FAQs about Lithium Orotate by Dr. Millar

5 minute consultation $10 and $2.00 per minute thereafter
Have your questions written down to maximum the value of your consultation.

A 5 minute consultation will provide you with the safe and effective dosage range for your condition as well as answers to the following questions:

Are there any potential drug interactions?
How will you determine the proper serving for yourself?
How long will it take to get the results you are seeking?
How long will you have to take Lithium Orotate?
What will you experience initially when you begin taking LO?
What will you experience if you stop taking Lithium Orotate?
What is the initial dosing range to achieve maximum results?
What is the safe maximum dosage for your unique situation?
What is the long-term maintenance dosage required to sustain the results achieved?

Extended consultations are required to determine which lab tests, (blood and or urine) and additional nutraceuticals that are recommended for your condition(s).

Call 480-282-1545 Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm Mountain standard time (MT).

What is lithium?
Why is lithium called a drug?
Why should you trust Dr. Mark Millar as an expert on lithium supplementation?
How many medical conditions are benefitted by Lithium Orotate?
Is Lithium Orotate (LO) supplementation safe for everyone?
Is LO safe for children?
Why has prescription lithium (RxLi) gained a bad reputation with regards to toxicity?
What is the difference between pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi) and Lithium Orotate?
What is the safe maximum serving of LO?
Do you need to worry about kidney damage from Lithium Orotate (LO)?
Does low amounts (100mg/day or less) of elemental lithium cause kidney disease?
Why is there concern for kidney damage with Pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi).
What is Nephrogenenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI)? What causes it?
Will LO cause NDI like RxLi does?

For answers to all of the following questions call Dr. Millar for a consultation.

Is Lithium Orotate FDA approved for any specific medical condition?
Does Lithium Orotate work for everyone?
Is Orotic acid (Orotate) supplementation safe?
How much LO should you take for your medical condition?
Does Lithium Orotate cause side effects?
What if your doctor tells you that you should not take a lithium supplement?
Are all Lithium Orotate supplements the same?
Can LO be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Why do so many websites say you should not use LO during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Does lithium cause birth defects aka congenital malformations?
Is lithium harmful to the Liver?
Will LO cause Hypothyroid?
Will LO cause Hyperparathyroidism and or Hypercalcemia?
Will LO cause heart problems such as arrhythmias?
Will LO cause a Brugada syndrome?
Will LO cause weight gain?
Does Lithium Orotate require a prescription?
Do you have to monitor the lithium orotate levels in the blood?
Why do you have to monitor the blood while taking pharmaceutical lithium?
Will LO interfere with my prescription medication?
How soon will I feel the effects of Lithium Orotate?
Which of the 3 lithium salts that Dr. Hans Neiper developed is the best one for my condition? Is Lithium Aspartate/Arginate as good as Lithium Orotate?
What are the directions of use?
Can I take LO with my pharmaceutical lithium(RxLi)?
Can I take LO instead of my RxLi?
How do you switch from RxLi to LO?

What is lithium? Is it a drug?

Lithium (Li) is Not a drug, but rather an essential trace mineral.(1) Lithium is in the same class of minerals (alkali metals) as sodium (Na) and potassium (K). See Li, #3 on the periodic table of elements (Li #3)

Why is lithium called a drug?

Because the FDA approved lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder in 1970.

As soon as the FDA approves a nutrient for the treatment of a disease, it is forever referred to as a drug. Lithium is the international “Gold standard” for treatment of bipolar disorder. “The gold standard for treating bipolar disorder in 1970 was lithium, and the gold standard in 2009 remains lithium.” (Hershowitz et, al. 2010) (2)

Lithium treatment of bipolar disorder is a perfect example of what Dr. Linus Pauling (Two time Nobel Prize winner) referred to as (Orthomolecular Medicine). Dr. Pauling theorized and later proved that vitamin, mineral and enzyme deficiencies were a major cause of chronic degenerative disease. He further postulated that many diseases including mental disorders could be successfully addressed with vital nutrients if they were administered in the right amounts, (frequently amounts far greater than the RDA).

Orthomolecular medicine according to Dr. Pauling was administering the “right molecules (nutrients) in the right amounts”.

