Low dose Lithium for better mental health

RyanX

The Living Force
_http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8025454.stm

Drinking water which contains the element lithium may reduce the risk of suicide, a Japanese study suggests.

Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million.

The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels of the element, they wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

High doses of lithium are already used to treat serious mood disorders.

But the team from the universities of Oita and Hiroshima found that even relatively low levels appeared to have a positive impact of suicide rates.

Levels ranged from 0.7 to 59 micrograms per litre. The researchers speculated that while these levels were low, there may be a cumulative protective effect on the brain from years of drinking this tap water.

Added element

At least one previous study has suggested an association between lithium in tap water and suicide. That research on data collected from the 1980s also found a significantly lower rate of suicide in areas with relatively high lithium levels.

The Japanese researchers called for further research in other countries but they stopped short of any suggestion that lithium be added to drinking water.

The discussion around adding fluoride to water to protect dental health has proved controversial - criticised by some as mass involuntary medication.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Allan Young of Vancouver's Institute for Mental Health said "this intriguing data should provoke further research.

"Large-scale trials involving the addition of lithium to drinking water supplies may then be feasible, although this would undoubtedly be subject to considerable debate. Following up on these findings will not be straightforward or inexpensive, but the eventual benefits for community mental health may be considerable."

Sophie Corlett, external relations director at mental health charity Mind said the research "certainly merits more investigation.

"We already know that lithium can act as a powerful mood stabiliser for people with bipolar disorder, and treating people with lithium is also associated with lower suicide rates.

"However, lithium also has significant and an unpleasant side effects in higher doses, and can be toxic. Any suggestion that it should be added, even in tiny amounts, to drinking water should be treated with caution and researched very thoroughly."

Given the wave of suicides that have and are likely to occur from the financial crisis fallout, there might be some policy-makers who would advocate this as a solution. Dumb us down a little more...
 
Re: Lithium: The next Fluoride?

I guess I am confused about this article, as I was not aware of Lithium being present in water naturally. Is this in fact the case here, or did the Lithium come for some other source?

If it occurs naturally in this source of water, does it occur in other sources around the globe? Sounds like I need to do some research on this subject and see what I can uncover.

Good article, thanks for posting it.

gwb
 
Re: Lithium: The next Fluoride?

The article doesn't say whether the lithium is from natural sources or not. It could be from natural minerals present in the groundwater, or perhaps it is from an abundance of lithium medications finding their way back to these municipal water sources? I would doubt the researchers would be able to intentionally add the lithium as part of their project, but it's hard to say since they don't specify.

The article reminds me of how anti-depressants have been discovered in the municipal water sources in cities across the US and Britain. To me it's still a bit of a mystery how this is occurring. The common claim is that contaminated waste water is finding it's way back to ground water sources, although I'm not sure what objective evidence proves that this is the case. For all we know, it could be intentional dumping either at the source pump or perhaps a bore hole into the aquifer nearby.

In any case, this research appears "convenient". Perhaps fluoridation is on the way out and now TPTB are looking for a new reason to force medicate millions of people with something similar?

Ryan
 
Re: Lithium: The next Fluoride?

I don't have much information on this and am going by something I was told by a local friend.

Lithium pharmacology refers to use of the lithium ion, Li+, as a drug. A number of chemical salts of lithium are used medically as a mood stabilizing drug, primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they have a role in the treatment of depression and particularly of mania, both acutely and in the long term. As a mood stabilizer, lithium is probably more effective in preventing mania than depression, and may reduce the risk of suicide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_salt

Anyhow, the story my friend told was 'something' like this:

When the United States started processing table salt, lithium was removed. Coincidentally, statistics show that mental illness's increased around the same time. The idea makes sense to me in terms of the above Wikipedia quote.

Mania:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mania
An excessively intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; a craze: a mania for neatness.
Psychiatry A manifestation of bipolar disorder, characterized by profuse and rapidly changing ideas, exaggerated sexuality, gaiety, or irritability, and decreased sleep.
Violent abnormal behavior. See Synonyms at insanity.

There are also other definitions that sound more like trends, and being hip to fads: "excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze.."

My own wonder is, would people be mentally healthier and less excitable if we didn't process lithium out of our salts? I don't 'know' this, but I don't believe other countries outside of the US intentionally remove lithium from their salts and salt based products. Wonder if there is somehow a connection to how fast the pathology is spread in the US. Just some thoughts, for what they're worth.
 
Re: Lithium: The next Fluoride?

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that most table salt was in a relatively pure state before additives (e.g. Iodine, etc). Therefore, wouldn't just about all impurities be stripped from the salt including any lithium salts? Here's a page I found that discusses that processing of rock salts

_http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Salt.html

Evaporated salt intended for food processing is very pure, containing as much as 99.99% sodium chloride before additives are mixed in. This is important not only for safety and good taste, but because certain impurities can cause problems with certain foods. For example, small amounts of calcium tend to toughen vegetables. Traces of copper or iron tend to destroy vitamin C and to increase the rate at which fatty foods become rancid. In addition, calcium and magnesium both tend to make salt absorb more water, causing it to cake.

