Lithium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal so reactive (it sparks when it touches water) that it’s not found in nature. Instead, it’s found in mineral compounds and in mineral water.
Cosmologists believe that lithium was one of the 3 elements synthesized in the Big Bang.[i] So it’s been around for a long time.
Most of us associate lithium with treating mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and mania. Or the lithium-ion battery in our phone. Which has a tendency to blow up occasionally.
Turns out that the anti-psychotic medication lithium isn’t even a drug. It’s actually a mineral. And part of the same family of minerals that include potassium and sodium.
As a nootropic, micro-dosing lithium provides some amazing anti-aging benefits. Recent research shows that low-dose lithium may also help slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Low-dose lithium also helps neurogenesis and memory. And is a mood stabilizer.
Here we’ll investigate daily or frequent use of Lithium Orotate as a nootropic, and how it benefits cognitive health.
Lithium helps:
- Balance mood. Lithium calms mania (extreme highs and lows) by decreasing sensitivity of the post-synaptic norepinephrine receptor.[ii] And increases uptake of norepinephrine into synaptosomes. Preventing the release of this neurotransmitter. And lithium enhances the transport of Vitamin B12 and folate into brain cells.[iii] Affecting mood and aggression.
- Growth Factors. Lithium upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and their receptors. And lithium stimulates the proliferation of stem cells in the brain. All boosting neurogenesis and assisting in repair from all types of brain injury.[iv]
- Neuroprotection. Lithium increases brain gray matter, increases DNA replication for neurogenesis, prevents apoptosis, increases N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), inhibits beta-amyloid secretion and protects against damage once it’s formed, chelates aluminum, and protects against glutamate toxicity.
Table of Contents
Overview
Lithium is an alkali mineral and one the trace elements considered essential for both animal and human reproductive health, and general health and wellness.
Discovered as a chemical element in 1817, lithium’s first recorded modern medical use was in 1871 for the treatment of mania.
But the use of lithium for therapeutic use goes back to ancient Greek and Roman times. People enjoyed soaking in alkali springs to help with physical and mental illness.
People have been using mineral springs for therapeutic use ever since. Lithia Springs in Douglas County, Georgia was so popular that people came for miles just to drink the water.
The Sweet Water hotel, a luxury 500-room resort was opened in 1887. And attracted famous authors, business people and prominent politicians who came for the spring’s health benefits. The name “Lithia” stems from water rich in lithium.
Studies from around the world have shown the critical health benefits of lithium. One study using data from 27 Texas counties from 1978 – 1987 found that rates of suicide, homicide and rape were significantly higher in counties whose drinking water contained little or no lithium.[v]
Another study of lithium levels in tap water in 18 municipalities in Japan showed standard mortality ratios lower in places with higher lithium levels.[vi]
Yet another study conducted in Texas in 2013 confirmed the original findings in that state. Drinking water samples from 226 counties found a correlation between lithium levels and suicide rates.[vii]
Researchers who conducted meta-analyses of lithium levels and public drinking water suggested “increasing lithium levels of drinking water could potentially reduce the risk of suicide, and justify administering lithium to tap water.”[viii]
An article in the Lancet in 1949 by John Cade is credited for the modern medical use of lithium as an effective treatment for manic psychosis.[ix]
The United States FDA approved high dose lithium carbonate and lithium citrate in 1970 for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Carbonic acid and citric acid are mineral carriers used to transport lithium throughout your body.
Doctors also prescribe lithium off-label for treating migraines, seizure disorders and psychosis usually after other treatments have failed.
But as we dig deeper into the most recently published research on lithium, we realize this trace element is essential for optimal health and brain function.
The lithium we get from our diet prevents many neurological and psychiatric problems. Micro-dosing lithium as a nootropic with a supplement like Lithium Orotate can help make up for the what we don’t get from our food and water.
Lithium is naturally available from fish, processed meat, milk, dairy products, eggs, potatoes and vegetables. Your typical dietary intake of lithium can range from 2 – 600 mcg. Amounts vary depending on where the food is grown.
How does Lithium work in the brain?