To be clear we are using Lithium Orotate (LO) in greater amounts than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) proposed by (Dr. Schrauzer) of 1mg/day of lithium. We are using LO as orthomolecular nutrition.

You may have heard that lithium may cause problems with the brain, kidneys, heart, liver, thyroid, parathyroid, and may cause drug interactions.

I am here to tell you that lithium does not cause any problems with your organs or cause any drug interactions, as long as you don’t take too much of it. With absolute certainty it is obvious now that all of the previously published concerns regarding lithium toxicity, relate specifically to the fact that the pharmaceutical industry has historically, (since the 1960’s) dosed bipolar, aka manic depressive patients at 2-4 times beyond the safe limits of lithium.

Maxim #1. Lithium has zero inherent toxicity to the human body unless the maximum safe serving is exceeded, period.

As is true with all mineral supplementation, if you exceed the maximum safe daily serving, you will experience side effects, potential toxicity affecting organ functions, and drug interactions. With few exceptions it is Dr. Millar’s opinion that the maximum safe daily serving of lithium is 100mg of pure elemental lithium (EL).

Under a doctor’s supervision, anyone, of any age, with any health concern, while using any pharmaceutical drugs may take and enjoy the often miraculous healing benefits, experienced with organic lithium salts.

After thousands of hours researching this topic, I want you to know with absolute certainty that lithium supplementation or its use as orthomolecular nutrition is absolutely safe when used in reasonably low servings. In fact a preponderance of published research has shown that lithium is critically essential in healing and protecting the very organs that it is purported to imbalance.

Why should you trust Dr. Mark Millar as an expert on lithium supplementation?

Like so many other bipolar individuals Dr. Millar suffered with bipolar disorder until his discovery of Lithium Orotate. Since his discovery, Dr. Millar decided to give himself the equivalent of a PhD. in lithium administration and has spent over 7,000 hours researching the entire database, (thousands) of published lithium studies to become one of the world’s leading experts on this topic. He has self-published two books on this breakthrough and is about to release his third book, The Lithium Miracle.

As you read through all of the precautions of utilizing Lithium Orotate remember this most important finding of Dr. Millar’s research: All of the past difficulties experienced with pharmaceutical lithium were due to serving sizes exceeding an individual’s lithium tolerance.

Lithium has zero, inherent toxicity at safe limits.

Lithium supplementation and its use as orthomolecular nutrition, is absolutely safe (within limits) for everyone to use, as long as you consult with a physician who is trained in lithium administration. Therein lies the problem; less than 1% of medical doctors actually prescribe lithium in their practices.

Most medical doctors have no idea that lithium is absolutely safe when utilized within its safe dosage limits.

All the average medical doctor knows about lithium is that it is the “gold standard” of care for bipolar patients, but they believe lithium must be taken right to the limit of toxicity, for lithium to be effective. This belief as it turns out is completely untrue and I will lay out all of the evidence for you so you will realize the truth about lithium use.

Caution: If you are on the following list you should not take larger amounts of Lithium Orotate without consulting with your physician or Dr. Millar.

Most people on this list can safely use larger servings of Lithium Orotate as long as they are guided by an expert in lithium administration. Most manufacturers recommend 5-10mg/day of elemental lithium (EL) as a daily supplement for optimizing health. It is Dr. Millar’s opinion that 5-10mg EL is absolutely safe even for those individuals on this list, except, if you are presently taking pharmaceutical lithium.

I am being overly cautious here to make sure no one on this list has a bad experience because they decided to take a larger dose the first time.

If you are on the following list you should not take more than 10mg/day of elemental lithium (EL) via Lithium Orotate without supervision.

You are taking other medications
You are pregnant or breastfeeding
You are considering giving it to infants, children or an elderly parent
You have end-stage kidney disease
You have previously experienced a pharmaceutical lithium-induced kidney dysfunction
You have (Brugada Syndrome)
You have cystic fibrosis

I repeat, even individuals on the list above can safely utilize Lithium Orotate under the supervision of their physician.

How many medical conditions are benefitted by Lithium Orotate?

