That seems to be the general consensus since Lithium has been used in high dosages to sedate patients in mental wards. What Happens When Your Serotonin Levels Get Too High? Mental health professionals who meet our membership requirements can take advantage of benefits such as: Copyright © 2007 - 2021 GoodTherapy, LLC. More precise terminology based on pharmacology is used to further classify these agents. On the functions of lithium: The mood stabilizer On the functions of lithium: The mood stabilizer Shastry, Barkur S. 1997-03-01 00:00:00 Introduction Lithium, with an atomic number 3, atomic weight 6.9, is the third lightest atom in the periodic table of elements. The mood stabilizer lithium is a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor with strong antisuicidal properties. (2012). International Network for the History of Neuropsychopharmacology. Its mood-stabilizing effects, however, were not recognized until late in that century. Like Lily, your patients and clients may have asked you several questions. It was Australian psychiatrist John Cade who, in 1949, published one of the first papers on the use of lithium in the treatment of acute mania. It's only been in the last few decades—when scientists have isolated neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the brain that act to convey information from one region to another—that we are beginning to understand this process. Do not adjust your salt consumption as this may impact the amount of lithium in your blood. Improper use of this medication may be fatal. Some studies have also linked abrupt discontinuation with early reoccurrence of bipolar symptoms. Gershon, S. Lithium: discovered, forgotten and rediscovered. And what is the current thought and controversy considering the role of lithium in the treatment of bipolar disease? How do messages in one part of the brain travel, and in doing so, result in actions? Should You Take Antidepressants Long Term? Some neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the next nerve cell, which respond by transforming that message into another electrical impulse. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. Methods: PubMed was searched for English language reports between 1 January 1995 and 30 August 2015 by using combinations of key words breastfeeding, lactation, postpartum period, puerperium, mood stabilizers, lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, carbamazepine, and oxcarbazepine. 2017;37(8):713-727. doi:10.1007/s40261-017-0531-2, Shorter E. The history of lithium therapy. There are several types of neurotransmitters in the brain. Lithium in late-life mania: a systematic review. What I want to introduce you to, though, is the upcoming science that shows Lithium Orotate used in low dosages can provide protection to your brain again neuro-toxicity and even stabilize your daily moods. Lithium, like many other psychiatric drugs, carries significant risks of which you should be aware. GABA is the calming hormone. While many people argue that abrupt discontinuation of lithium will produce no withdrawal symptoms (as it contains no addictive substances), the body may still struggle with the sudden change of not having the chemical present within its system. Retrieved from http://www.cchrint.org/pdfs/The_Side_Effects_of_Common_Psychiatric_Drugs.pdf. Lithium-rich mineral springs have historically been touted for their healing properties. Chiu CT, Wang Z, Hunsberger JG, Chuang DM. Mood stabilizers are one of the most important medications for treating bipolar disorder, and they will likely be prescribed to you. None of the anticonvulsants has been licensed by a national drug administration as a mood stabilizer in adolescents. It is the only mood stabilizer that significantly reduces the risk of suicide, and it reduces mortality in other ways as well. It … Monitoring Side Effects. Regular blood tests are a requirement if you’re taking Lithium, which has … ), Loss of appetite, mild nausea, stomach pain, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International. Bipolar Disord. Lithium impacts the flow of sodium in both nerve cells and muscle cells. Lithium was one of them, the first known Mood Stabilizer, the oldest, and the most effective, and to which, this current article is dedicated. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free. Lithium is mainly used for the treatment of bipolar disorder, which is a mental disorder characterized by periods of lowered mood and depression; as well as periods of heightened mood and mania.. Due to its sedating effects, lithium is often used as a mood stabilizer. Because of a narrow therapeutic window and potential side effects (especially nephrotoxicity), lithium prescription requires regular blood tests and good treatment compliance. The history of lithium is an interesting study in scientific discovery and the methods scientists have used to investigate the chemical nature of mood disorders in the brain. Lithium is a medication known as a mood stabilizer that is used to prevent and treat symptoms of mania in people with bipolar disorder. It is approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). Lithium has been used long before our first antipsychotic The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not approve lithium for use until 1970.