# Lithium Orotate Helping Me



## megabandp (Oct 26, 2012)

My order came in from iherb a few days ago I ordered Doctors Best 5mg Lithium Orotate and I've been incrementally upping my dosage. Didn't feel any change until I tried 4 at once. Seemed to be a big difference would say its similar to 1mg of klonopin just more smoother and natural. I was able to randomly talk to a few strangers with no anxiety whatsoever and I went in to order pizza normally I would feel anxiety and be uncomfortable but this time I was confident and felt no anxiety. I really hope this isn't just a placebo effect. I'll know for sure how well this is working when I start training for work in a classroom environment next week. Anyone else using this form of Lithium Orotate?

-Paul


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

No, but I was prescribed Lithium Carbonate. If you go too high there is a real chance of overdosing symptoms. Not healthy at all, what I remember is the stuff can be dangerous or lethal. So do the body weight calculations. If you come near the max recommended dose, which I did on the first day, you will "tremor", or that's what happened to me and I backed down my dose appropriately.

I think the OTC stuff is different, so... unsure how to compare the two. I think it may be substantially weaker. Unsure.

At first I didn't want to have anything to do with the drug, because of it's reputation, and while on the stuff I did feel slight somnolence, not of the sleepy variety but rather the soul heavy mood flattening variety.

The reports about it growing grey brain matter changed my mind.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19389332



> Significant increases in total brain gray matter volume in bipolar subjects were observed after 4 weeks of lithium administration (p = .0043). Moreover, regional analyses in the bipolar subjects revealed significant differences between responders (>50% decrease in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total score) and nonresponders; only responders showed a significant increase in gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex (p = .003) and an increase at trend level in the left subgenual prefrontal cortex volume (p = .0786).


That report says "lithium" and makes no reference to carbonate or orotate. I haven't purchased the article to read in full.

Anyways, I did the four weeks and went off. I feel pretty great these days, and believe Lithium has contributed with my overall well being. I may go back on in the near future for another 4 or 6 weeks.


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## dadadoom (Nov 14, 2013)

Keep us posted with your ongoing experience. You are taking a high dose, I think. Probably safe though.


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## megabandp (Oct 26, 2012)

I had first day of classroom training today and it was awful, the instructor randomly called people to read from a book and I barely got through it without bolting for the door. I took 5 Lithium Orotate but I finished a coffee like 10 minutes before and I'm hoping it was just that it was too soon and neutralized the effects. So tomorrow I'm going to avoid coffee and caffeine like the plague and hopefully it will work the way it's supposed to. Has anyone taken 6 or more 5mg Lithium Orotate pills at once before? It would be a lot of Orotic acid... anyone know how much is too much?


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

It's safe to say that if you feel any of the side effects you are taking too much and venturing into the area of toxicity.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/lithium-side-effects/



> Lithium side effects may include, but are not limited to: hand tremors, nervous tics, frequent urination, excessive thirst and/or nausea, sensations of apathy, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach irritation and general loss of appetite.


Same people say...



> Common servings of lithium range from 120mg to 450 mg. Lithium orotate requires a lower amount. It is recommended to start with a low amount, and to slowly monitor any side effects before increasing the serving size.


I believe they are wrong about lower doses. Lithium Carbonate is high toxicity comparatively. So yes, they are potentially correct that comparatively against Lithium Carbonate a lower dose is as effective. You can probably get away with taking way more without feeling toxicity. How that effects your system with chronic long term use, is totally debatable.

I found the stuff was more of a regimen of continual dosing over the course of a month. I may go back on it later in another few months.


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## megabandp (Oct 26, 2012)

Alright this stuff works, I took 20mg this morning and it reduced my anxiety 70% in class today. I was asked to read and I didn't sound anxious and was much easier able to control my anxiety. Lithium is saving my *** because I would be under so much stress without it.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

I've been following up researching on the lithium since I'm considering going on it again, for the brain rejuvenation potential.

There are definite negative effects, and against the meeting with my doctor I'm scraping the prescription. I might join you on the Orotate.

You've seen the list of side effects, correct? They are subtle.

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f11/lithium-orotate-helping-me-848969/



> Incidence not known
> Dry, rough skin
> fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
> hair loss
> ...


In other words, they look largely as if they are cardiovascular damage to the heart and thyroid.

Hope that helps. I only went on them for 4 weeks and got myself off the stuff as soon as possible. Going to risk a herbal metal detox regime up coming and see how that goes. They say it leaves the system, let's be honest.

Steelworkers sweat metal from their pores, years after the plants shut down. Sure it's a "salt" and I am no chemist, but yeah the risk is there.


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## dadadoom (Nov 14, 2013)

Nice, I will be trying this soon and will report back.

Kappa lithium is clearly not a toxic metal in small amounts and most of people get along with it just fine. If you have thyroid issues that is another story then.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

Technically it's a salt. However, yeah, there is an element of lithium in the salt.

It has a narrow window, the lithium carbonate. That's why it is prescription, and your doctor needs to monitor your blood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_(medication)



> The required dosage is slightly less than the toxic level, requiring blood levels of lithium to be monitored closely during treatment.[8]


The Orotate, that the OP is on, is much much much less toxic.