Here's what Wikipedia says about salt additives:

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt

Iodized salt (BrE: iodised salt) is table salt mixed with a minute amount of potassium iodide, sodium iodide, or sodium iodate. Iodized salt is used to help reduce the incidence of iodine deficiency in humans. Iodine deficiency commonly leads to thyroid gland problems, specifically endemic goiter, a disease characterized by a swelling of the thyroid gland, usually resulting in a bulbous protrusion on the neck. While only tiny quantities of iodine are required in the diet to prevent goiter, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommends (21 CFR 101.9 (c)(8)(iv)) 150 micrograms of iodine per day for both men and women. Iodized table salt has significantly reduced disorders of iodine deficiency in countries where it is used.[28] Iodine is important to prevent the insufficient production of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism), which can cause goitre, cretinism in children, and myxedema in adults.

Table salt is mainly employed in cooking and as a table condiment. The amount of iodine and the specific iodine compound added to salt varies from country to country. In the United States, iodized salt contains 46-77 ppm, while in the UK the iodine content of iodized salt is recommended to be 10-22 ppm.[29] Today, iodized salt is more common in the United States, Australia and New Zealand than in the United Kingdom.

In some European countries where drinking water fluoridation is not practiced, fluorinated table salt is available. In France, 35% of sold table salt contains either sodium fluoride or potassium fluoride.[30] Another additive, especially important for pregnant women, is Folic acid (Vitamin B9), which gives the table salt a yellow color.

In Canada, at least one brand (Windsor salt) contains invert sugar. The reason for this is unclear.

Here's a topic that discusses raw sea salt:
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=9259.msg67446

You make a good point about the connection between trace minerals and mental disease. I think there is some truth to this based on what I've read about the functions of trace minerals in cells. But it seems that disease conditions are also caused by an overabundance or toxicity of certain trace minerals as well, heavy metals being notable examples. So while small doses of lithium salts may be beneficial and even necessary for biological functions, an overabundance could cause problems in the body/brain. One could make the same argument that Fluoride is necessary and even helpful in small doses. But when it is added in 90% of the food supply, drinking water, medications, dental products, pots, pans and so on, it's likely to cause an imbalanced state in the body. The next question is what amount of a certain trace mineral achieves the balance between deficiency and toxicity? Is this number the same for each trace mineral and each individual? Are there genetic factors that influence this? Maybe a deficiency or toxicity state of a certain trace mineral influences genetics? I'm just brainstorming here.
 
Low dose lithium

The following is very interesting information, also considering the fact that lithium excretion is increased when we do breathing exercises and meditation like in Éiriu Eolas :) :

By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

(Reprinted From "Nutrition and Healing")

Think young into your 90s with this anti-aging secret for your brain

The biggest problem with lithium treatment is people's perception of it. Since its most well known use is for bi-polar disorder, lithium sometimes encounters the same stigma as mental illness itself.

I've been taking a lithium supplement every day for several years. When I tell people about it, they sometimes get funny looks on their faces and start eyeing the corners of the room for straight jackets. These reactions don't surprise me, since, as I said, lithium is usually associated with mental illness. But I've never suffered from a mental disorder (although certain mainstream medical doctors and possibly a federal agency or two might disagree). Treating manic-depressive (bi-polar) illness is lithium's most widely known use--but it isn't an anti-psychotic drug, as many people believe. In fact, lithium isn't a drug at all. It's actually a mineral-part of the same family of minerals that includes sodium and potassium.

You might remember reading several editions of Health e-Tips a few months ago that discussed various benefits of lithium. In addition to the benefits mentioned in the e-Tips, like controlling gout and relieving rashes caused by sebhorric dermatitis, lithium also has some great brain-boosting effects. In fact, I've reviewed both recent lithium research and the research spanning the past few decades, and I'm convinced that lithium is an anti-aging nutrient for human brains. And there are also some very strong reasons to believe that lithium therapy will slow the progression of serious degenerative mental problems, including Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, and Parkinson's disease.

So there are obviously quite a few "pros" to using lithium, but you're probably wondering about the "cons." In the 1930s and '40s, lithium chloride was sold in stores as a salt substitute. But (as frequently happens) some people used way too much and suffered toxic overdoses, so it fell out of common use. Fortunately, lithium toxicity is entirely preventable, and it's also easily treatable if it ever does occur - but more about that later. Right now, let's get into some of the specifics on just how you (and your brain) can benefit from lithium.

Taking (grey) matters into your own hands

Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous fictional detective, had an amusing quirk in his incessant concern for his "little grey cells." I thought of Hercule several years ago when I saw the following headline in an issue of the Lancet: "Lithium-induced increase in human brain grey matter."

