tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post7840660268970083593..comments2023-06-05T11:51:38.383-04:00Comments on Evolutionary Psychiatry: Lithium and LongevityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-25163629120218682592015-03-14T01:27:05.703-04:002015-03-14T01:27:05.703-04:00Try lithium aspartate from Solaray 5 mg bump up ti...Try lithium aspartate from Solaray 5 mg bump up till you feel sane or better. I take 20mg feel better.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08010957602437910392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-5631460915783375992015-01-13T06:32:11.251-05:002015-01-13T06:32:11.251-05:00I was put on 300 mg. Lithium Carbonate ER seven da...I was put on 300 mg. Lithium Carbonate ER seven days ago. within a few days my obsessive suicidal ideation decreased significantly. I also feel calmer and less obsessive in general. I am still very depressed and the SI comes and goes but it doesn't latch on with the same desperation. I don't plan to take anymore than 300 mg as I am a female over 45 years of age and I worry about my thyroid. I tried Lithium Orotate and it was a bust pretty much. Maybe reduced anxiety just a tad. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-78819140179248938472014-10-24T16:00:34.144-04:002014-10-24T16:00:34.144-04:00Dear Dr. Dean, Do you have any response to 9/13 NY...Dear Dr. Dean, Do you have any response to 9/13 NY Times article by Dr. Anna Fels? And can you kindly respond to the 9/28 questions above from "Unknown" re Lithium supplements? Thank you very much.Unknown Toohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11813713421979286150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-82386959797962995972014-09-29T10:06:42.120-04:002014-09-29T10:06:42.120-04:00> Now to put things into perspective, a high li...> Now to put things into perspective, a high lithium water content translates to about 2mg of lithium a day. Psychiatric doses start at 300mg daily.<br /><br />You're conflating elemental lithium and lithium carbonate dosages. Lithium carbonate is about 19 % elemental lithium by mass, so a dosage of 300 mg/d elemental lithium would require 1579 mg/d lithium carbonate, which is far higher than any minimal dosage in psychiatry. On the other hand, 300 mg lithium carbonate would contain 57 mg elemental lithium.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01215996177900723409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-1791466614080638732014-09-28T16:08:32.132-04:002014-09-28T16:08:32.132-04:00Thanks Allan. That link us utter insanity. This gu...Thanks Allan. That link us utter insanity. This guy needs to get a LIFE! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397537748644976371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-62299278442816266872014-09-28T15:29:27.892-04:002014-09-28T15:29:27.892-04:00Dear Dr. Deans:
After reading “Should We All Tak...Dear Dr. Deans:<br /><br />After reading “Should We All Take a Bit of Lithium?” By ANNA FELS in the New York Times SEPT. 13, 2014, I began doing internet research on lithium. The most useful articles I came across were your “Could You Have a Lithium Deficiency? in Psychology Today and “Evolutionary Psychiatry: Lithium and Longevity.”<br /><br />I have three questions: if you can be kind enough to respond<br /><br />First, you wrote that “to put things into perspective, a high lithium water content translates to about 2mg of lithium a day. Psychiatric doses start at 300mg daily.”<br /><br />We use or consume water in many different ways for many purposes. So in an area with high lithium water content how much water would someone have to drink to get 2mg of lithium a day? That is, how many gallons or drinking water would one have to drink to get 2mg of lithium a day? How much water is that? <br /><br />Second, there are many sellers of Lithium on the market and available without a prescription. They are not elemental high-dose lithium which is available only by prescription. Low-dose lithium aspartate or lithium orotate capsules or tablets are available from a few natural food stores and even at Amazon. But a 130 mg capsule contains only 4.8 mg of elemental lithium. <br /><br />Do you think these low dose brands are or can be helpful as mood stabilizers, to mitigate depression and anxiety or help prevent suicide?<br /><br />Finally, if so, for non-prescription brands waht is the difference between lithium aspartate and lithium orotate and why would a consumer choose one over the other?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296026887963012379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-91136186154230709322014-09-27T16:23:11.002-04:002014-09-27T16:23:11.002-04:00"I find lithium to be a poor antidepressant b..."I find lithium to be a poor antidepressant but a good antisuicide drug. Hope that is clear. "<br /><br />Yes. it's about as clean and oxymoron as I have ever seen. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397537748644976371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-1902838598063051512013-10-27T15:52:42.758-04:002013-10-27T15:52:42.758-04:00@ Alan - fascinating website. Thanks for the link....@ Alan - fascinating website. Thanks for the link.shtovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16109559722715781557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-62180191754426153542013-08-09T19:50:44.370-04:002013-08-09T19:50:44.370-04:00Just in case anyone wanders this way again:
