Clinical data | |
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Trade names | Lithane, others[1] |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a681039 |
License data | |
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Routes of administration | By mouth, parenteral |
Drug class | Mood stabilizer |
ATC code | |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Protein binding | None |
Metabolism | Kidney |
Elimination half-life | 24 h, 36 h (elderly)[5] |
Excretion | >95% kidney |
Identifiers | |
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CAS Number | |
PubChem CID | |
DrugBank | |
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ChEBI | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | Li+ |
Molar mass | 6.94 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Certain lithium compounds, also known as lithium salts, are used as psychiatric medication,[5] primarily for bipolar disorder and for major depressive disorder.[5] Lithium is taken orally (by mouth).[5]
Common side effects include increased urination, shakiness of the hands, and increased thirst.[5] Serious side effects include hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus, and lithium toxicity.[5] Blood level monitoring is recommended to decrease the risk of potential toxicity.[5] If levels become too high, diarrhea, vomiting, poor coordination, sleepiness, and ringing in the ears may occur.[5] Lithium is teratogenic and can cause birth defects at high doses, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. The use of lithium while breastfeeding is controversial; however, many international health authorities advise against it, and the long-term outcomes of perinatal lithium exposure have not been studied.[6] The American Academy of Pediatrics lists lithium as contraindicated for pregnancy and lactation.[7] The United States Food and Drug Administration categorizes lithium as having positive evidence of risk for pregnancy and possible hazardous risk for lactation.[7][8]
Lithium salts are classified as mood stabilizers.[5] Lithium's mechanism of action is not known.[5]
In the nineteenth century, lithium was used in people who had gout, epilepsy, and cancer.[9] Its use in the treatment of mental disorders began with Carl Lange in Denmark[10] and William Alexander Hammond in New York City,[11] who used lithium to treat mania from the 1870s onwards, based on now-discredited theories involving its effect on uric acid. Use of lithium for mental disorders was re-established (on a different theoretical basis) in 1948 by John Cade in Australia.[9] Lithium carbonate is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines,[12] and is available as a generic medication.[5] In 2022, it was the 212th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[13][14] It appears to be underused in older people,[15] and in certain countries, for reasons including patients’ negative beliefs about lithium.[16]
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