That may not sound like an earth-shattering piece of news, but it actually was quite a major discovery. To that point, medical experts believed that once our brains matured, it was all downhill from then on. Decades of autopsies, x-rays, and, more recently, brain scans have repeatedly shown that brains shrink measurably with aging. But according to their report in the Lancet, Wayne State University (Detroit) researchers found that lithium has the ability to both protect and renew brain cells. Eight of 10 individuals who took lithium showed an average 3 percent increase in brain grey matter in just four weeks.

Lithium may help to generate entirely new cells too: Another group of researchers recently reported that lithium also enhances nerve cell DNA replication.2 DNA replication is a first step in the formation of a new cell of any type.

The Wayne State study used high-dose lithium, but I'm certainly not using that amount myself, nor do I recommend it. Prescription quantities of lithium just aren't necessary for "everyday" brain cell protection and re-growth. Studies done years ago have shown that very low amounts of lithium can also measurably influence brain function for the better.

Protect yourself from brain damage you didn't even know you had

Aside from boosting brain mass, recent research also shows that lithium can help protect your brain from the "beating" it gets in the course of everyday life. Your brain cells are constantly at risk of damage from exposure to toxins of all sorts-even ones produced by your own body. Toxic molecules are formed naturally during the course of normal brain metabolism. Since these "normal" toxic molecules (sometimes called "excitotoxins") are produced every day of your life, eventually they start to wear down or erode away brain mass.

Another well-known cause of brain cell injury is overactivated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Lithium can inhibit this overactivity. And lithium also increases production of a major brain protective protein called "bcl-2" in both human and animal brain cells.

So it appears that lithium can protect against normal brain erosion and shrinkage that would otherwise occur over the course of our lives. But lithium also protects the brain from other less "normal" problems too, like damage caused by prescription medications and strokes.

When a clot or other obstruction occurs in a blood vessel serving the brain, it causes a reduction of blood flow to that area. If it's bad enough, the lack of blood flow will cause a stroke and death of brain cells. (This type of stroke is known as an ischemic stroke.) Research in experimental animals with deliberately induced ischemic strokes has shown that lithium reduces the areas of cell death.

In one of these studies, researchers blocked a brain artery in rats. Some were pre-treated with lithium for 16 days, the rest weren't. The researchers reported that the lithium-treated rats experienced 56 percent less cell death and significantly fewer neurologic deficits than the control rats.

And sometimes medications designed to treat other problems end up having a negative impact on the brain. For example, anti-convulsant medications cause abnormal levels of brain cell death. But lithium significantly protects against this type of cell death-so much so that this effect has been called "robust" (a term scientists use to mean "It really works!").

In fact, based on its general neuroprotective effect, researchers have recently suggested that "the use of lithium as a neurotrophic/neuroprotective agent should be considered in the long term treatment of mood disorders, irrespective of the 'primary' treatment modality being used for the condition." Translation: Lithium should be used along with any patent medicine being used for depression, anxiety, or any other "mood-altering" reason, since it will protect brain cells against their unwanted toxic effects. The researchers didn't say so, but I will: Any list of "mood altering substances" should include alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, "uppers," "downers," and-for those who do inhale-marijuana. Harmless as some of them might seem, these substances can cause brain damage with medium to long-term abuse.

Keeping your brain's lines of communication open -and healthy

Scientists determine how healthy brain cells are by measuring levels of a molecule called N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA). A decrease in NAA is thought to reflect decreased nerve cell viability, decreased function, or even nerve cell loss. In a study of 19 research volunteers given four weeks of lithium, experienced a significant increase in NAA, one had no change, and four had a small decrease.

Now, what about the interaction between those new, protected, healthy brain cells? Communication between brain cells and networks of brain cells is called "signaling." And lithium is actually necessary for at least two signal-carrying pathways. Researchers have also reported that lithium may help to repair abnormally functioning signaling pathways in critical areas of the brain.

Lithium and Alzheimer's: New hope for a "hopeless" situation

As you know, there's no cure for Alzheimer's disease and there's very little available for patients (and families) that can offer even partial relief from the turmoil it causes. So when new treatments are developed or discovered, it's usually big news -a ray of hope for people stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation. One of these newly developed patent medications, called Memantine,(tm) was recently approved in Europe. Even though it's not officially "approved" in this country (yet), thousands of people are already importing Memantine to the U.S. via various Internet sources. But why go through all the trouble (not to mention risk) of getting and using this new patent formula? Apparently, it "works" by protecting brain cells against damage caused by a major excitotoxin, glutamate. But protecting against glutamate-induced nerve cell damage is also one of the well-known actions of lithium. So if it's true that this newly approved patent medication slows the progress of Alzheimer's disease in this way, then lithium should slow Alzheimer's disease progression, too. Of course, lithium treatment, which isn't patentable and doesn't have nearly the profit potential of patented Alzheimers medications, hasn't made any headlines. But that doesn't mean it isn't a promising option for patients struggling with Alzheimer's disease.

