Talk:Lithium

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Summary sheet: Lithium

The structure of the carbonate of lithium, lithium carbonate.

Lithium carbonate, Lithium salts, or lithium (sold as many salts of the lithium ion and under many trade names, such as Eskalith) is a widely-prescribed mood-stabilizing pharmaceutical of the lithium salt chemical class. Lithium carbonate is an inorganic compound, the lithium salt of carbonate with the formula LiC₂O₃. Lithium carbonate produces mood-stabilizing, calming, and dulling effects when administered. Lithium is used clinically for bipolar disorder. Lithium has been reported anecdotally on Erowid to potentially trigger psychosis and severe seizures when combined with psychedelics, notably LSD. //C'mon people. Isolated reports on Erowid don't constitute reliable information. Especially in recent years when other tryptamines have been sold as LSD. The one scientific study cited on that Erowid page about subjects taking LSD and Lithium together, "Alterations in responses to LSD in humans associated with chronic administration of tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors or lithium." Behav Brain Res 1996;73(1-2):229-33, Bonson KR; Murphy DL has NO reports of seizures with people taking LSD and lithium. Contrast this with one of the Erowid reports where the reporter said she no longer took lithium or suffered from bipolar after her LSD incident. I haven't heard of someone suddenly recovering from bipolar, and if she does it's a miraculous recovery that maybe should be credited to LSD!//

Note there are also forms of lithium sold as nutritional supplements: Lithium orotate, is a salt of orotic acid and lithium. It is available as LiC₅H₃N₂O₄·H₂O. Lithium aspartate is also sold as a supplement. It is a salt of aspartic acid and lithium. //PS I've taken 1P-LSD with Lithium Orotate with no bad side effects, actually a bit of heightened euphoria. Let's not give into anti-drug rumors, we're supposed to be combatting that!//

History and culture

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Chemistry

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Unlike sodium carbonate, which forms at least three hydrates, lithium carbonate exists only in the anhydrous form.[13] Its solubility in water is low relative to other lithium salts. The isolation of lithium from aqueous extracts of lithium ores capitalizes on this poor solubility. Its apparent solubility increases 10-fold under a mild pressure of carbon dioxide; this effect is due to the formation of the metastable bicarbonate, which is more soluble: Li2CO3 + CO2 + H2O ⇌ 2 LiHCO3 The extraction of lithium carbonate at high pressures of CO2 and its precipitation upon depressuring is the basis of the Quebec process.

Lithium carbonate can also be purified by exploiting its diminished solubility in hot water. Thus, heating a saturated aqueous solution causes crystallization of Li2CO3.

Lithium carbonate, and other carbonates of group 1, do not decarboxylate readily. Li2CO3 decomposes at temperatures around 1300 °C.

Pharmacology

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Lithium carbonate is used to treat mania, the elevated phase of bipolar disorder. Lithium ions interfere with ion transport processes (see “sodium pump”) that relay and amplify messages carried to the cells of the brain. Mania is associated with irregular increases in protein kinase C (PKC) activity within the brain. Lithium carbonate and sodium valproate, another drug traditionally used to treat the disorder, act in the brain by inhibiting PKC's activity and help to produce other compounds that also inhibit the PKC. Lithium carbonate's mood-controlling properties are not fully understood.

Adverse reactions Taking lithium salts has risks and side effects. Extended use of lithium to treat various mental disorders has been known to lead to acquired nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Lithium intoxication can affect the central nervous system and renal system and can be lethal.

Subjective effects

This subjective effects section is a stub. As such, it is still in progress and may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding or correcting it.

The subjective effects of lithium are primarily mood stabilisation. The onset of these effects are gradual and take place over weeks or months. Long term users who respond report “normality” and partial or full resolution of symptoms of bipolar disorder or depression. Some users report a reduced emotional range and some reduction in creativity.

Lithium has no obvious effects on a single dose within the therapeutic range. Doses above the therapeutic range do not produce positive effects. Effects include nausea, prickling sensation on the skin, headache progressing to confusion, delirium, coma and potentially death.

Experience reports

There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:

• Erowid Experience Vaults: Lithium

Toxicity and harm potential

This toxicity and harm potential section is a stub. As a result, it may contain incomplete or even dangerously wrong information! You can help by expanding upon or correcting it. Note: Always conduct independent research and use harm reduction practices if using this substance.

It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this substance.

Dangerous interactions

This dangerous interactions section is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or invalid information. You can help by expanding upon or correcting it.

Warning: Many psychoactive substances that are reasonably safe to use on their own can suddenly become dangerous and even life-threatening when combined with certain other substances. The following list provides some known dangerous interactions (although it is not guaranteed to include all of them).

Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Some of the listed interactions have been sourced from TripSit.

• Psychedelics - This combination has been reported by users to cause seizures and psychotic breaks, notably with LSD. At least one death has been reported to be triggered by the combination of LSD and lithium.

Legal status

This legality section is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.

See also

• Responsible use

External links

• Lithium (medication) (Wikipedia)