Lithium Orotate Usage and Alzheimer’s

So far I have not found any lithium orotate in pill form, they are capsoles and difficult to split. The FDA office of dietary supplement suggest a daily intake of 0.3 to 3mg, thus I am taking a 5mg capsole every third days. Please let me know where you buy the pill form. Thanks

@ralpha4 and others on this message string @oldelectrician

Regarding lithium orotate pharmacokinetics, dosing, safety, adverse effects, and beneficial effects - these are unknowns, see following.

Lithium orotate you may buy over the counter at health food store or from an internet source are not FDA approved. The only way the FDA will look at a product is if you have an adverse effect and report it or ask your doctor or pharmacist to report the product. Adverse effects reports will typically include the manufacturer, lot, and expiration. The FDA would determine what chemicals are in the product only after adverse effects are reported, not before. Pharmokinetic data on dissolution, absorption, half life in blood and brain, and similar parameters are reported to FDA for approved drugs, but your nutritional supplement is not an approved drug so I don't believe you will be able to obtain pharmaceutical data from the company of manufacture - although you could certainly ask - otherwise you can guess and hope what is on the label is accurate in addition.

Country of origin for lithium orotate may not be on your bottle. Many pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements originate from India and China - costs may increase with tariffs.

As hdeff mentioned above, "it's a guessing game" right now. Guessing until such time as a known FDA approved and researched product is available.

I do encourage anyone experiencing adverse effects to take the effort to report to FDA, ask a pharmacist for help if you have trouble completing the online FDA adverse effects report. Sad to say some nutritional supplements aren't what they are supposed to be; to repeat the FDA doesn't sample nutritional supplements unless a problem is reported. It's also true lithium orotate may have unexpected effects - keep in mind use of lithium in the past 100 years has been primarily higher doses of lithium carbonate for serious conditions such as bipolar disorder. Use of lithium orotate in people without bipolar disorder is a guess, arguably an educated guess, and investigational.

Best wishes, hopefully no one trying a nutritional supplement has adverse effects, but reports to FDA if they do.

@oldelectrician
marvelous research on your part!!

I came to the same conclusion but have started low and slow - for no logical reason except caution is in my DNA. I started with 1mg and had all my wits and bodily functions after a couple of days, then increased to 2mg. I will go to 3mg this week and 5 next week assuming all remains steady. And I will hold at 5.

Remember to increase water intake since the drug can be a stress on kidneys. That is reported at higher dosage but easy enough to avoid it even at low doses by drinking more water. Rule of thumb I am learning is to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces a day.

Has your doc sent you for neuropsych testing ? I had my first round 18 mos ago so was due for an update - which will coincidentally serve as a testing baseline for the lithium supplement therapy.

And here is another good article describing the research landscape. Good luck!!
https://www.psychiatryredefined.org/lithium-alzheimer-disease-and-a-turning-point-in-mental-health-care/

@oldelectrician
amazon. I got the “pure” brand for the hard to find 1 mg dose. I did that for a week, 2 capsules for a week, 3 for a week and then a shift to the 5 mg capsule. Also bought on Amazon.

Excellent interview of Dr.Bruce Yankner by Katie Couric on lithium- he said DON'T go out and buy OTC lithium rotate. There are dangers to kidneys and other organs from the sounds of it. Google him, and watch the interview before your start taking any form of lithium, especially high doses! Sounds very exciting though and should be human trials within a year at Mass Gen, he said!