There are well over 100 conditions highly benefitted by LO and there will be many more discovered due to lithium’s ability to modify aberrant genetic expression. If you have a rare genetic disease I highly recommend you try LO to see what relief you may experience as lithium has been shown in many genetic disorders to be highly beneficial.

Although it’s not meant to be implied as a cure or treatment, this is the list of medical conditions that research upon humans and/or animals has been documented with the supplementation of the trace mineral lithium.

ADD
ADHD
Aggression
AIDS Infection
Alcoholism
Alcohol Poisoning
Allergic arthritis (PGE2)
Allergies
ALS aka Lou Gehrig’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Anorexia Nervosa
Antisocial behavior
Anxiety disorders
Arthritis
Ascites (Fluid build-up in abdomen or lungs)
Asperger’s
Asthma Atherosclerosis
Atypical Psychosis
Autism
Auto Immune disorders
Back & Hip Pain
Bipolar disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Brain Allergy Brain Damage (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Stroke, TIA, Vaccine Injury Bruxism (grinding teeth)
Bulimia Nervosa
Canavan’s disease – rare genetic disorder
Cancer Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue
Cluster headaches
Collagen disorders (PGE2) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Concussion – Closed head injury Foot ball injuries
Confusion
Cotard’s syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Demyelinating diseases (PGE2)
Depression (mild, moderate & severe suicidal depression)
Depressed Immune system
Diabetes Mellitus
Diarrhea/ Colitis
DNA damage
Down’s syndrome
Drug abuse and withdrawal
Duodenal Ulcer
Eclampsia (PGE2)
Edema
Eczema
Encephalomyelitis
Epilepsy
Epstein Barr virus
Explosive disorder
Felty’s syndrome
Fetal Alcohol syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Flashbacks
Forgetfulness
Fractures/persistent non-union of bone – healing
Fragile X syndrome
Gastro-esophageal reflux disorder
Generalized Anxiety disorder
Glaucoma
Gout
Guillain Barr syndrome, (PGE2)
Headaches (all types)
Heart disease
Heavy metal toxicity
Hematochromatosis
Hemolytic anemia’s (PGE2)
Hepatitis C
Herbicidal Toxicity
Herpes infection HSV1 & HSV2
Hidradentitis Suppurvita – Rare Disease
HIV Infection
Huntington’s disease
Hyper IgE syndrome
Hyper-adrenalism
Hyperactivity
Hypercortisolism
Hyperthyroidism
Hypnic headaches
Hypo-parathyroidism (idiopathic) (PGE2)
Impulsivity
Infections (acute & chronic)
Infectious Mononucleosis (PGE2)
Infertility (PGE2)
Inflammatory Bowel
Insomnia
Irritability
Irritable bowel syndrome
Ischemic Heart disease
Juvenile Convulsive disease
Klein Levin syndrome
Kleptomania
Learning disability
Liver disease – cirrhosis
Lyme disease
Lymphocytic thyroiditis (chronic) (PGE2)
Meniere’s disease
Mercury Poisoning
Metabolic syndrome
Migraine headaches
Molluscum contagiosum (chicken pox virus)
Morgellons disease
Motor Neuron Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Myotonic Dystrophy
Neutropenia
Neck Pain (chronic)
Neuropathies (Diabetic)
Neurosis
Nightmares
Obsessive Compulsive disorder
Organic Brain Syndrome
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Pain syndromes
Panic disorder
Paralysis
Parkinson’s disease
Pathological gambling
Periodic limb movement
Peripheral Nerve Pain
Pheochromocytosis
Post-partum Psychosis
Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)
Premature Ejaculation
Prion diseases
Prostaglandin (E2) diseases
Prostatitis
Radiation Therapy damage
Rage (Road)
Reproductive disorders (PGE2) i.e., Infertility (women)
Restless Leg syndrome
Rhett syndrome
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizophrenia
Sciatic (Hip) Pain Self Mutilation (cutting)
Shingles
Shoulder Pain
Sjogren’s Syndrome
Skin disorders
Sleep disorders
Social Anxiety/Phobia
Spinal Amyotrophy
Spinal Cord injury
Stiff Person syndrome
Strokes
Substance Abuse disorder
Sydenham’s Chorea
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (PGE2)
Tardive Dyskinesia
Tay-Sachs disease (depression)
Thrombocytopenia (PGE2)
Tinnitus
(TMJ)
Tourette’s syndrome
Transient Ischemic attack
Traumatic Brain Injury
Trichotillomania
Ulcers
Vaccine Injury
Vascular disease
Violent behavior
Viral lymphadenopathies
Viral Replication
Xenophobia

Is Lithium Orotate supplementation safe for everyone?