Inter...Just in case anyone wanders this way again:<br /><br />Interesting notes on lithium in water and crime, etc:<br />http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics#lithium<br />...... including a lively discussion in the comments <br />starting here:<br />http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics#comment-966728546<br />(including an interjection by Yours Truly :-) )<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />Alan<br />Alan2102https://www.blogger.com/profile/03077725184637352859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-51157492588389763022013-07-03T11:00:16.148-04:002013-07-03T11:00:16.148-04:00Hello Emily! I wanted to ask you for an opinion be...Hello Emily! I wanted to ask you for an opinion because, for some strange reason, this topic of lithium levels in blood is ridiculously poorly covered on the internet.<br /><br />I have just done a blood test (I wanted to see what's going on with me since I have pretty bad depression, anxiety and mood swings).<br /><br />Everything seems to be within normal bounds except few not so important things and Lithium which was 0.15 nmol/l (European range is 0.50 - 1.20).<br /><br />Could this possibly indicate that I have some form of bipolar disorder indeed and need to go to psychiatrist?<br />I plan on visiting psychiatrist anyway, but I just wanted to ask you this because it will take some time to find a good psychiatrist in my country and I am curious about this all.Nekikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08158687587775737979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-42055948701223529832012-09-11T14:55:37.113-04:002012-09-11T14:55:37.113-04:00Was it lithium orotate? Yesterday I was at work (a...Was it lithium orotate? Yesterday I was at work (a co-operative grocery store) and I saw that the wellness manager had a few supplement samples on his desk. One of them was lithium orotate (5 mg). I recalled reading about low doses of lithium in drinking water when I saw it, which is why I find myself here. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08002483403094895838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-25013567570752806082012-05-11T00:27:32.102-04:002012-05-11T00:27:32.102-04:00what about the types of lithium? Don't the dif...what about the types of lithium? Don't the different types (i.e. orotate, aspartate, carbonate) offer different bio-availabilities and thus get used up in different amounts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-46977039939214786582012-04-29T04:32:56.942-04:002012-04-29T04:32:56.942-04:00Hi Dr Emily Dean
Can I take inositol to help with...Hi Dr Emily Dean<br /><br />Can I take inositol to help with my dry scalp ( a side effect from lithium)? Is Niacin the same thing as inositol?<br /><br />Thanks for your helptr27https://www.blogger.com/profile/11417980783770156478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-42665432343236675122012-03-27T11:14:49.379-04:002012-03-27T11:14:49.379-04:00Hi Dr Dean
Lithium in my blood test today (for h...Hi Dr Dean <br /><br />Lithium in my blood test today (for hormones) has come up quite depleted. 0.20 (base line is 0.40). I though it was elevated oestradiol that was causing my hair loss (2 years) but do you think it could be this trace element? <br /><br />thanksDewebstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12217218003828166938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-22521738936440730622012-02-19T14:17:10.635-05:002012-02-19T14:17:10.635-05:00At first, 7up contained lithium but the FDA had it...At first, 7up contained lithium but the FDA had it removed. So now 900 mg daily will keep me functioning and preserve me which makes up for all those lost years.Terry Reishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11330538672923279235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-76680799796395587452011-02-28T18:27:46.464-05:002011-02-28T18:27:46.464-05:00Yes, depending on how much you get in your food an...Yes, depending on how much you get in your food and water, a lithium supplement may go past doing any good and cause harm - even at the lowish doses in the Andes study it seemed to affect thyroid function (which could certainly cause hair loss). <br /><br />ItstheWoo - I find lithium to be a poor antidepressant but a good antisuicide drug. Hope that is clear. Could be inositol is why.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-50379087292302130592011-02-28T16:04:19.015-05:002011-02-28T16:04:19.015-05:00Dru lithium causes skin disorders by depleting ino...Dru lithium causes skin disorders by depleting inositol.<br /><br />If you buy some inositol pills from your vitamin store, the inflammation / dryness of skin will go away.<br /><br />Thinning hair may be a sign of thyroid insufficiency, which lithium will also cause.ItsTheWooohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12057537399918684119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-13557127638571898042011-02-28T13:37:18.611-05:002011-02-28T13:37:18.611-05:00I'll also add that I began taking a small dose...I'll also add that I began taking a small dose lithium supplement after reading articles about its neuroprotective effects. About 9 months later I developed an intense itching of my scalp and my hair began to thin. I visited my dermatologist who said I had no inflammatory process of the scalp; not even dandruff. I tried a hydrocortisone solution, as well as additive-free hair products, with no result. It took a while to connect the dots, but after stopping lithium, the thinning and itching has diminished. I can't swear that lithium was the culprit as it has been about two months off lithium and I