Lithium carries a controversial reputation, so let’s take a closer look at three popular myths about this drug.

Outdated and Ineffective

Yes, lithium has been around in the psychiatry world for more than 70 years. However, this doesn’t make lithium an outdated drug. On the contrary, lithium is a first-line therapy for people with bipolar disorder because it has proven to be very effective for mood stabilization and suicide prevention.

Toxic and Dangerous

Yes, lithium has potential for toxicity. One of the most commonly used lithium salts, lithium carbonate, has a narrow therapeutic window. This means that the difference between an effective dose and a dose that can cause harm is relatively small.

To make sure that a patient stays in a safe dosage range, doctors monitor lithium levels in the blood.

Adults Only

Lithium is prescribed to both adults and children. The study by Solmi et al., published in World Psychiatry, is a systematic meta-review of psychiatric drugs for children that assessed the safety profiles of 80 medications. Lithium was identified as the safest among mood stabilizers.

Lithium has other potential benefits, too. Learn more in the article.

Scientific Sources:

• Trends and determinants of prescription of lithium and antidepressants for bipolar disorder in a large health care system between 2017 and 2022

• Safety of 80 antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-attention-deficit/ hyperactivity medications and mood stabilizers in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders: a large scale systematic meta-review of 78 adverse effects 

Read Next:

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• American Doctors Often Don’t Follow Lithium Treatment Guidelines