Lithium orotate

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Lithium orotate
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Lithium orotate H₂N₂O₄Li⁺is a lithium salt of pyrimidinecarboxylic acid and lithium. It is generally sold as an alternative to lithium carbonate.

1 Prescription
2 Scientific studies
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Prescription

In this compound, lithium is coupled with an orotate ion, rather than to a carbonate ion. According to proponents of lithium orotate treatment, this allows the lithium to cross the blood-brain barrier more effectively, and significantly reduces the amount of lithium required in order for the lithium to have a therapeutic effect for use in combating depression and stabilizing bipolar moods.^{[citation needed]} Lithium orotate is sold under a wide variety of brand names and is available at some drugstores and health food stores.

[edit] Scientific studies

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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, there is some evidence that lithium orotate may be useful in the treatment of addictions.^[1] Some patients prefer to use it in place of lithium carbonate, as they believe that it is more bioavailable and the side effects tend to be significantly reduced. Lithium orotate is generally marketed as a dietary supplement used in small doses to treat conditions including stress, manic depression, alcoholism, ADHD and ADD, aggression, PTSD, Alzheimer's and to improve memory.

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." However, this is a flawed conclusion regarding lithium orotate for the following reasons:

This study compared the effects on kidney function of lithium carbonate and lithium orotate. Groups of rats were injected with equal amounts of lithium carbonate and lithium orotate (and a neutral injection of sodium chloride for the control group) and then examined.

The study found that renal lithium clearance was significantly lower, and kidney weight and the lithium concentrations in serum significantly higher after the injection of lithium orotate than after the injection of lithium carbonate.

The conclusion the study drew because of this lowered kidney function was that it seemed inadvisable to use lithium orotate for the treatment of patients.

However, a highly significant point which is completely unaddressed by this study is that the same amounts of lithium orotate and lithium carbonate were used. People don't use the same amounts of lithium carbonate as lithium orotate because they are used and absorbed by the body in different ways. An effective dose of lithium orotate typically contains 15 mg of elemental lithium compared to 126 mg of elemental lithium from lithium carbonate. More than 700% more lithium is used with lithium carbonate. Because of this some people believe it is much safer than the carbonate form. Based on the information in the study stating that equal amounts of each item was used, the study administered 700% too much lithium orotate.

The conclusion of this study is skewed because it completely disregards the way lithium orotate is administered in actual use.

Ironically, this 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 required of lithium carbonate to achieve therapeutic results.

Even though psychiatrists do not generally prescribe lithium orotate to their patients, naturopaths and other health practictioners have been known to recommend this mineral to their patients. There currently is a non-scientific study going on for current users of lithium orotate^[2] to make up for the gaps in our knowledge on the effects this mineral has in the body of humans. The last study presented was completed in 1979 and involved guinea pigs taking extremely high dosages of lithium orotate, which contradicted an earlier study.

It should be noted that self-treatment of a psychiatric disorder without medical monitoring is potentially dangerous. 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, so the blood levels of lithium must be carefully monitored during treatment.

[edit] References

^ Alcohol. 1986 Mar-Apr;3(2):97-100.
^ Lithiumororate at pressenter.com

Kling M. A, Manowitz P., Pollack I. W. (1978). "Rat brain and serum lithium concentrations after acute injections of lithium carbonate and orotate". J Pharm Pharmacol 30 (6): 368-70.
Kling M. A, Manowitz P., Pollack I. W. (2004). "Peter Tyre". Drug treatment for personality disorders 10: 389-398.