still have some slight residual itching, but the change is fairly dramatic.Druhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07637384532955935116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-66900195875803481692011-02-28T05:05:27.378-05:002011-02-28T05:05:27.378-05:00I am familiar with the mecanism by which lithium d...I am familiar with the mecanism by which lithium depletes inositol levels. This is concerning and perplexing as low inositol levels are implicated in anxiety and depressive disorders. Speaking personally I have seen tremendous mental health benefit by supplementing 4800 mg of inositol per day. In addition to depression (mild bipolar?) I have a history of obesity, blood glucose dysregulation, and PCOS. <br /><br />The relationship between PCOS and inositol deficiency is very clear; women with PCOS seem to not properly make d-chiro-inositol (a metabolite of myo-inositol, the sort you buy OTC) and this causes ovulatory dysfunction which turns into cystic follicles and significant endocrine disorder. D-chiro-inositol, along with proper catecholamine stimulation in the ovary, is necessary for ovulation to complete successfully.<br /><br />The research on inositol as an important mediator of normal insulin receptor and serotonin receptor function is well established. Again, I have seen tremendous mental health benefits. Seroquel and abilify could not do what inositol did.<br /><br />Perhaps I respond so well because I am inositol deficient (as evidenced by my history of PCOS/glucose disorder/depression).<br /><br />I am concerned that many take lithium for exhibited behavior, but then gradually begin to experience signs of inositol deficiency like psoriasis, type 2 diabetes/hypoglycemia, and worsening of depressive tendency.<br /><br />They say lithium is antidepressant but considering what I know about inositol I do not see how the antidepressant effect can be sustained, as inositol depletion is well implicated in serotonerigic dysfunction leading to depression and anxiety.ItsTheWooohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12057537399918684119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-30800625245112748572011-02-27T10:06:32.054-05:002011-02-27T10:06:32.054-05:00William - as far as I know there is no test for li...William - as far as I know there is no test for lithium deficiency. The test we use for measuring lithium levels is for phamacologic doses - for bipolar disorder a dose is typically 900-1500 mg daily, and that will typically land you a trough blood level of between 0.6 and 1. Tests generally don't measure anything less than 0.3. A 2mg dose would be well, well beneath 0.3.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-80196068510061087682011-02-26T14:23:12.345-05:002011-02-26T14:23:12.345-05:00Is there a believable test for lithium deficiency?...Is there a believable test for lithium deficiency? Might be interesting for people to experiment with a low dose if they had reason to believe they were not replete. I also wonder if anyone has established whether or not psychiatric patients who respond to lithium are deficient compared to healthy people.WilliamShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09021312909928686165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-6264441172074301972011-02-26T10:24:50.997-05:002011-02-26T10:24:50.997-05:00Yes, the longevity angle does seem to suggest an a...Yes, the longevity angle does seem to suggest an autophagy route. I wonder if neurogenerarion and repair. would explain the antisuicide and behavioral effects. The antisuicide effect can be quite marked clinically - even at the lowest available pharmacological dose. Too bad we have no human studies at the microdoses. Lithium is cheap cheap cheap and a 2 mg supplement trial in a prison population, for example, seems like a no brainer to at least attempt for behavioral improvement. Something tells me prison food is micronutrient poor.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-78539129456562530772011-02-26T09:38:52.976-05:002011-02-26T09:38:52.976-05:00Interesting! As the member of an IP3/Ca2+ lab, my ...Interesting! As the member of an IP3/Ca2+ lab, my most common non-psychiatric association of lithium is as a treatment to decrease PIP2 formation and thus cause IP3 depletion (yay for alphabet soup!). A quick Lithium/IP3 search brought me to this: <br /><br />Inositol and IP3 levels regulate autophagy: biology and therapeutic speculations.<br />http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874097 <br />(It is a follow up to this original finding: http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sigtrans;2005/304/tw349 )<br /><br />I'll admit that I'm impressed the author put 'speculations' right up there in the title!vlprincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599039244716203792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-82122027623756965432011-02-25T21:44:58.179-05:002011-02-25T21:44:58.179-05:00Thank you so much for your reply, Dr. Deans. My hu...Thank you so much for your reply, Dr. Deans. My husband was just commenting about how much better my depression has been this winter since starting a paleo diet. Have a great weekend!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-23537739559218346322011-02-25T20:08:01.580-05:002011-02-25T20:08:01.580-05:00Shoot, I forget there is a bug with the iPad so I ...Shoot, I forget there is a bug with the iPad so I can't cut and paste to comments, I just googled lithium rich foods and a number of articles came up.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.com