Lithium was first used in the 1870s to treat gout, cluster headaches and depression. Today, lithium is mostly used to treat bipolar disorder and is available in several forms, including lithium orotate. The form used by American doctors is called lithium carbonate and is only available by prescription. It is the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder available. Studies have shown that the mortality rate of manic depressive patients taking long term lithium treatment is considerably less than those not receiving the treatment. Other lithium treatments include cluster headaches, prevention of migraine headaches, gout, manic depression, lowering of mental stress, dermatitis, alcoholism, anger and Alzheimer's disease. LIthium is also known to have antiviral effects and immune boosting abilities.

Unfortunately, it is not well utilized by cells, making high dosages necessary, which can lead to lithium side effects. Toxic effects of lithium include vomiting, blurred vision, thirst, frequent urination, tremors, drowsiness, ringing in the ears, muscular weakness and poor coordination. Naturopaths and alternative medicine practitioners treat patients with the supplement lithium orotate, because the required dosage to achieve many of the benefits of lithium is much less than lithium carbonate, and at the lower dosage the risk of toxicity is greatly reduced. A few doctors have treated patients with lithium orotate long term and report no side effects of any kind. However, there is controversy over the effectiveness and safety of lithium orotate by many in the medical community because of the limited research available.

A common question asked regarding supplements is " what is the best way to take mineral supplements." There are many choices which include chelates, picolinates, orotates and citrates. Orotates are rarely used by psychiatrists to treat patients, but naturopaths and alternative care practitioners believe them to be a powerful nutrient delivery system. Orotates are mineral salts that occur naturally in the human body and in several foods including dairy products. In studies conducted, orotates were found effective in passing through cell membrane barriers making supplements bioavailable to the body. Lithium orotate is considered to be much more effective at penetrating cell walls than lithium carbonate and therefore a much lesser dosage is required, eliminating the possibility of side effects while providing the same benefits as the carbonate.

Lithium orotate is available at health stores and some drug stores under several different brand names. When choosing a quality lithium orotate supplement make sure there is at least five milligrams of elemental calcium per capsule. These products are not regulated so there is no way to know whether you are getting the amounts stated on the bottle. Therefore always choose a reputable and well known brand name.

When taking lithium orotate there are several important considerations. Drink plenty of fluids but avoid caffeinated drinks. Make sure your daily intake of tissue salts is adequate. Lack of fluids and dietary salts can cause the body to hold on to lithium which can cause unhealthy build up of lithium. If you have kidney disease it isn't safe to take lithium because it cannot be properly removed from your system. If you are pregnant or breast feeding you must avoid taking lithium supplements. Older people have a difficult time with lithium supplements because of reduced capacity to absorb and utilize minerals efficiently. Some medications do not interact well with lithium. Halidol and lithium are very toxic when mixed. Others include ibuprofen, naproxen and ssri antidepressants, When starting a anything new, its always a good idea to work with a natural health practitioner to help you reach your health goals effectively.