There are many other research findings that also strongly suggest that lithium will protect against potential Alzheimer's disease and slow the progression of existing cases. Researchers have reported that lithium inhibits beta-amyloid secretion, and also prevents damage caused by beta-amyloid protein once it's been formed.20-23 Beta-amyloid peptide is a signature protein involved in Alzheimer's disease: the more beta-amyloid protein, the worse the Alzheimer's becomes.

Overactivation of a brain cell protein called tau protein also contributes to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, as does the formation of neurofibrillary tangles Lithium inhibits both of these nerve-cell damaging problems.

And you've likely read that individuals with Alzheimer's disease usually have excess aluminum accumulation in brain cells. While it's not yet known whether this excess aluminum is a cause, an effect, or just coincidental, most health-conscious individuals take precautions to avoid ingesting aluminum. Unfortunately, it's impossible to completely avoid all aluminum, since it's naturally present in nearly all foods. But lithium can help protect your brain against aluminum by helping to "chelate" it so that it can be more easily removed from the body.

Although Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia aren't technically the same, they do share many of the same degenerative features so there's every reason to expect that lithium will help prevent or slow the progression of senile dementia too.

A younger, healthier brain with just one small dose a day

As I mentioned earlier, some of these studies used rather high doses of lithium. And in some instances, as in the case of manic depression, doses as high as 90 to 180 milligrams of elemental lithium from 900 to 1800 milligrams of lithium carbonate are necessary. Quantities of lithium in that range must be monitored closely to guard against overdose and toxicity.

But you really don't need large amounts to improve your "every-day" brain function. Studies have repeatedly shown that substantially lower amounts of lithium can significantly improve brain function (as reflected in behavior).

The amounts of lithium I recommend for brain anti-aging range from 10 to 20 milligrams (from lithium aspartate or lithium orotate) daily. [Psyche: I know that lithium aspartate is a no no because it metabolizes in the body as aspartame. Lithium orotate is better then.] I've actually been recommending these amounts since the 1970s. At first I was exceptionally cautious and asked all of my patients taking lithium to have regular "lithium level" blood tests and thyroid function tests. After a year or so, I quit asking for the lithium level blood tests, since 100 percent of them came back very low. Another year after that, I stopped requesting routine thyroid function tests, too, only doing one when I was suspicious of a potential problem. In the 30 years since, I've rarely found one.

Protect your brain starting today--no prescription necessary

High-dose lithium is available only by prescription. But low-dose lithium (capsules or tablets containing 5 milligrams of lithium from lithium aspartate or lithium orotate) is available from a few natural food stores and compounding pharmacies, as well as from the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.

If you're interested in keeping your brain as young as possible for as long as possible, you should definitely consider lithium therapy. Review this information with your physician...but make sure he is skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine!

Lithium fights crime and some of your most nagging health concerns

Turns out it's not only the strict use of the death penalty lowering crime rates in some areas of Texas. And while I'm sure "Dubya" would be quick to take credit, it's not stricter laws or changes in sentencing guidelines either. Using 10 years of data accumulated from 27 Texas counties, researchers found that the incidence of homicide, rape, burglary, and suicide, as well as other crimes and drug use, were significantly lower in counties whose drinking water supplies contained 70-170 micrograms of lithium per liter than those with little or no lithium in their water.

The researchers wrote: "These results suggest that lithium at low dosage levels has a generally beneficial effect on human behavior...increasing the human lithium intakes by supplementation, or the lithiation [adding lithium] of drinking water is suggested as a possible means of crime, suicide, and drug-dependency reduction at the individual and community level."

And that's not to mention all of the lithium health benefits we went over in Part 1: It may be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, and possibly Parkinson's disease. Lithium not only protects brain cells against normal wear and tear, but also offers additional protection against a whole variety of toxic molecules, including patent medications. It can also promote brain cell regeneration and increase brain cell mass. In essence, the research suggests that lithium is a brain anti-aging nutrient.

All of these results are every bit as good as (if not better than) the data that led to dumping toxic waste (fluoride) into so many public water supplies. So why haven't public health and safety "authorities" been pushing for further intensive research on water-borne lithium and criminal behavior?

I'm certainly not in favor of the government adding anything to pure drinking water. But if it insists on forcibly mass-medicating us through our water supply (a thoroughly un-American concept I'm 100 percent against no matter what the added substance is), why haven't they considered adding something that might actually do some real good for people's health and safety? Isn't the possibility of reducing homicide, suicide, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, mental hospital admissions, and drug addiction related arrests just as important as the possibly of preventing tooth decay?

Call me pessimistic, but I suspect lithium is still being ignored because no huge, politically connected industry has enormous quantities of lithium-containing waste lying around. (In the 1940s, that's exactly how water fluoridation began, by using up huge quantities of fluoride-containing toxic waste generated by the politically connected aluminum industry.)

But if there's one thing we all know about the U.S. government, it's that we shouldn't wait for the people running it to do anything to help us, especially when we can help ourselves. So today let's go over a few more of lithium's benefits and I'll tell you how you can help yourself to this valuable mineral right now.