Yes. However, this is dependent upon how much lithium you are taking. The higher therapeutic servings can be problematic for some. Approximately one percent of the population appears to have an unusual sensitivity to even low levels of lithium supplementation and may experience side effects. Remember that all mineral supplements have a toxic limit that should not be exceeded, or you may experience side effects and potentially disrupt organ function.

It is Dr. Millar’s opinion that Lithium Orotate is safe for everyone, as long as you take no more than 10mg/day of EL. The vast majority of individuals can safely consume LO at 100mg/day EL. If you are, giving LO to infants or small children, or you have kidney disease, then you must have your, (or the child’s) kidney’s, monitored for (Creatinine Clearance).

Jonathan Wright, MD (a leading expert in LO administration) reported to Dr. Millar that through all the years of lab testing his patients on LO, taking 40mg/day of EL he rarely, if ever saw any problems with that serving. He however did not prescribe larger servings to his patients to see at what level there might be a problem.

Dr. Millar has not personally seen enough research from his clients to make specific recommendations, with regards to taking servings greater than 10mg/day of EL with end-stage kidney disease.

Is LO safe for children?

Absolutely yes! All of the published scientific studies of bipolar children and adolescents have shown that pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi) is safe with regards to kidney function even though the children were given large servings of lithium. With LO you can give your children 1/3 – 1/10th of the serving used in this published study and get better results with no side effects. This is minimally 70% less lithium (via LO) that has already been shown in large RxLi doses to be safe in children 7 years and older.

It is my absolute belief that low servings of LO is completely safe to give to newborn children as there is no evidence that children process lithium any differently than adults.

There are however no long-term studies available, tracking creatinine clearance over the long-term. So it will be up to you to get an annual check-up for your child to monitor creatinine clearance.

Pharmaceutical lithium has been FDA approved for children 12 years or older.(3) The youngest child I have heard of using LO was 2 years old with excellent results and no side effects.

The following study gives us the data on lithium for children ages 7-12.

First-dose pharmacokinetics of lithium carbonate in children and adolescents. (Findling, Landersdorfer, & Kafantaris et, al. 2010) (4)

For the purpose of simplicity I am only revealing the data discovered on the children but the adolescent findings were essentially the same. The important findings of this study were that the kidney function was analyzed (including creatinine clearance) and was found to be normal in the children even though they were given servings based upon their body weight.

Another important finding was the very large difference in the range of pharmaceutical lithium-carbonate absorption into the bloodstream. Pharmaceutical lithium is frequently, very poorly absorbed within the brain cells as well as the blood stream.

Demographics of subjects:

20 children aged 7 to 12 years with bipolar diagnosis
Average age 9.9 years
Average weight 97 lbs
Average lithium serving 141mg EL = 1.45mg EL per 1 lb of body weight
Lithium serving range 1.2mg-1.7mg EL per 1 lb of body weight
Serving half of children at 113mg EL = 1.2mg EL per 1 lb of body weight
Serving half of children at 169 mg EL = 1.7mg EL per 1 lb of body weight

Approximately 30% of children reported side effects during initial 2-3 days. This comes as no surprise because the lithium servings were too high for these children to be free of side effects. We do not see these rates of side effects with Lithium Orotate (LO).

The common side effects:

Headache (33%)
Abdominal pain (17%)
Dizziness (17%)
Insomnia (17%)
Nausea (17%)

Creatinine clearance varied amongst the children, but all patients had normal kidney function.

In this study, the average apparent lithium clearance half life of children was considered to be similar if not shorter than adults. Lithium clearance correlates well with lean body mass or fat-free mass. (4)

Caution: Again, if you want to give LO to small children you should absolutely check creatinine clearance to be safe and sure.

Why has prescription lithium (RxLi) gained a bad reputation with regards to toxicity?