Iron supplements are toxic if enough is ingested. However, iron is absolutely essential for the human body to operate. Iron is grains, meats, fish, and so on...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_poisoning



> Iron poisoning is an iron overload caused by a large excess of iron intake and usually refers to an acute overload rather than a gradual one. The term has been primarily associated with young children[1] who consumed large quantities of iron supplement pills, which resemble sweets and are widely used, including by pregnant women-see overnutrition (approximately 3 grams is lethal for a 2 year old).[2]


I'm only suggesting that long term use of the stuff may be unadvisable, especially if the body has difficulty removing the lithium from the system, and there is gradual build up over time.

Let's say... you ate one pill a day and your body only was able of clearing out 9/10's of the stuff over a day. Over the course of several years, there might be some build up. The stuff is brand new.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_orotate



> In 1973, Nieper reported that lithium orotate contained 3.83 mg of elemental lithium per 100 mg and lithium carbonate contained 18.8 mg of elemental lithium per 100 mg.[6] Nieper went on to claim that lithium did not dissolve from the orotate carrier until it passed through the blood brain barrier, however a 1976 study documented that lithium concentrations within the brains of rats were not statistically different between equivalent dosages of lithium from lithium orotate, lithium carbonate, or lithium chloride.[7] While this study was conducted with rats, it directly contradicts the aforementioned assumptions made by Nieper and others. The pharmacokinetics of lithium orotate in human brains is poorly documented and further inquiry is needed to affirm that lithium concentrations in the brain are higher with lithium orotate. Major medical research has not been conducted on lithium orotate since the 1980s due to its patent status and the abundant availability of lithium carbonate. As previously stated, lithium intake appears to be effective even at low doses, and this may account for lithium orotates claimed effectiveness.[8][9][10]


Stuff used to be in 7up...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Up



> 7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis-based company The Howdy Corporation in 1920.[1] Grigg came up with the formula for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1929. The product, originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda", was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.[2] It contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug, until 1950.[3] It was one of a number of patent medicine products popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.


This is the real potential benefit, or one of the many...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11072948



> Rodent studies have shown that lithium exerts neurotrophic or neuroprotective effects. We used three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging and brain segmentation to study pharmacologically-induced increases in grey matter volume with chronic lithium use in patients with bipolar mood disorder. *Grey-matter volume increased after 4 weeks of treatment.* The increases in grey matter probably occurred because of neurotrophic effects.


Without reading that study in full, volume may be different than weight and density, however I did notice therapeutic effects, and the ancients probably have as well...

http://books.google.ca/books?id=rxN...nepage&q=ancient italy spring lithium&f=false

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithia_water



> Between the 1880s and World War I, the consumption for bottled lithia mineral water reached gigantic proportions.[2] The most premium of all the mineral water brands were lithia waters because of their highly acclaimed health benefits. One of the first commercially sold lithia waters in the United States was bottled at Lithia Springs, Georgia in 1888.[3] During this era there was such a demand for lithia water that there was a proliferation of bottled lithia water products, however only a few were natural lithia spring waters.


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## 2006Ninja (Sep 29, 2014)

megabandp said:


> Alright this stuff works, I took 20mg this morning and it reduced my anxiety 70% in class today. I was asked to read and I didn't sound anxious and was much easier able to control my anxiety. Lithium is saving my *** because I would be under so much stress without it.


Are you still taking it. I have ordered some off Amazon and really hope it makes me feel better.


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## llodell88 (May 15, 2011)

I've been taking it for 2-3 weeks. I've been falling asleep later (around 5am) and the last week I feel moodier, but I'm taking Inositol too this last week so idk. Yeah it has an effect though although I'm not sure if it's what you'll want.

I went to bed around 7-8am and woke up around 1-2pm today (would have slept later but had to make an appt and then i took 3 capsules (15mg). Right now I feel like I could sleep though so maybe taking it morning vs night makes a different with sleep. some ppl say taking it night helps them sleep which makes sense if it helps calm your mind down but lithium also delays your circadiam rhythm and mine was already delayed.

anyway i feel kinda depressed but i think it might be the inositol not the lithium or not taking stuff inconsistently (2 pills insteand of 3 or wrong of time a day)

my memory isn't good enough to take stuff consistently; i was hopig it would help with that D:


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## Kjellfh (Feb 18, 2015)

*Status?*

megabandp: Are you still on lithium? Can you please update us with your experiences?


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## Coffeeandtv (Mar 3, 2015)

*Day 1*

Hi people, brand new to forum and have just started taking Lithium orotate 5mg 1per day today. I take one Prozac 20mg a day and have done for a year. Prozac helps curb by depression and anxiety but I'm finding I have racing thoughts, mood swings, suicidal ideation, highs, lows and am cycling between these a lot.

I'm diagnosed with depressive and anxiety disorder but have a lot of other symptoms. I've avoided heavy drugs because of the side effects such as toxicity and weight gain and feeling tired and zombie like. Hence me trying out Lithium orotate.

I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

Things I'm thinking of...

How long will it take to work?
Is my dose right?
How will it interact with Prozac?
Is the stuff I bought off the Internet genuine?
What brands are recommended?

Thanks.

from the UK.


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