Lithium Project
I'm still in the research phase of this possible project. I'm going to start throwing information up here for anyone interested.
Sources: I'll likely purchase something like Lithium Orotate as reagent. There are a lot of places selling it in the form of a supplement. The usual dose provided in these is around 5mg. Although I haven't determined an appropriate dosage yet, the normal dosage for Lithium Carbonate for example can be as little as 250mg or as much as 1.2g. So the supplement forms are pretty much out of the question if we want a therapeutic level.
Need: More work on comparitive dosing between the different forms etc.
Labs: http://www.truehealthlabs.com/Blood-Test-for-Lithium-Levels-p/quest_613.htm
This looks like a great service. 59.00 for a lab draw. I'm not sure how quickly the results come in. I'm sure there are alternative services similar to this.
No one try to do anything with lithium unless you plan to get drawn. I've worked psychiatric... toxicity isn't good. Thyroid testing is significantly pricier. I can get one done through some people under the table type of thing... so I'll probably get one before and after. If people have insurance, this is an easy one to request yearly from a physician anyways.
Effects: As discussed previously, a 3% increase in grey matter has been found to result in as little as 4 weeks. A few items to be read:
<a
href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=11072948&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259">Lithium-induced
increase in human brain grey matter.</a>
<a
href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=90673877&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259">Lithium's
role in neural plasticity and its implications for mood
disorders.</a>
Please add more as you guys find fun stuff. I have a list I've been working through too.
Sources: I'll likely purchase something like Lithium Orotate as reagent. There are a lot of places selling it in the form of a supplement. The usual dose provided in these is around 5mg. Although I haven't determined an appropriate dosage yet, the normal dosage for Lithium Carbonate for example can be as little as 250mg or as much as 1.2g. So the supplement forms are pretty much out of the question if we want a therapeutic level.
Need: More work on comparitive dosing between the different forms etc.
Labs: http://www.truehealthlabs.com/Blood-Test-for-Lithium-Levels-p/quest_613.htm
This looks like a great service. 59.00 for a lab draw. I'm not sure how quickly the results come in. I'm sure there are alternative services similar to this.
No one try to do anything with lithium unless you plan to get drawn. I've worked psychiatric... toxicity isn't good. Thyroid testing is significantly pricier. I can get one done through some people under the table type of thing... so I'll probably get one before and after. If people have insurance, this is an easy one to request yearly from a physician anyways.
Effects: As discussed previously, a 3% increase in grey matter has been found to result in as little as 4 weeks. A few items to be read:
<a
href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=11072948&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259">Lithium-induced
increase in human brain grey matter.</a>
<a
href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=90673877&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259">Lithium's
role in neural plasticity and its implications for mood
disorders.</a>
Please add more as you guys find fun stuff. I have a list I've been working through too.
Tagged:
Comments
http://www.tahomaclinicblog.com/lithium-the-misunderstood-mineral-part-1/
"The amounts of lithium I recommend for brain anti-aging range from 10 to 20 milligrams (from lithium aspartate or lithium orotate) daily. I’ve actually been recommending these amounts since the 1970s. At first I was exceptionally cautious and asked all of my patients taking lithium to have regular “lithium level” blood tests and thyroid function tests. After a year or so, I quit asking for the lithium level blood tests, since 100 percent of them came back very low. Another year after that, I stopped requesting routine thyroid function tests, too, only doing one when I was suspicious of a potential problem. In the 30 years since, I’ve rarely found one."
I've worked with people on lithium, but it's seldom prescribed alone so experience s don't mean as much.
An MRI of the Brain, 2d, No contrast is 500$. It would require at least two.
Lab testing for lithium levels - 59.00 per week
Lithium Carbonate - cheap to nearly free
So, it's a 1500 buck project in terms of the basics.
Anyone want to jump in and research some methods of testing changes in things like mentation etc. ?
8/10 subject had an increase of grey matter of 3% or so. They hint at some sub-regional studies that they are working on. I need to dig a bit more at this level as it would be nice to identify specific regions for attention and testing of functions associated with these regions.
Another to take a look at is " Lithiums role in neuroplasticity and its implications for mood disorders." Really cool evidence regarding an increase in neuroplasticity and the mechanism behind it. It discusses increased cognitive abilities such as memory span tests. Interesting stuff.