate for the treatment of patients."[3] Proponents of lithium orotate therapy argue that this study was flawed because equal amounts of each compound of lithium was employed, whereas the point of using lithium orotate is to consume less elemental lithium than with lithium carbonate therapy.[4]

The study which concluded that lithium orotate was inadvisable for treatment of patients was done as a direct follow-up study to one performed by Kling, Manowitz and Pollack in 1978. Their study suggested that lithium orotate could be used in lower amounts than the amounts required when using lithium carbonate, while achieving therapeutic results.[5] However, an earlier study did not find a difference in the uptake, distribution and elimination of the orotate salt, as compared to carbonate or chloride salts of lithium.[6]

Self-treatment of a psychiatric disorder with these supplements is potentially dangerous, since lithium is toxic in high doses.[7] The active principle in these salts is the lithium ion Li+, which interacts with the normal function of sodium ions to produce numerous changes in the neurotransmitter activity of the brain. Therapeutically useful amounts of lithium are only slightly lower than toxic amounts when lithium carbonate or lithium citrate are used, so the blood levels of lithium must be carefully monitored during treatment. However, the significantly lower amounts of lithium taken as orotate generally does not show up in blood tests.

Many object to lithium being called a "drug", as it is a mineral. The drug-like effects are mostly noted in cases of toxicity, although some feel that the established level of toxicity is considerably higher than the actual level; individual metabolism varies, making this more true in some instances.

shanew wrote:jharsh how have you been doing on the lithium?

lund wrote:Was not there a link of Lithium to Thyroids?

Misirlou wrote:Jharsh80: http://www.iherb.com/Metagenics-Trancor-120-Capsules/20650?at=0
This one?

1..... wrote:thanks alot for the response. I think im going to try it. I have some of the powder from the IH shampoo i made. Is the powder just as effective as the capsule form?

CausticSymmetry wrote:

lund wrote:Was not there a link of Lithium to Thyroids?

Only if you use too much of it, especially the Lithium carbonate that requires a really high dose.

1..... wrote:jharsh how is the lithium going?