Lithium tackles another addiction

In 30 years of nutritionally oriented practice, I've been told by many alcoholics and their relatives that low-dose lithium can be very helpful for both alcoholism and associated mood disorders. For "practicing" alcoholics, I recommend a trial of lithium orotate, 10 milligrams three times daily (along with diet advice, niacin, glutamine, and other supplements). I ask recovering alcoholics to try 5 milligrams, three times daily (occasionally more). The majority of these patients report improved mood and decreased desire for alcohol after about six weeks using lithium therapy.

According to one review article in the British Journal of Addiction, "both controlled and uncontrolled experiments show that symptoms of both alcoholism and affective disturbance are reduced in patients treated with lithium." (All of the studies reviewed used high dose prescription lithium.)

I also often recommend direct blood relatives of alcoholics (parents, children, or siblings) consider a trial of lithium orotate, 5 milligrams two or three times daily, even if they have never noticed a mood problem. I explain that this is a "personal clinical trial," and a safe one, that they can discontinue in six to eight weeks if they don't feel a difference. I also ask that the individual discuss this personal clinical trial with their husband, wife, or other close household member, since I've found that the individual doesn't always notice subtle (or even not-so-subtle) mood changes in himself. But immediate family members notice-particularly when the changes are for the better! I haven't kept a count of exactly how many individuals have tried this approach over the last 30 years, but it's probably somewhere in the vicinity of 300 to 400-maybe more. And the majority report positive changes: less depression and irritability for women, and less irritability and "temper" for men.

Can lithium help solve your health mysteries?

So far, you've read about how lithium can help combat mental illness, mood disorders, and chemical dependency. All of these benefits, in turn, help communities become safer places overall by reducing rates of violent crime. And, yes, increased safety does benefit you and me. But right now, let's discuss some ways that you might be able to put lithium to work in your own life with some surprising applications for a few rather "mysterious" conditions.

By "mysterious," I don't mean brand-new, mutated viruses like the recent outbreak of SARS. No, the conditions I'll go over today have been around for quite a while. But the mystery lies in the fact they each of them is still considered "incurable." Let's start with one of the most painful.

Fibromyalgia relief: This "last resort" could rank No. 1

This condition primarily strikes women and causes debilitating pain and stiffness. Lithium can help alleviate these symptoms without the problems associated with conventional fibromyalgia treatments, which include tranquilizer, antidepressant, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (which only temporarily mask the pain and sleeplessness that often occur).

One study examined three women suffering from fibromyalgia, none of whom had responded to conventional treatment. When researchers added lithium to the women's current treatment, all three noticed a marked reduction in their symptoms.3

The authors of the study didn't explain why they didn't have the women discontinue their ineffective conventional treatments, but I've got a pretty good idea that their motives might have had something to do with the fact that the conventional treatments, as useless as they were for these women, are the "standard" protocol.

But I digress.

The gout-eliminating combination that tastes as good as it feels

You might remember reading the Health e-Tip on lithium and gout several months ago (2/3/03, subject line: "Help! My big toe is on fire!"). As the e-Tip mentioned, gout occurs when the body can't process and eliminate excess uric acid. The result is a painful burning or stabbing sensation usually in the ball joint of the foot.

Although there are no published studies on this topic, over the years I've found the combination of low-dose lithium (10-15 milligrams twice daily) and vitamin C (2 grams twice daily) can be very effective in preventing recurrent attacks of gout. Vitamin C significantly reduces serum uric acid levels. Lithium makes uric acid more soluble so it doesn't crystallize into painful "needles." These two actions combine to significantly reduce gout attacks. If you have gout, I also recommend that you drink 32 oz. of cherry juice at the first sign of an attack. Just please make sure it's real cherry juice--no sugar added. Although no one is sure why or how it works, studies have shown that cherry juice usually eliminates the pain of acute gout.

85 percent cluster headache relief in just two weeks

Cluster headaches are another one of those inexplicable conditions that my patients tell me always seem to come on at exactly the wrong time. In fact, they might actually be one of the most "mysterious" of the conditions I've listed so far since, like fibromyalgia, the cause isn't known. They tend to attack relentlessly for weeks to months and then often go into remission for months or even years. But lithium (in relatively high doses) can significantly reduce both the severity and frequency.

One study examined lithium's effects on 19 men with cluster headaches. Eight had rapid improvement-an average 85 percent reduction-in their "headache index" in just two weeks. Four individuals had both cluster headaches and psychiatric symptoms; these four had almost complete elimination of their headaches. The remaining seven had only a slight benefit.

Another research group tried lithium therapy (again, relatively high quantities) for 14 individuals with cluster headaches. Five individuals had complete disappearance of their headaches, four had significant improvement, and four had no change.

There's no guarantee that lithium will cure your cluster headaches, but there is a good chance that it might help. With so few other options available, it's at least worth a try.

Simple relief from those annoyingly persistent problems

Along the same lines as these mysterious conditions are a few other conditions that lithium can benefit. But these are less on the mysterious side and more in the vein of annoyingly persistent. Even so, lithium can still help in a number of ways.