This is due to the fact that old school psychiatrists have historically and frequently prescribed doses of RxLi to bipolar patients in the range of 250mg-450mg/day of pure elemental lithium, far exceeding the safe maximum serving of 100mg/day of EL for adults and adolescents. The largest servings, (300mg-450mg/day of EL) have been shown to frequently cause hormonal imbalances affecting the function of the kidneys, thyroid and parathyroid and electrical disturbances, of the heart. At present, Orthodox psychiatric medicine routinely prescribes approximately 120mg-300mg of pure elemental lithium (EL) to bipolar patients.

It is a historical fact that orthodox psychiatric medicine has frequently dosed many bipolar patients, particularly (during the 1960’s and 70’s) at doses in excess of 400mg of EL. The typical size of a daily dose of pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi) for bipolar disorder ranges from 900 to 2400 mg.(5,(6))

100mg of RxLi contains 18.8mg pure (elemental) lithium (EL).
900mg RxLi = ~ 170mg EL
2400mg RxLi = ~ 450mg EL

Why were they dosed so high you ask? I believe it was due to the fact that many, if not most severe manic depressive aka bipolar patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals during the 1960’s 70’s and 80’s were severe amphetamine drug abusers. Severe abuse of amphetamines creates the worst kind of psychosis. To bring these patients down from the extreme highs they were experiencing took massive doses of lithium. This is where the precedent for high dose lithium comes from, from within psychiatric hospitals treating amphetamine abusers.

The reason I believe this is because of a little known historical fact. The hospitalizations for Bipolar disorder exploded after World War II.(7) “The rates of bipolar, schizoaffective, and unipolar disorders were higher in the cohorts born after 1940 than in the cohorts born earlier.”(Gershon et, al. 1987)(8)

Bipolar disorder like PTSD, is often triggered by combat and drug abuse, particularly amphetamines. Benzedrine was the first amphetamine used in WWII by the U.S. army, aviation and marines. Amphetamines were considered to be a performance enhancer that created hyper-vigilance (alertness) and allowed combat veterans to go without sleep for extended periods of time.

“After the war, new markets were created for this “performance enhancer,” which was being pushed to workers throughout industry—from steelworkers facing fatigue on their grueling shifts, to auto workers on the assembly line, to long-distance truck drivers. Then during the Vietnam War, the U.S. troops were flooded with easily available amphetamines…” (Gary Wilson 2007)(9)

After the Vietnam War the amphetamine abuse continued in America, even increasing among the general public. Amphetamines and bipolar disorder modify genetic expression and pass the dysfunction on to the children. “Children with one parent who is bipolar have a 15 to 30 percent chance of developing the disorder. If both parents have a history of manic depression, the risk increases to anywhere between 50 to 70 percent.”(10)

What is the difference between pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi) and Lithium Orotate?

Lithium Orotate (LO) has been shown to be 3 times more absorbed (increased bioavailability) by brain cells. “…the 24 hour brain concentration of lithium after lithium orotate was approximately three times greater than that after lithium carbonate.”(11) This allows for therapeutic servings of LO to be administered at least 1/3 of the amount of pharmaceutical lithium (RxLi) thus bringing the lithium levels down well below the toxic limits of lithium supplementation.

What is the safe maximum serving of LO?

As a general rule for most of the adult and adolescent population the safe maximum serving of LO is 100mg/day of pure elemental lithium (EL). However there are exceptions to this rule. So to be on the safe side, if you intend to use LO in excess of 40mg of EL (for the long term), you should consult with your physician or call Dr. Millar for a consultation. Dr. Millar is also available to consult with your physician during your office visit with your doctor so both of you can collectively ask questions of Dr. Millar together.

Caution: If you are already taking prescription lithium you should not under any circumstances add Lithium Orotate to your regimen as you may already be at or near a toxic level of lithium within your bloodstream.

Dr. Millar has learned through his research that approximately one percent of the population is sensitive to lithium supplementation even at low servings. For this 1% even servings as low as 60mg/day of pure EL may cause a mild reduction of (Creatinine Clearance) within the kidney. So if you are going to use LO long term (for years) at 60mg/day or more of pure EL you should go to a local laboratory to have your creatinine clearance measured just to be on the safe side. Many labs will run this test for you without a doctor’s order to do so.

