Anyone have experience with lithium orotate?

[Flippy]

Just wondering if anyone has tried Lithium orotate for anxiety/depression? I ordered some and it just arrived so I've taken my first dose. I've read some glowing testimonials so I have high hopes. I'm prescribed Quetiapine for Bipolar and in the last few years it seems to have become far less effective. My psychiatrist refused to switch me to something else. Saying I didn't get any side effects. I have been reporting severe restless legs and discomfort when I try and sleep after taking the quetiapine. It has really messed up my sleep and has become a vicious circle. 10 years ago quetiapine felt like a miracle med. It was either that or lithium and I had heard some things about it that really put me off. Lithium orotate is not the same as the lithium they prescribe if anyone was wondering. I'm crossing my fingers that I may finally get some relief from this persistent anxiety and depression. :-)

 

[Flippy]

Just an update... It has been about an hour since I took 10mg and I feel a bit calmer and fairly relaxed. I had read that some people experience the effects quite quickly. It may be wishful thinking but I seem to be feeling a bit better already. Fingers crossed!

 

[Flippy]

2nd update... Felt pretty ok, slight floaty feeling for a while. My mood started to feel a little shaky so I took another dose. I'm not sure exactly how many mg will be the most effective. Maybe I should have started with 20 mg? Hopefully my mood will even out again.

 

[Sensei]

I'm bipolar too and I'm on lithium. LittleJem tried lithium orate and discussed it in this thread. It has undoubtedly helped many people, but I think you should avoid higher doses without consulting a psychiatrist. Lithium is a potent substance not to be underestimated. Just like you, I struggle with anxiety and depression even when I don't have depressive episodes. Unfortunately, lithium doesn't necessarily help against this; it mainly prevents episodes. I use herbs instead and they have worked wonders for me.

 

[Flippy]

Thanks! I will check the thread you recommended :-) I will be careful, the last thing I want to do is make things worse for myself. I've tried herbal things like valerian, camomile and a few other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. Are there any other things you would recommend?

 

[Sensei]

Thanks! I will check the thread you recommended :-) I will be careful, the last thing I want to do is make things worse for myself. I've tried herbal things like valerian, camomile and a few other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. Are there any other things you would recommend?

Yes, check the "herb" link in my post. There are many more than that, but those are the ones I've tried. Valerian and camomile are alright, but much too weak for me.

EDIT: Or do you mean other things than herbs? Then I really recommend Zen Buddhist meditation and good, old exercise.

 

[chris8000]

Sensei is right about herbs. I'm taking ashwagandha and panax ginseng, very pleasant.

The secret about herbs is they're not actually as weak and shit as most people think they are, in fact they can be great. Although if you go down to your local pharmacy and get some valerian capsules they're likely to give you the wrong impression.

But if the lithium does the trick then very good, I'm a fan of whatever works.

Yeah become a Zen Buddhist flippy, they're kind of like Theravada Buddhists but they've got way cooler clothes.

 

[Flippy]

Thanks guys! I read the LittleJem thread, it's sad that the lithium orotate stopped working. I have taken 20mg today so far and I do feel like I'm getting some sort of benefit. I don't think that I'm going to be running through the streets shouting "I'm cured!". I feel a glimmer of hope though that this might actually be helping. I think I may have a medication review coming up. I'm tempted to suggest that they try me with the pharmaceutical lithium. Of course I will discontinue the Lithium Orotate.

I'm certainly willing to give some other herbs a try. As for meditation, I've tried and I've tried but my mind has too much noise. I really wish I could get good at it. It is tempting to run off to some remote mountain somewhere and become a zen monk. There are times when I think I could quite happily adopt that kind of life.

 

[chris8000]

Yeah do the zen monk thing, seriously, even if it's just for a year or something.

I'm aiming for something along those lines next lifetime, this one is screwed.

Remember, Zen monks get to keep their eyebrows.

 

[Flippy]

Yeah do the zen monk thing, seriously, even if it's just for a year or something.

I'm aiming for something along those lines next lifetime, this one is screwed.

