There are many good reasons the lightest metal on the periodic table is remarkable- and is much more than “a mood stabilizer.” My Opinion: It is important to emphasize that lithium has already demonstrated diverse molecular effects, reversing well-described pathophysiological changes such as increased oxidative stress, programmed cell death (apoptosis), inflammation, environmental stress, glial dysfunction, neurotrophic factor dysfunction, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction, and disruption in epigenetic mechanisms. It also protects your neurons from dying, as this review in Bipolar Disorders (2009) points out:Įnhancing neuroprotection (which directly involves neurotrophic effects) is a therapeutic strategy intended to slow or halt the progression of neuronal loss, thus producing long-term benefits by favorably influencing outcomes and preventing either the onset of disease or clinical decline. Lithium is effective in managing bipolar disorder symptoms, and more specifically preventing relapse to mania and acute mania and reducing cycle frequency over time. There are options to get out of the hole, and more every day.

The fact that these are different outcomes of the same treatment raises existential questions.Īs a note, this article talks in detail about suicidality and reducing the risk of suicide completion, but if you're feeling suicidal, or someone you love is, 988 is the number to call. Although it's a mildly effective symptom reducer, it's a wildly effective way to stay alive. Lithium is the most dramatic example of this paradox. When we focus only on symptoms, we might miss out on the difference between suffering and living. I argue that treating symptoms-according to the data on lithium-isn't the best job for the medical discipline of psychiatry. I have a more radical agenda, however than a guide to appropriate dosing.

This article will be a comprehensive guide to the prescribing, effects, and side effects of lithium.

I am going to make the case that the above tagline is an appropriate slogan for lithium.

Lithium carbonate antidote