Lithium helps brain health and function in several ways. But two in particular stand out.
- Lithium stabilizes mood. Recent research has discovered that lithium’s mood stabilization effects may be due to its ability to boost the production of new brain cells (neurogenesis).
Lithium inhibits the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). This inhibition upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which stimulates neural stem cells to produce new neurons in the hippocampus.[x]
When neural stem cells produce new neurons in the hippocampus, mood and memory work as designed. But a breakdown in neurogenesis results in mood disorders.
Lithium has long been known to control mania and stabilize mood in bipolar patients. But it was not generally thought of as an antidepressant. Researchers in Tel Aviv provided the first evidence that inhibiting GSK-3β exerted a rapid antidepressant effect in mice.[xi]
Another team at Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Pennsylvania showed that feeding mice chow laced with low-dose lithium for 15 days produced a dose-dependent antidepressant effect.[xii]
Lithium induced gene transcription in the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. All areas implicated in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia.
- Lithium protects your brain. Your brain cells are at constant risk of damage from exposure to toxins you encounter every day from food, air, water and your environment. And the excitotoxins produced by ordinary brain cell metabolism.
Glutamate plays a major role in the synaptic plasticity needed for learning and memory.[xiii] But over-activity of glutamate on its NMDA receptors causes neuron death and is implicated in Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease. Lithium inhibits this overactivity.[xiv]
Lithium also increases the production of a neuroprotective protein called bcl-2.[xv] Researchers maintain that lithium is the only “medication” that has been demonstrated to significantly increase bcl-2 in several brain areas.
Lithium has also recently been evaluated in preventing and treating traumatic brain injury. In a study conducted in 2014, Dr. Peter Leeds stated that lithium had “demonstrated robust beneficial effects in experimental models of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These include decreases in TBI-induced brain lesion, suppression of neuroinflammation, protection against blood-brain barrier disruption, normalization of behavioral deficits, and improvement of learning and memory, among others.”[xvi]
How things go bad
In 1985, the United States EPA estimated that dietary intake of lithium from food in the USA varied from 0.6 to 3.1 mg per day.[xvii] For comparison, people who live in the Andes in Northern Argentina consume 2 to 30 mg per day, with 2 – 3 mg just from drinking water.[xviii]
As your dietary sodium and caffeine increases, so does lithium excretion in urine which increases your requirement for this essential trace mineral.
Your exposure to stress and toxins from things like mercury, aspartame, MSG, Bisphenol A (BPA) and other excitotoxins also raise cortisol and other stress hormones. Increasing your need for more water-soluble nutrients like B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc and lithium.
Low lithium levels are associated with …
↑ Depression and anxiety increase
↓ Memory and learning ability decline
↑ Insomnia increases
↑ Sensitivity to stress and chronic pain increase
↓ Natural healing processes decline
Adequate daily intake of lithium could help prevent many mental and neurological diseases due to this trace minerals effects on nervous system metabolism. And it’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Lithium benefits
The clinical research and studies on the neuroprotective benefits of lithium are so overwhelming, some scientists are beginning to ask “why isn’t everyone using lithium”?
Here’s a summary of how micro-dosing lithium using Lithium Orotate can benefit your brain.
- Inhibits apoptosis – lithium inhibits GSK-3 which has been linked to apoptotic cell death
- NMDA-receptors – lithium reduces glutamate induced toxicity mediated by NMDA-receptors which helps in mood disorders, Alzheimer’s, and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
- Neuroprotection – blocks the development of beta-amyloid tangles and plaque
- Neurogenesis – lithium promotes the BDNF needed for synaptic plasticity in learning and memory. Lithium also boosts nerve growth factor and glial-derived neurotrophic factor affecting learning, memory, mood and overall brain health[xix]
- Neuronal stem cells – lithium stimulates the stem cells needed to produce new neurons (neurogenesis)
- Stabilizes mood – lithium is known for providing a calming effect in healthy people as well as those dealing with depression, bipolar disorder, and mania
- Suicide prevention – adequate levels of lithium has been shown to reduce suicide risk in multiple studies worldwide
- Depression – lithium helps with treatment-resistant depression. In fact, lithium has been shown to improve the effectiveness of antidepressant medications
- N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) – lithium increases NAA which has been associated with higher IQ scores[xx] (i.e. lithium will make you smarter!)