One research group reported that lithium inhibits the reproduction of several viruses, including herpes simplex viruses (HSV 1, HSV 2), adenovirus (the "common cold" virus), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (associated with mononucleosis and many cases of chronic fatigue), and the measles virus.

Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of lithium carbonate (doses ranging from 150-900 milligrams daily) demonstrated "a consistent reduction in the number of herpes episodes per month, the average duration of each episode, the total number of infection days per month, and the maximum symptom severity. In contrast, treatment with placebo resulted in an increase in three of the four severity measures."

In addition to lithium, selenium, lysine, and other nutrients can also help suppress the reproduction of herpes simplex (and other viruses) and speed the recovery process should an active infection occur. I tend to think it's better-and safer-to follow this approach (using small quantities of several effective nutrients rather than a larger quantity of just one), so nearly 10 years ago I worked with Bio-Tech Pharmacal to create a useful anti-herpes formula. We combined low-dose lithium with selenium, lysine, vitamin C, olive leaf extract, and other nutrients into two formulas, one (called HPX) for prevention of herpes simplex, and the other (called HPX2) for treatment of outbreaks. Those who have used it tell me it does the job, cutting down or eliminating recurrent herpes infections and/or helping them heal more quickly when they do occur. HPX and HPX2 are both available through natural food stores, compounding pharmacies and the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.

A quick end to a Grave disease

Hyperthyroidism can be persistent and difficult to treat. It comes on either very suddenly or very gradually-so gradually, you might not even notice that something is really wrong until the symptoms become severe. Graves' disease is one of the common names for hyperthyroidism. In this condition, the immune system disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland, causing it to become enlarged and to secrete too much hormone.

Mainstream treatments completely shut down the production of thyroid hormone using dangerous patent medicines. But lithium can get to the root of the problem much more safely.

In 1972, Mayo Clinic researchers published the first clinical investigation of lithium treatment for Graves' disease.9 Using high-dose lithium for 10 individuals, they reported that thyroid hormone levels fell by 20-30 percent within five days.

Twenty-six years later, in a review of more than 10 successful trials of lithium therapy for Graves' disease, the authors wrote: "a small number of studies have documented its [lithium's] use in the treatment of patients with Graves' disease... it's efficacy and utility as an alternative anti-thyroid [treatment] are not widely recognized..." They also note lithium's rapid effect: "Lithium normalizes [thyroid hormone] levels in one to two weeks..." But they also caution that "toxicity precludes its use as a first-line or long-term therapeutic agent." If they'd just added flaxseed oil and vitamin E to their treatment, they would have basically eliminated the risk of toxicity.

Lithium's benefits: Ripe for the picking

Perhaps the budding evidence about lithium and brain protection will spark even more interest in researching this mineral. Maybe researchers will accumulate enough evidence to prove that lithium can slow or even reverse brain aging. And perhaps researchers will conclude that putting very low dose lithium into drinking water to reduce violent crime is even more important than adding fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

But I won't hold my breath. Lithium isn't patentable, so I doubt that patent-medicine companies will even consider funneling huge amounts of research dollars into it. And if the patent-medicine companies aren't interested in it, it isn't likely to be "approved" for these or other uses any time soon. But remember, "approval" does not ensure safety or effectiveness; it just means that procedures have been followed, forms have been filled out, and money-lots and lots of money-has changed hands.

Now for the good news: Just because lithium won't be formulated into the next wonder drug and isn't likely to be making the headlines of your local news, that certainly doesn't mean you can't enjoy all of its benefits-from brain anti-aging to headache relief--right now. Low-dose lithium supplements are available in some natural food stores or from the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.

If you decide to give lithium a try, as with any new treatment or preventive measure (even an all-natural one), it's always a good idea to consult with a physician skilled and knowledgeable in natural medicine as part of your decision.

Patients taking lithium for bipolar disorder may be considered for breathing exercises if serum lithium levels are monitored and doses adjusted.
 
Re: Lithium: The next Fluoride?

I've merged several threads on the same topic.

Lithium in low doses may not be such a bad thing.
 
Searching for lithium in the Cayce database I got this :

READING 4244-1 21:
(Q) What mineral elements are lacking in the system?
(A) Those of the proper building for the blood supply; iron, silicon, and as is given that of lithium - and these will be added with the diet and with the electrical vibration as created, and with those vibrations as created by the properties given in the medicinal properties - PROVIDED the corrections are made so that the incentives of the functioning system are to function in their proper way and manner - for these supply within themselves those necessary elements to keep the normal equilibrium in the body. With this over supply of blood - at times UNDER supply, through the anaemic condition existent in blood itself, causes distresses - or the un-equalized or the subnormal reaction at times in nerve, and necessarily in the functioning organs. Hence deficiency.


