In the United States, lithium (or lithium carbonate) was first approved for treatment of bipolar disorder in 1970. Since then it has been used as a treatment alternative for unipolar disorder--also known as major depressive disorder--as well as in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The drug effects are designed to readjust neurotransmitter levels in the brain by restoring them to normal secretion levels. Tryptophan and serotonin levels are the transmitters it targets. When first starting out on lithium, it typically takes one to three weeks before the full effects of the drug can be felt.- The symptoms of bipolar disorder appear as dramatic shifts in mood that alternate between episodes of extreme elation and severe depression. Unipolar disorder symptoms involve only the severe depression with no change in mood. The effects of lithium work to balance the mood shifts that occur in bipolar disorder. Individuals with unipolar disorder who don't respond to traditional antidepressant medications may see benefits when lithium is prescribed. In this case, the drug's effect on neurotransmitter levels can work to stabilize symptoms of unipolar disorder.
The behavioral patterns that accompany major depressive disorder stem partly from how a person perceives his life circumstances. How a person perceives a situation affects his emotional responses, as well as his ability to process incoming information. And while neurotransmitter levels make up the physical part of this process, the way in which incoming information is processed further reinforces these physical symptoms. The psychological effects of prescribed lithium not only balance out neurotransmitter levels, they affect how information is processed. This in turn works to improve a person's emotional state.- The psychological benefits of prescribed lithium are particularly effective in treating the manic episodes that accompany bipolar disorder. Individuals who experience severe mania, or both mania and depression episodes, see reduced motor restlessness symptoms as well as a reduction in psychotic symptoms. Psychotic symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions and feelings of grandeur. Prescribed lithium's effects on perception and information processing work to stabilize psychotic symptoms through the same mechanisms at work with unipolar disorder. It is not uncommon for an antipsychotic medication to be prescribed along with lithium in cases where psychotic symptoms are severe.
As each individual's body chemistry is different, prescribed lithium treatment may require continued dosage adjustments before therapeutic levels are reached. Before the drug's effects can be felt, it must reach a certain level within the bloodstream. Oftentimes, the level needed is dangerously close to levels that cause blood poisoning. As a result, individuals who are prescribed lithium must have their blood levels checked on a routine basis to avoid this risk. Long-term use of lithium also can lead to kidney damage, as well as impaired thyroid function.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time