The benefits of supplementing with lithium go far beyond just optimizing cognitive health. Lithium also helps decrease insulin resistance, helps in treatment of alcoholism and other addictions, supports bone health, balances your circadian rhythm and more.
How does Lithium feel?
My personal experience with Lithium Orotate has made me a believer in micro-dosing lithium. I’m Adult ADD and deal with mood swings from time to time.
If I’m going around the bend because something upset me, I take 5 mg of Lithium Orotate. Within 15 minutes my mood stabilizes and I feel normal again. Consistent use puts me in a happy mood.
Many others report you’ll feel the results taking a low dose of lithium quickly. But for some, the full effect can take anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks. Micro-dosing 5 – 10 mg of lithium daily results in consistent results within a month or two for some. I’ve experienced great results within a couple of days.
So if you lash out at people in anger, and don’t fully understand why you get so angry – it could be your lithium levels are low.
Many neurohackers with depression and anger issues notice results quickly. Within the first couple of days you should feel more calm, relaxed, and experience less stress.
Keep in mind that lithium at any dose is not for everyone. But if you get adequate lithium from your diet and water, and still experience some of the mood swings talked about in this review, you could be dealing with other issues. You should know within a couple of hours of supplementing with low-dose lithium if this supplement is for you.
For some, Lithium Orotate means feeling excited about life for the first time in a long time. Anxiety and social anxiety are no longer a problem. Life is more fun and enjoyable.
Some say Lithium Orotate works better than any prescription that they’ve ever tried to treat severe depression. It provides a nice, smooth mood balance without all the toxicity associated with mega-doses of lithium carbonate.
If you’re dealing with PTSD or mild insomnia, you may want to try Lithium Orotate. Focus could improve, racing thoughts diminish and motivation levels could increase. You’ll have more coping ability.
Lithium Orotate Clinical Research
Lithium Improves Memory
A study at McMaster University in Canada set out to determine the effects on hippocampus volume in 14 bipolar patients who received lithium therapy.
The researchers examined the effects of lithium on hippocampal volumes and memory performance and recall over 2 – 4 years. The patients had not received any type of medication prior to using lithium.
The study found increases in hippocampus volume over time. And evidence of improvement of verbal memory performance over the 4-year measurement period.
The researchers concluded that the results of the study were consistent with the literature stating the neuroprotective effects of lithium. And that long-term treatment of lithium is associated with preservation of memory and recall due to increased hippocampus size.[xxi]
Lithium Increases Mood in Recovering Addicts
24 adults recovering from heroin or methamphetamine addiction participated in a study in San Diego. Group A received 400 mcg per day of lithium taken orally for 4 weeks. The placebo Group B naturally took a non-active placebo.
Subjects completed a mood test questionnaire containing questions about their ability to think, work, mood and emotions. For the lithium group, mood test scores increased steadily and significantly during the 4 week period.
The lithium group also reported significantly increased levels of happiness, friendliness and energy. Group B showed no improvement during the same period.
The researchers concluded that low-dose lithium provided a mood-improving and stabilizing effect.[xxii]
Lithium Orotate in the Treatment of Alcoholism
In this study, 42 alcoholic patients were treated with Lithium Orotate during alcohol rehabilitation in a private clinical setting for six months. The data was collected from clinical practice records for the 10 years following the initial study.
The patients received 150 mg of Lithium Orotate daily for six months along with calcium orotate, magnesium orotate, bromelain and essential phospholipids.
Ten of the patients had no relapse from 3 – 10 years. 13 patients stayed sober from 1 – 3 years. The remaining patients relapsed between 6 – 12 months.
The researchers concluded that Lithium Orotate therapy was safe in treating addiction with minor adverse side effects.[xxiii]
Lithium Orotate Dosage
Lithium retains a grim and undeserved reputation. Likely because it was originally associated with serious mental illness. And like most medications, lithium can produce serious side effects if not monitored properly.