The good news is that once your nervous system and endocrine (hormonal) glands have had time to heal and regenerate you will be able to drastically reduce your LO daily serving (maintenance serving).

You can start lowering your serving within 1 month of using LO. If you back slide into the same symptoms as before, then you are not ready to reduce your serving yet. Try reducing every 30 days until you are able to maintain the positive results you have achieved at a lower serving. This is a trial and error process and only you will know what the best serving is for you. A physician cannot tell you what is best for you regarding your lower maintenance serving.

If you are experiencing an unusually stressful period in your life you may need to increase your maintenance serving to remain in balance (symptom free). Mental and emotional or job stress will often require you to take more Lithium Orotate for stress related conditions.

Particularly if you are bipolar, schizophrenic or suffering with PTSD or any other anxiety disorder, you may have to increase your maintenance serving from time to time as you meet various stressful situations in your life. Take as much as you need to get back into zone of comfort you were previously enjoying. Once the stressful situation has passed, resume your lower maintenance serving.

Do you need to worry about kidney damage from Lithium Orotate (LO)?

Absolutely not! You don’t even have to monitor your lithium levels in your blood. This is due to the fact that Lithium Orotate is utilized in very low, non-toxic doses.

However, if you have pre-existing kidney disease, you should consult with your physician just to be on the safe side.

Does servings of LO (100mg/day or less) of elemental lithium cause kidney disease?

For 99+% of us the answer is no. Caution: The exception to this rule is may be if you have pre-existing end stage kidney disease or have been taking large volumes of pharmaceutical drugs, particularly NSAIDS.

My in depth research on this subject has brought me to the conclusion that lithium-induced kidney disease is rare, (less than 1%) if ever occurring, for those individuals consuming no more than 100mg/day of pure elemental lithium (EL). For those of you looking at a 120mg Lithium Orotate tablet, it is critical that you understand there is only 5mg of pure elemental lithium (EL) in a 120mg LO tab. You would have to take 20 LO tabs to ingest 100mg/day of pure elemental lithium (EL).

If you are utilizing Dr. Group’s breakthrough NeuroFuzion from Global Healing Center you are ingesting approximately 8mg EL per capsule.

If you 60 years of age and taking 100mg/day EL for years at a time for bipolar disorder, I would suggest checking creatinine clearance annually just to be on the safe side.

The good news for those of us who are bipolar, like me, after months or a year of stability without a manic episode, you may lower your maintenance serving significantly.

I personally returned to higher serving only 3-4 times during the first 12-18 months and now after 7 years I have only to take 20-40mg/day EL to maintain myself in the sweet spot of balance. There were several periods in the beginning that I increased my serving to 100mg/day EL to avoid a full blown manic episode. Those days appear to be gone forever.

So while I am not concerned about Lithium Orotate causing kidney disease, I want you to watch for signs of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI).

What is NDI? What causes it?

“Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) occurs when the kidney tubules do not respond to a hormone in the body called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also called vasopressin. ADH normally tells the kidneys to make the urine more concentrated.” (MedLine Plus).(19) NDI is caused by excessive lithium. While not life threatening, NDI is quite a nuisance due to excessive urination.

Will LO cause NDI like RxLi does?

Rarely if ever, but it remains a possibility. Approximately one percent of the population may have an unusual sensitivity to lithium supplements even at low servings. If you experience excessive thirst and urination after you have begun taking LO you may be an exception to the rule.

If you suspect you are experiencing NDI, reduce your LO serving immediately to the starting serving 1-2 tabs per day or discontinue altogether to see if LO is causing the excessive urination. If excessive urination continues and/or resumes after restarting, discontinue LO and consult with your doctor before resuming LO supplementation. You may be able to take LO at lower servings or you might want to discontinue it altogether if it is a serious unrelenting problem.

I personally have used 100mg of EL for weeks at a time without experiencing any signs of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI).

I have only seen NDI twice in any of my clients taking less than 100mg/day EL. From what I have observed with Lithium Orotate, NDI is a fairly rare occurrence (1% or less) for those taking no more than 100mg/day EL. However as the lithium serving increase, so do the rates of NDI.

