Lithium - Therapeutic uses
The therapeutic uses of lithium, specified previously, are the bipolar disorders and certain atypical depressions resistant to usual treatments. A rule suggested by the American Psychiatric Association was to begin a treatment with lithium after the second episodes of bipolar symptoms and the third episodes of unipolar depressive symptoms.
It was also recommended for the prevention of the cluster headaches.
The increase in potassium intake in patients treated with lithium could increase the efficacy of lithium.
Lithium is not effective for the treatment of the neuropsychiatric disorders of alcoholic origin.
Lithium is taken by oral route, two or three daily intakes during meals, often with a higher dosage the evening. The sustained release formulation is taken only once in the evening.
The lithium dosage is established according to the result of measurements of its plasma concentration. If blood sampling is made the morning before the first daily intake or the evening just before the single intake of a sustained-release formulation, the plasma lithium concentration must range between 0.5 and 0.8 mmol/L. If blood sampling is made the morning in a patient treated with a single intake (the evening) of the sustained-release formulation, it should range between 0.8 and 1.2 mmol/L.
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