Remember, Zen monks get to keep their eyebrows.

It's tempting! :-) I don't think I could leave my cat behind though! I didn't know about the eyebrow thing, you learn something new everyday :-)

 

[Flippy]

Just another update... I've had 20mg (10 mg twice over the course of the day) and... I would say on the whole I'm still feeling relatively good. So far it seems that Lithium orotate is doing me some good. Hopefully it will continue to be the case. I will probably post here about my experience using it, it may end up being useful info for someone.

 

[Flippy]

Another update... It's been around 24 hrs and I've just had my first dose of 10mg. I would describe my mood as still depressed but considerably less anxious right now. Like I'm insulated from the gut wrenching anxiety. Comparing this to the lorazepam I had been prescribed briefly I would say that the lithium is about 50-70% as effective. At the moment at least. I don't think this is a placebo effect but I'm not exactly running a clinical trial here. So I can't completely rule it out. I've still really struggled to sleep though, I've probably managed around 4 hours. I was still awake between 8 and 9 in the morning :-( maybe I will sleep better tonight fingers crossed!

 

[Flippy]

Sorry to bump this...So it's been about a week and I think the lithium orotate is still helping, though the effects are maybe becoming a little less strong. I'm still taking it as I think it's still helping take the edge of the anxiety and I'm hoping that the slightly diminished effects could be due to an event that hit me a bit harder than I was prepared for. On the other hand, a small prescription of benzos and sleeping pills was suggested to me but I didn't feel as eager to accept this time around. Turns out they couldn't get anyone to prescribe it anyway and that might have caused me some worry and distress maybe a week or so ago but I kinda didn't mind one way or the other. So I think this lithium is still helping, hopefully it will continue to do so going forward.

 

[Sensei]

Sorry to bump this...So it's been about a week and I think the lithium orotate is still helping, though the effects are maybe becoming a little less strong. I'm still taking it as I think it's still helping take the edge of the anxiety and I'm hoping that the slightly diminished effects could be due to an event that hit me a bit harder than I was prepared for. On the other hand, a small prescription of benzos and sleeping pills was suggested to me but I didn't feel as eager to accept this time around. Turns out they couldn't get anyone to prescribe it anyway and that might have caused me some worry and distress maybe a week or so ago but I kinda didn't mind one way or the other. So I think this lithium is still helping, hopefully it will continue to do so going forward.

If you have a non-addictive and natural alternative to benzos which works well, maybe you should tell your psychiatrist about it. I don't know about your country, but in my country psychiatrists can be surprisingly positive to alternative medication as long as it works.

 

[Flippy]

If you have a non-addictive and natural alternative to benzos which works well, maybe you should tell your psychiatrist about it. I don't know about your country, but in my country psychiatrists can be surprisingly positive to alternative medication as long as it works.

I was quite keen to tell the people responsible for my care that I had been taking it and that my experience had been fairly positive so far. Though that went a bit out of the window when they hit me with some confusing news about my diagnosis. So I think the upshot is that my trust in them has been hit quite hard. I had hoped that maybe they might have encouraged it, possibly. I mean if it works it's got to be better than giving me sort courses of benzos etc. I don't want to put anyone off telling their doctors etc if they are helped by lithium orotate. I think it's probably a good idea to inform them, I just don't feel personally that I want to tell them, at least for now. :-/

 

[Mixo]

Bumping for people here with bipolar disorder.

 

[Celerity]

Be very careful with this. There have been reports of kidney failure even at low doses. Orotate may even be more potent than the typical carbonate dose for dose.

I am going to go through a psychiatrist and do the bloodwork. I tried lithium orotate myself out of desperation before realizing I didn't want to take the risk.

 

[No Entertainment]

What is the difference between lithium and lithium orotate?

 

[Celerity]

What is the difference between lithium and lithium orotate?

Rx lithium is lithium carbonate. Lithium citrate, yet another variety, is prescribed as a liquid. Not an expert, but they're still studying possible differences with how the body processes the ions.

Rx strength, both carbonate and citrate, are also much, much higher than the orotate supplements.