Its a bit sad they don’t actually quote the Elemental lithium dose. The doses are still not “low dose” although they are still quite high.
Li2CO3 molecular weight, 73.891, Li2 = 13.882 hence 18.5% of mass is lithium. 150mg =28.18mg Lithium 300=56.36
I think Li should be kept below 50 micromolar and my own test results would imply this is above this level.
I think the mechanism that causes nephrotoxicity in high dose lithium is inhibition of the SLC13 series of citrate carriers and this obviously will happen at a lower level. Hence I would personally think this dosing has the ability to be harmful although not necessarily noticeably so.
I’ve decided to try Lithium Orotate. I’ll start with 1mg/d elemental and move up.
Question for those who feel a mood stabilization effect: How quickly do you feel the changes?
I’m very interested in using Li to stabilize my mood. I’d like to be able to find the right dose to see the effect that I want, but I need to understand if I need to hold a dose for a week or months to see the effect. What is your experience?
At 5 mg, which is the lowest dose that I have ever used. The calming effect wasn’t felt until 30 days plus had passed.
Though reports vary widely.
From some user forums:
“The onset of calming effects from a 5mg dose of lithium orotate varies significantly from person to person, but you can generally expect to feel a subtle, immediate effect within the first few hours, while more significant, stabilizing benefits may take 1-4 weeks to develop.”
Thank you. That’s very helpful. It seems like 5 mg is perhaps the target from a longevity standpoint (best conservative guess anyone has). Some people (rarely) see side effects below that, and some people find an over-flattening of mood below that.
My plan is to try to get to 5 mg if side effects and mood allow it. And settle below if not. It sounds like it might take a few months at least to find the sweet spot.
Keep in mind that other drugs in your stack might impact LiO levels, for example SGLT2i flush out as much as 50% of lithium out of your blood, while Telmisartan spares lithium and you might double your levels. There are all sorts of drug interactions, so even if you set on some level or another, if your drug stack changes, it might suddenly affect your LiO levels. Matt Kaeberlein has mentioned in one of his podcasts that when he became aware of this, he upped his 5mg dose of LiO to 10mg, because he was simultaneously taking an SGLT2i.
I don’t take much else other than tecta, protein pump inhibitor for heartburn. I do wonder if lower acid due to the PPI will affect absorption like it does for calcium.
PPIs should not affect LiO absorption. But PPIs might discombobulate metal levels long term, magnesium etc., and there may be some interaction of all these, but nothing immediate.
Had been trying to figure out why I have had increasing edema in ankles and feet for the past few months. The inquiry led me to lithium orotate, which I had been taking, 5 mg per night. So I am cutting back the dose. But, the edema may also be exacerbated by standing, sometimes hours a day (easel), so I am monitoring that as well.
Lithium Orotate is not available over the counter. It is not available on amazon.ca. However, it is available on amazon.com in the states and they will deliver over the border.
I’m taking 1 mg. I didn’t feel any changes when I took it. However, at some point I stopped (finished my stock, didn’t refill, thought it might be useless) and after a couple of days I realized (or rather my wife did…) that I was reacting way more to small daily “stress”. I restarted it and went back to “stress-free” (not the correct term, but I don’t know how to describe it) after a couple of days.