Natural Lithium
 

Hi, everyone.

Just wondering if any of you have tried this for your SAD? I have ordered and done some research on it and it looks promising.

For what I have investigated so far, apparently, lithium was a naturally occurring substance in most agricultural products and natural waters. Then the FDA made everyone take it out. If anyone has any additional info on this, I would love to read it. :read:

Although I have to say, makes you wonder if this is true, it may have something to do with the increase in ADD, Bipolar and other mental disorders in the last 50 years. And isn't it interesting that about the time it became known that lithium helps all these problems, it became "illegal" to be in the foods and the salts where it was abundant, and had to be synthesized by the big pharmacy companies and given as a prescription.

Hmmmmm...... :idea:

Hmmmmm......

We are so cynical, lol!!!

And it has recently been found that vitamin D is really a super hormone and not a vitamin at all. Its deficiency has been implicated in the rise of SAD, ADD, Bipolar and other mental disorders as well as immune diseases, CFS, PCOS and a host of other ills.

Hmmmmm......
But I must say it makes you wonder if the rise to epidemic levels of all these diseases correlates with the rise in the warnings about sun exposure and increased, almost mandatory, use of sunscreens and sun blocks? And that the warnings about sun came along with warnings about the dangers of supplementing with vitamin D, because vitamin D is fat soluable and toxic at high levels. And that an entire discipline of medicine and the chemical treatments arising from vitamin D deficient related diseases has grown tremendously along with diagnosis of those ills. Which by the way weren’t linked to the lack of vitamin D until recently.

Hmmmmm......
And isn’t mind boggling that the truism that vitamin D toxicity can happen at relatively low dose amounts of 5k UI/day. Which of course everybody knows is the truth and has been cited in medical literature again and again is really a fallacy. That it’s only artificial, man-made vitamin D that is toxic at those amounts and natural vitamin D has not been found toxic at even over 75k/day for a sustained period.

Hmmmmm......

Oh yeah, we are so cynic

My Dad had read about the vitamin D deficiency and for the last 10 years has sat outside for 15 minutes a day, minus sun block.

Reading this thread I realize I really need to read more about vitamin D ... it hasn't been a priority in my vitamin regimen (I concentrate on the B's mostly), but now I'm really interested. any good links?

thanks :)

I took lithium (in the quest to try everything) and the doctor has to regularly check the blood level to not overdo. I was under the impression that high levels were toxic. I had never had a manic or depressed period. It triggered one brief manic period (*loved* it) but never had any long term results.

Hi, Cindy.

This is natural (mineral) lithium. Not the man-made, chemical stuff.

Lithium actually used to occur in all sorts of things naturally, including mineral water. It was very easy to obtain also as "salts." Then in the 60's (or so), the FDA decided it was "dangerous." The so-called coincidental thing was at the same time, mental professionals were just realizing its benefits to calming the mind, and ta-da, now we have pharmaceutical companies making it and you can only get it through a prescription.

What you get in the prescription is many, many times more potent than the mineral itself.

I just got mine yesterday, both my husband and I are trying for SAD. Will let you know if anything good or bad comes from it.

Grrl
Plenty of links in my journal and on the Nutrition supplement thread under Vitamin D and A. Also some links on it in this forum.

Quietone - you are right on target! When I first started reading on the good stuff companies take out of our food, and the crap they add in, it seemed like a conspiracy and I wondered "Am i turning into one of those conspiracy people? (GASP)"

I had to read and reread and search for 3 days before I even began to understand why we need real sea salt and foods from the sea.
The crap they call salt is so evil! We need that lithium, not just the ones of us who have mental disorders, but the rest of us to keep us from getting them!! I read one article where a doctor ranted that most mental problems could be cured with 2 cents worth of real sea salt and I believe it.
I threw out my fake salt. And for the last year, I have used nothing but real celtic sea salt. I ran out once and I felt lethargic.

2 more cents on Vitamin D
 

This is all very interesting! My holistic doc told me my Vitamin D levels were on the low side of normal, and suggested it might help with muscle pain.
I've been taking it, especially because I realized it makes me very relaxed, & happy, almost giddy! I was taking it at night, seems to help me fall asleep, but I've been waking up very groggy since. I got to thinking, if you get Vitamin D from sunlight, and sunlight is supposed to make you awake...could it be interfering with my sleep? So I've tried taking smaller doses in the during the day, and I seem to be feeling better in the morning... (only a couple of days, so hard to tell).
Does anyone know how you are ideally supposed to take it? Just curious.

Jen, FMS

Hey, Jen, it sure can cause sleep disturbances. When I was taking high doses, I took it in three doses a day, ending the last one about 3:00 pm with an afternoon snack.

But now that there is plenty o' sun, I won't be supplementing it except what is in my multi-vitamin. I get outside almost everyday this time of year. Strangely enough, i may supplement in the summer, because I burn so easily i'm usually wearing sun block or avoiding the sun.

The "natural" lithium is approximately 1/3 the potency of "real" lithium (i.e. prescription). You still need to be VERY CAREFUL with regard to renal function and electrolyte balance with either version. Lithium can cause toxicity so be very careful.

I have a child (well actually adult now) with bi-polar. She took lithium for quite a few years. When she reached the age of consent she refused to take it any longer. We had investigated the "natural" lithium as alternatives, but side effects still remain a possibility.

Please be very careful when taking this. A big side effect of lithium is weight gain - it's mainly water weight/bloat due to the "salt" but this is a reason many people go off lithium.

So, what did your daughter end up doing (if anything) to control her bi-polar?

She ended up going off medication. She has her highs and lows, but she is able to recognize them more easily now. In December she gave birth to a son and while I was quite afraid that pregnancy hormones would wreak mayhem on her condition, they actually kept her very even. She is enjoying motherhood and is actually quite successful at such a young age. She uses her "energy" to her advantage in setting goals. When she hits the lows, she's able to recognize it and reach out for help.

She spent many years taking medication and she feels this is the right fit for her right now. While I sometimes don't necessarily agree with her approach, I support her decision. She is a wonderful mother and a successful young adult at the same time. Going through adolescence was whole other story - LOL.