READING 4439-1 :
EC: Yes, we have the body here. Now, the abnormal conditions as we find in this body has to do with the elimination from used portions of the body, and the ability or inability in either for the organs furnishing the incentive to function in a normal state.
Now, these are conditions as we find them in this body here: The circulation, we find the blood impoverished, not only by not being sufficient forces to rebuild nor yet all of the force necessary to produce the perfect elimination and preventing there being carried back into the system that which should be eliminated through its proper channels. The number of red blood cells are deficient. There is being carried in the circulation of the blood those factors that have so increased the action of the blood supply as to prevent the proper or correct or normal conditions through the body. The condition of the nervous system and the forces exerted or exercised in the nerve energy by the conditions within the system give off to the body those poisons left in the system by the improper secretion of organs to present the more perfect union of all elemental forces throughout the system, hence the overtaxation, functioning, they function themselves in a very good manner or way, they, the organs are governed to great extent by the condition that has been produced within the system, that is, we have the conditions that may be eliminated but would be under under the forces as we have given [will give], see. The stress on the nerve energy in attempting to assist the functioning organs to have their emunctories and lymphatic forces to act in accord, they have produced lesions along the spine. There is little organic conditions in the organs themselves to produce the condition. But with the poor elimination there has been gradually, from the secretions of the expitory [excretory] glands that brought about in the system to the capillary and to the extremities, those properties necessarily making the condition through the body very unpleasant for the contraction of the muscular forces, but the action as we have given, force the contraction such a way as to give the discomfiture to the body in the sinew and ligaments in the extremities to the various plexus in the body for they control the functioning of the organs under which they come, so as we have the nervous forces overtaxed producing quick fatigue, the numb, dullness at times to the extremities and coming in such a way as to give the low vibrations that produce over the mind forces with the physical conditions, debilitation to the blood forces over the system and prevents the strength-giving forces and energy to the whole body, either in functioning conditions of the organs or of nerve action to be controlled by the energy necessary to produce either voluntary or involuntary forces in the system.
To give the strength then necessary, we would create within this body, those factors necessary to give elemental force to the body. We would take then in the system these properties to give the correct forces for this body. We would take first: the water that is used for this body should carry the elements necessary to give the correct incentives to the system. They should have in their make up, magnesia, iron, sulphur, lithium, silicious [silicon], such as we would find in the spring, see.


READING 4727-2 12
(Q) What about the diet?
(A) Won't want it with the squill in it. We have had an overtaxation of the stomach. Take into the stomach what is wanted; but do not overload the stomach. Not an excess of anything, not an over-starchy nor over meat; something easily digested.
We have through this system here Mrs. [4727], ... St., Birmingham, ala. Now we have here when we remove these forces from the intestinal tract, we want to use to relax these forces an electrical force; not an overstimulation and DO NOT use both at once.
To stimulate the sixth and seventh dorsal we would overstimulate the cardiac end of the stomach and we would produce a palpitation of the heart. Stimulate the spinal cord, not with the forces of the system inside, or we will have an overstimulation and produce a palpitation of the heart and we would have an excessive circulation and produce trouble from the intestinal tract where it is thrown out from the liver to the lower part of the stomach. To have juices to the liver; excretes through the liver an impact in the lower intestine has produced an acid state in the stomach here. If we produce an overstimulation to the cardiac end of the plexus we will have a choking up and discharge from the rectum as well as to the cardiac end of the plexus. We need to act on the stomach in itself. The stomach of the body is the medicine house of the whole system and it produces into the system the carbon, calcium, lithium and distributes it through the circulation; as we choke it up it produces then this condition we have here, the overtaxed strain on the nerve supply. Suggest to this body that it is stronger, better. It has its influence to the body through the will power itself. Use it with discretion and do not overtax any part; we have an overtaxed condition now. Remove this.
(Q) Will manipulation do this?
(A) Electricity is better than manipulation. We will have manipulation if they need it, but not now. In using manipulation they use the bone to relieve this. If we produce a sourness, an overtaxation, we will overstimulate the nerve forces through the muscles and tissues and produce a contracting of the nerve force.
We stimulate the nerve supply and leave the muscle supply as it were.
 
Very interesting Psyche!

While I'm still a bit squeamish about adding anything to public drinking water supplies, I can see now there might be some valid benefits to taking lithium as a supplement in low doses.

Speaking of adding stuff to water, I recently started adding drops of trace minerals to my distilled water. I know that seems kind of strange that I would distill the water just to add minerals back, but this seems to be the only way I have at the moment to remove fluoride and the excessive calcium found in the local water supply here (I don't have the money for a big RO system). After many months of drinking distilled water, I found that I was having a hard time stomaching the taste, especially during the summer on hot days when I would have to drink a lot of water. Even with the addition of a pinch of sodium bicarbonate, it still tasted like there was something missing in the water.

These trace mineral drops advertise lithium levels at 395mcg per 40 drops, much less than what this study advocates for a low-dose, but it may be better than nothing. They also have a high magnesium to calcium ratio, which from what I recall reading in the Magnesium Miracle book by Carolyn Dean, is also beneficial to have in one's drinking water.
 