Lithium carbonate or lithium chloride salts are typically prescribed for long-term control of bipolar disorder at 900 – 1200 mg per day. The major problem with such high doses of lithium are some very serious and debilitating side effects.
For nootropic use, we suggest Lithium Orotate which typically contains only 5 mg of elemental lithium. Lithium Orotate is orotic acid combined with lithium.
Orotic acid reportedly makes the lithium more bioavailable than lithium carbonate. The lithium is released once it crosses the blood-brain barrier. So you’ll get the benefits of lithium supplementation while avoiding the toxic side effects of high doses.[xxiv]
Lithium Orotate recommended dose is 5 mg two or three times per day. See “Available Forms” for more on lithium amounts in nootropic supplements.
Many neurohackers use Lithium Orotate only as needed. For example, when feeling anxious or in the middle of a mood swing.
For someone with bipolar disorder or manic disorders, increasing to two 5 mg tablets up to 3-times per day may be more effective.
Naturopathic doctors suggest stacking 1,000 mg of Omega-3 and 400 UI of Vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols) each day you’re using Lithium Orotate.
Lithium Orotate Side Effects
Do not confuse Lithium Orotate with lithium carbonate. The carbonate version of lithium is only available by prescription and comes with a host of side effects.
Lithium Orotate at low doses is non-toxic and lab tests are not required to monitor your lithium levels because it does not show up in blood samples.
Lithium Orotate should not be used if you are dealing with significant renal or cardiovascular disease, severe dehydration or sodium depletion, or if you’re taking diuretics or ACE inhibitors.
Do not use Lithium Orotate if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
You should check with your doctor if you are on any medication before using Lithium Orotate.
Where to Buy Lithium Orotate
Mother Nature has already put the antipsychotic “drug” lithium in drinking water. And you get some lithium from food depending on where it’s grown.
Supplemental Lithium Orotate typically comes in 120 or 130 mg capsules or tablets containing 5 mg of elemental lithium.
I recommend and use Lithium Orotate by Advanced Research which was formulated by Dr. Hans Nieper.
Nootropics Expert Recommendation
Lithium Orotate 5 mg 2 or 3 times per day.
I recommend using Lithium Orotate as a nootropic supplement if you’re feeling anxious or depressed. Or experiencing mood swings.
Your body does not make lithium on its own. So you must get this essential trace mineral from your diet, or a supplement like Lithium Orotate.
Lithium combined with orotic acid makes Lithium Orotate which readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, and you should feel its effects within 15 – 20 minutes of taking it.
Lithium Orotate is especially effective if you’re feeling stressed, or mentally overworked. Your brain uses lithium faster and it needs to be replaced. Which you can do by using Lithium Orotate.
Lithium Orotate is great if you are ADHD because lithium calms the hyperactivity in your brain.
Supplementing with lithium does not change your state of consciousness. It simply helps bring you back to feeling normal and happy.
I suggest trying Lithium Orotate as a nootropic supplement with your first dose at 5 mg and see how you react. If you experience no negative reaction, try another 5 mg in a few hours. Up to 3 – 5 mg doses per day.
You’ll likely experience the full benefits of Lithium Orotate within a week of consistent use.