NDI is very commonly seen in patients taking greater than 150mg/day EL. NDI occurs in 20% of the patients on long-term pharmaceutical lithium treatment.(12)

If you are experiencing NDI from taking RxLi,
you should definitely convert to LO.

For answers to all of the following questions call Dr. Millar for a consultation.

Call 480-282-1545 Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm Mountain standard time (MT).

Is Lithium Orotate FDA approved for any specific medical condition?
Does Lithium Orotate work for everyone?
Is Orotic acid (Orotate) supplementation safe?
How much LO should you take for your medical condition?
Does Lithium Orotate cause side effects?
What if your doctor tells you that you should not take a lithium supplement?
Are all Lithium Orotate supplements the same?
Can LO be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Why do so many websites say you should not use LO during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Does lithium cause birth defects aka congenital malformations?
Is lithium harmful to the Liver?
Will LO cause Hypothyroid?
Will LO cause Hyperparathyroidism and or Hypercalcemia?
Will LO cause heart problems such as arrhythmias?
Will LO cause a Brugada syndrome?
Will LO cause weight gain?
Does Lithium Orotate require a prescription?
Do you have to monitor the lithium orotate levels in the blood?
Why do you have to monitor the blood while taking pharmaceutical lithium?
Will LO interfere with my prescription medication?
How soon will I feel the effects of Lithium Orotate?
Which of the 3 lithium salts that Dr. Hans Neiper developed is the best one for my condition? Is Lithium Aspartate/Arginate as good as Lithium Orotate?
What are the directions of use?
Can I take LO with my pharmaceutical lithium(RxLi)?
Can I take LO instead of my RxLi?
How do you switch from RxLi to LO?

References

Schrauzer GN. Lithium: occurrence, dietary intakes, nutritional essentiality. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Feb;21(1):14-21. Review. PubMed PMID: 11838882.
Hirschowitz J, Kolevzon A, Garakani A. The pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder: the question of modern advances. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2010 Sep-Oct;18(5):266-78. doi: 10.3109/10673229.2010.507042. Review. PubMed PMID: 20825264.
Washburn JJ, West AE, Heil JA. Treatment of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Review. Minerva Psichiatr. 2011 Mar;52(1):21-35. PubMed PMID: 21822352; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3150503. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150503/
Findling RL, Landersdorfer CB, Kafantaris V, et, al. First-dose pharmacokinetics of lithium carbonate in children and adolescents. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010 Aug;30(4):404-10. doi:10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181e66a62. PubMed PMID: 20531219; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC2967308.
Lexi-Comp Online, Formulary and Drug Therapy Guide: Lithium, Lexi-Comp, Hudson, Ohio, USA, 2011.
Kemp DE, Gao K, Ganocy SJ, et al. A 6-month, double-blind, maintenance trial of lithium monotherapy versus the combination of lithium and divalproex for rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and Co-occurring substance abuse or dependence. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;70(1):113-21. Epub 2008 Dec 30. PubMed PMID: 19192457; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC3587136. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3587136/
Dohan FC. Wartime changes in hospital admissions for schizophrenia. A comparison of admission for schizophrenia and other psychoses in six countries during World War II. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1966;42(1):1-23. PubMed PMID: 5959639.
Gershon ES, Hamovit JH, Guroff JJ, Nurnberger JI. Birth-cohort changes in manic and depressive disorders in relatives of bipolar and schizoaffectivepatients. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987 Apr;44(4):314-9. PubMed PMID: 3566454.
Amphetamines, capitalism’s first ‘performance enhancing’ drug Gary Wilson Published Dec 20, 2007 http://www.workers.org/2007/us/amphetamines-1227/
Kling MA, Manowitz P, Pollack IW. Rat brain and serum lithium concentrations after acute injections of lithium carbonate and orotate. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1978 Jun;30(6):368-70. PubMed PMID: 26768.
Le Roy V, Delmas Y, Verdoux H. [Chronic renal complications induced by lithium]. Encephale. 2009 Dec;35(6):605-10. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2008.12.007.Epub . Review. French. PubMed PMID: 20004292.