Funny, I LOVE distilled water. I can't drink anything else and be satisfied anymore. Everything else tastes dirty.
 
Laura said:
Funny, I LOVE distilled water. I can't drink anything else and be satisfied anymore. Everything else tastes dirty.

Tap water to me tastes dirty. Anytime I'm out of town and have to drink it, I'm reminded of this.

For the past year the taste of distilled water (with sodium bicarbonate) didn't bother me until I had to drink a lot of water (outside in the summer, working, sweating, etc). Like I said above, in large amounts it just tasted harsh. I also had this feeling of not feeling fully "hydrated", if that makes sense. I was a bit skeptical of the trace mineral drops at first, but the taste was seemingly pleasant and the dehydrated feeling went away too.

Now that the weather has cooled off, I might go back to the plain distilled water - I haven't decided yet.
 
RyanX said:
Tap water to me tastes dirty. Anytime I'm out of town and have to drink it, I'm reminded of this.

While we were at Lille for the EE training, we had to drink tap water because we run out of filtered water and we didn't had time to do grocery shopping. It was actually nauseating! :shock: Now, every time I go out, I always remember to bring some water with me.
 
I remembered hearing a long time ago that there were far fewer incidences mental disorders in West Texas due to the naturally occurring levels of lithium in many of the counties there. I did a search and found this article:

_http://ezinearticles.com/?Lithium,-Vegetables,-and-Recovery-From-Drug-and-Alcohol-Addiction&id=1821313

It's unfortunate that the best food sources are nightshades :(

A lot of what medical science knows about diets and recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction began as a study of criminal justice in Texas. Epidemiologists noted in the 1960s that mental hospital admission rates and homicide rates were lowest in 24 county sites in Texas that had the highest concentrations of lithium in tap water.

Later studies in California found that homicide, suicide, forcible rape, burglary, theft, possession of narcotics, and, among juveniles, running away from home were much lower in cities that have high concentrations of lithium in tap water. Clinical studies found that former users of heroin and methamphetamines (crystal meth) given 400 micrograms of natural lithium in the form of a yeast for four weeks showed higher scores on psychological tests measuring of happiness, friendliness, and energy.

Lithium deficiency does not cause drug addiction, but use of drugs seems to deplete lithium. The amount of lithium taken as a nutritional supplement in this test was less than 0.1 percent of the standard dosage used to treat bipolar disorder (1000-1800 mg/da).

Lithium is readily absorbed from food and distributed throughout the body. In general, diets that are high on whole grains and fresh vegetables provide more lithium than diets rich in animal proteins. North American diets provide from 400 to 2900 micrograms of lithium a day. Tap water may provide considerable additional lithium.

Tap water in west Texas reaches a concentration of 170 micrograms per liter, adding about 340 microgram of lithium to daily intake from foods. This relatively small amount of lithium can have a significant impact on mental health.

Average Dietary Intake of Lithium in Different Countries
China (Xi'an) 1560 micrograms
Mexico (Tijuana) 1485
Sweden (Stockholm) 1090
United States (Galveston, TX) 820
United States (NYC) 650
Germany (Munich) 400
Austria (Vienna) 50

The best food sources of lithium are tomatoes, potatoes, green and hot peppers. It is more important that you begin abstaining from drugs than you start eating foods containing lithium. Since lithium lifts mood, addicts who are not yet abstaining are less likely to begin abstaining if they consume foods containing lithium.

Multiple drug users, long-term drug users, and drug users who have multiple sexual partners tend to have deficiencies of vitamins in the vitamin A group. (Persons who have multiple sexual partners have high rates of exposure to papillomavirus, the virus accelerates growth of mucosal tissues, the growth of mucosal tissues and formation of warts depletes vitamin A.) HIV infection in recovering drug addicts is associated with subclinical malnutrition in both women and men. Researchers have found that HIV+ men in recovery from addiction tend to consume high-fat diets but inadequate calories, and to have deficiencies in virtually all nutrients found in vegetables or foods containing "good" fats: folate, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and zinc.

Read about Alcoholism & Nutritional Deficiency and Nutrition & Recovery Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Rister
 
That Lithium has been discovered to reduce crime, addictions, and other psychological disorders, is ironic in view of the recent announcement that vast fields of Lithium have been discovered by the most criminal, addicted, psychologically-disordered entity on earth: the Pentagon!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html

The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan...An internal Pentagon memo, for example, states that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,”...Afghanistan has a national mining law, written with the help of advisers from the World Bank... Paul A. Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense for business [what kind of position is THAT?!] (was) leader of the Pentagon team that discovered the deposits.

Perhaps, instead of mining other countries' Lithium for batteries, the Pentagon ought to mine it for their minds--and cease their batteries of other countries!
 
FWIW, about 6 years ago, when I was having a rough time and felt quite lost, a friend of mine (who is a Naturopath) recommended that I took 5milligrams of Lithium a day, and 5mg of copper. I can't say for sure which of the two helped the most, and I was also taking other herbal supplements, but at the time it did make a difference in my mood.
 
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