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[iii] Herbert V., Colman N. “Release of vitamin binding proteins from granulocytes by lithium: vitamin B12 and folate binding proteins.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 1980;127:61-78. (source)
[iv] Young W. “Review of lithium effects on brain and blood.” Cell Transplantation. 2009;18(9):951-75. (source)
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[vi] Ohgami H., Terao T., Shiotsuki I., Ishii N., Iwata N. “Lithium levels in drinking water and risk of suicide.” British Journal of Psychiatry. 2009 May;194(5):464-5 (source)
[vii] Blüml V., Regier M.D., Hlavin G., Rockett I.R., König F., Vyssoki B., Bschor T., Kapusta N.D. “Lithium in the public water supply and suicide mortality in Texas.” Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2013 Mar;47(3):407-11. (source)
[viii] Terao T., Goto S., Inagaki M., Okamoto Y. “Even very low but sustained lithium intake can prevent suicide in the general population?” Medical Hypotheses. 2009 Nov;73(5):811-2 (source)
[ix] Cade J.F.J. “Lithium Salts in the Treatment of Psychotic Excitement” The Medical Journal of Australia Vol. II No. 10, September 3, 1949 (source)
[x] Wada A. “Lithium and neuropsychiatric therapeutics: neuroplasticity via glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, beta-catenin, and neurotrophin cascades.” Journal of Pharmacological Sciences. 2009 May;110(1):14-28. (source)
[xi] Kaidanovich-Beilin O., Milman A., Weizman A., Pick C.G., Eldar-Finkelman H. “Rapid antidepressive-like activity of specific glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor and its effect on beta-catenin in mouse hippocampus.” Biological Psychiatry. 2004 Apr 15;55(8):781-4. (source)
[xii] O'Brien W.T., Harper A.D., Jové F., Woodgett J.R., Maretto S., Piccolo S., Klein P.S. “Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta haploinsufficiency mimics the behavioral and molecular effects of lithium.” Journal of Neuroscience. 2004 Jul 28;24(30):6791-8. (source)
[xiii] Collingridge G.L, Watkins J.C. “The NMDA Receptor.” New York: Oxford Univ. Press; 1994.
[xiv] Chuang D., Christ L., Fujimaki K., Hashimoto R., Jeong M.R. “Lithium-induced inhibition of Src tyrosine kinase in rat cerebral cortical neurons: A role in neuroprotection against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity”. FEBS Letters 2003; 538(1-3): 45-148 (source)
[xv] Manji H.K, Chen G., Moore G.J. “Lithium at 50: Have the neuroprotective effects of this unique cation been overlooked?” Biological Psychiatry 1999; 46(7): 929-940 (source)
[xvi] Leeds P.R., Yu F., Wang Z., Chiu C., Zhang Y., Leng Y., Linares G.R., Chuang D. “A New Avenue for Lithium: Intervention in Traumatic Brain Injury” ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 2014 Jun 18; 5(6): 422–433. (source)
[xvii] Schrauzer G.N. “Lithium: occurrence, dietary intakes, nutritional essentiality.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2002 Feb;21(1):14-21. (source)
[xviii] Concha G., Broberg K., Grandér M., Cardozo A., Palm B., Vahter M. “High-level exposure to lithium, boron, cesium, and arsenic via drinking water in the Andes of northern Argentina.” Environmental Science and Technology. 2010 Sep 1;44(17):6875-80 (source)
[xix] Angelucci F., Aloe L., Jiménez-Vasquez P., Mathé A.A. “Lithium treatment alters brain concentrations of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in a rat model of depression.” International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Sep;6(3):225-31. (source)
[xx] Aydin K., Uysal S., Yakut A., Emiroglu B., Yılmaz F. “N-acetylaspartate concentration in corpus callosum is positively correlated with intelligence in adolescents.” Neuroimage. 2012 Jan 16;59(2):1058-64 (source)
[xxi] Yucel K., McKinnon M.C., Taylor V.H, Macdonald K., Alda M., Young L.T., MacQueen G.M. “Bilateral hippocampal volume increases after long-term lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder: a longitudinal MRI study.” Psychopharmacology (Berlin). 2007 Dec;195(3):357-67 (source)
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[xxiii] Sartori H.E. “Lithium orotate in the treatment of alcoholism and related conditions.” Alcohol. 1986 Mar-Apr;3(2):97-100. (source)
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Hello David,
I have a question regarding combining Lithium Orotate in low doses (2,5 – 5mg right after dinner) while taking 50mg 5-HTP, also right after dinner.
I am only planning to take the 5-HTP for a month or two to replenish my serotonin levels and help reset my circadian rythm.
I’m currently tapering off daytime use of benzodiazepines because of the side effects and looking for a long term alternative for general mood stabilization/reducing anxiety. Would you recommend, for any reason, to wait with the litihuim until after I stopped the 5-HTP?
I also take daily (also right after dinner):
4000 IU vitamin D3
3/4 grams creatine
10mg zinc
325mg DHA + 150mg EPA (from algea which includes 111 IU vitamin E)
Thomas, Lithium Orotate is pretty much safe to use with anything except for diuretics or ACE inhibitors.
Can I take Lithium Orotate with DL-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan? Any interactions?
Joseph, there are no contraindications between those supplements.
What would you recommend, dosage wise, for sleep. I fall asleep but can’t stay asleep.
Thanks,
Tracey
Tracey, Lithium is not known as a sleep supplement. But using Lithium Orotate 3-times per day will keep your lithium levels healthy.
Have you read any of my sleep articles? https://nootropicsexpert.com/best-nootropics-for-sleep/
Does Lithium orotate cause withdrawals? Is it the same as the doctor prescribe?
Mike, it does not cause withdrawal symptoms if abruptly stopping usage.
Hi, been reading a lot about lithium, and tried to use lithium for a while and it always seemed to give me all kinds of skin issues. I wonder if its a bad reaction and a sign that my body doesn’t like it and I should not use it, or if it’s an expression of the aluminum chelation, or some other kind of detoxification it’s promoting, cause I have quite a lot of aluminum according to a test I did. however I couldn’t find anything on that. wonder if you have any info on these skin issues.
Jonathan, it is well known that Lithium chelates aluminum and it sounds like that is what is happening. Can you reduce your dose of Lithium and chelate the aluminum more slowly?
I can. I wonder though if there is any mention of this anywhere in research or clinical experience, that the chelation of aluminum with lithium is manifested by these skin issues phenomenon. so I could be more certain it is related.
Go to this study: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2013/em/c3em00374d and scroll down to the section “Excretion of aluminium).
Hi David. I was just wondering if Lithium Orotate can help with depersonalization/brain fog from benzodiazapine withdrawl. I’ve been taking Lithium Carbonate and is making my depersonalization worse. And was wondering what your opinion on it is. Thank you!
Tori, if you are having a negative reaction to Lithium Carbonate you very likely will have a negative reaction to Lithium Orotate. It may not be as severe but it’s still Lithium.
Hi David! I have been taking LO for almost ten months for severe anxiety ( I asked you here a few questions before). I realized that slowly, I wasn’t needing as much of it as before, I started at 40-30mg. Now I take probably 0.25mg a day (I just pop a pill open and lick a bit of powder twice a day), I don’t have that much anxiety, but now I am getting headaches that turn into migraines. I need to take two licks a day because I need my anxiety to go away, otherwise I start to gag/vomit, that’s how bad it is, and at night to be able to sleep (I have sleep anxiety that is causing me more anxiety during the day). For me, LO only works for 8-12 hours, then I need to take another dose. I’ve heard about lithium chloride or aspartate, should I maybe try them at night instead? I still have some liquid prescription lithium left and it doesn’t give me headaches, but at only 18mg of elemental lithium, it gave me hypothyroidism after 6 months of everyday use, so I only take it every two weeks. Is lithium chloride or aspartate the same as LO? Will it mess up my thyroid or kidneys? I have some herbs and CBD that work for me but they are for emergencies. I don’t want to develop a tolerance on them. Mood probiotics work for me as well, but I can’t sleep on them, they wire me. Do you recommend taking a break from lithium? But then I read somewhere that you stop taking it, it may not work again, so I am afraid. It is the only supplement that really works for me.. thank you so much for always replying to me and all of us! We are very grateful for you!
Anie, they are not the same as Lithium Orotate. But they likely do provide a certain amount of elemental lithium. Just not sure if they will cross your blood-brain barrier.
I suggest using the search box top right above the top menu and search for the keyword “migraine” and see what turns up that may help you.
Thank you David! I tried (10drops-1mg) and it worked perfectly, but felt very strong for 1g…felt like 18mg of elemental lithium I was taking from the citrate liquid form of lithium, weird 🙁
hi david
does taking 35-40 mg of lithium orotate per day, divided as 5mg for 7-8 time per day, considered as safe ?
thanks
Salem, I know of some people who switched from prescription high dose Lithium to lower dose Lithium Orotate. And that is often the dosage they use.
Dear David, I have really difficult question. The government of Ukraine together with Moscow violates my human rights and I get angry. How do you think should I use Lithium Orotate to decrease reasonable agression? I’m not angry on regular people.
Max, I hear you loud and clear. But I highly doubt Lithium Orotate will reduce the anger you have in this situation. The only thing that has the potential to help is psychotherapy.
Thank you very much! Just got it what is it. It’s “Righteous anger”. It’s not possible to fix with nootropics or antipsychotics.
Hi David,
Can you please tell me if LO can be taken with Zoloft and Propranolol? My child is on low doses (50mg/20mg) of each and I am hoping to successfully wean her off one or both, but I wanted to make sure I can safely start the LO while on those and then taper. Her functional med dr. is ok with her starting at 20mg for 30-60 days before tapering the meds, but I wanted another opinion, as well! Would you start with an even lower dose of LO?
Thank you!
Most Lithium Orotate supplements contain 5 mg elemental lithium. This is like micro-dosing lithium and is such a low dose that it should not cause any problems.
Hi David, I’ve tested my lithium blood levels three times and I’m very deficient. After my first blood test I started supplementing with 5mg of lithium oratate daily. After several months I retested and I was still deficient. So I increased my daily dosage to 10 mg daily and after 3 months I retested my levels and they were still deficient. Can I increase my daily dosage to 20 mg daily as long as I retest periodically. All I want is my level to be in the normal range. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks
Eddie, some using Lithium Orotate in place of prescription Lithium use doses as high as 30 – 40 mg per day without a problem.
Thank you David. For some reason I don’t receive notifications when my posts gets replied to. Is there any way to correct this?
Eddie, I have looked into it and there is no safe method for me to use so you can get notifications when a comment has been replied to. Sorry.
Thank you David.
any problem’s with taking lithium orate 5 mg with full spectrum magnesium 500 mg for relaxing or sleep?
David, it should not be a problem.
Hi David,
Thanks for your site.
Do you know if lithium orotate increases histamine? If so in my case that might be good. I did find this
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6238070/
Reason Im asking if I believe my Dad might be deficient in histamine or not regulated (from chemo he received years ago, methotrexate toxicity). Foods high in histamine when he has his cognitive, mood is much better. Foods, supplements that lower histamine cognitive he becomes a mess. Also he cannot take benadryl, not that I give it to him but a few times after the methotrexate toxicity they tried giving it to him and he hallucinates from it so cannot take it. Also he is coming off of an antidepressent, and he is hallucinating. I believe antidepressants raise histamine and coming off would cause it to fall. I know normally you do not want to raise histamine, want a balance but I believe he is low, will get a test I believe can test for that. Thanks!
Lithium increase histamine according to the study you linked to. But it does not mention what form of lithium they used. Was it high dose Lithium Carbonate or low dose Lithium Orotate.
any issues taking melatonin (small .5 mg) with lithium orotate 5-20 mg. I love lithium want to add melatonin as well. thanks,
Robby, there are no recorded contraindications. But when do you use Lithium Orotate and when do you use melatonin?
Thanks David,
I use melatonin and lithium orotate at night. Melatonin anywhere from .5 to 3 mg lithium orotate 5-10 mg. I want to buy the sleep supplement with cherry tart, mag, and tryp that you recommend. thanks,
Oh and what about Ibuprofen? When I look things up I see it’s only about Lithium Carbonate and rarely about Lithium orotate.
Susan, did you read my review for Lithium Orotate above? Because I include 6 references to Lithium Carbonate. I suggest you read it carefully from top to bottom.
Hello David,
I am currently taking 5 mg lithium orotate for my mood swings can I add L-tyrosine (for energy through out the day ) and 5htp ( for not depleting serotonin) ? Thanks in advance!
Dagmar, yes you can add 500 mg L-Tyrosine morning and noon. And instead of 5-HTP before bed, I suggest 500 mg L-Tryptophan which will go on to make 5-HTP, then serotonin and melatonin.