Okay, this pill is not a wonder drug by any means but it does its job effectively. I have been diagnosed with Cyclothymic Disorder (kind of like bi-polar, just not as severe). In the past I have taken Zoloft, Paxil, Paxil CR, Tegretol, Depakote, Risperdal, Zyorexa, Topomax, Prozac, and Symbyax. All o
f these drugs worked for a period of time, but they either lost their effectiveness, or the side effects were too much. The best, in my opinion was Symbyax, but of course it had the worse side effects in weight gain, sleepiness, lack of motivation, and a sense of being lost at times. So I decided to stop using any of these drugs, and searched for something OTC or natural to help calm my CD. That's when I found Lithium Orotate. I was very skeptical of trying this, because some people with mental disorders will exaggerate the effectiveness of a drug, and be victim to the placebo effect. Which in my opinion is fine if it helps ease the symptoms of their disorder, but I digress. So, I honestly went in with an almost negative mindset, thinking to myself this would not work, and I would have to go back to my doctor for another prescription trial and error. I could not have been more wrong. This drug hasn't changed my life by any means, but it has made my life a lot easier. Lithium Orotate honestly just takes that edge off of everything. I still have the ability to get upset, angry, pessimistic, overly confident, somewhat manic, etc. but it is a more controlled version of my feelings and mental state. It almost feels like I am normal person, if that makes any sense. For example lets use a 1-10 system to classifying feelings where 1 is no care at all in anything, and 10 being to the point of caring beyond the limits of a normal human. Instead of going all the way to a 10 when I was off medication, or all the way to a 1 when I was on medication, I stay around a 5, sometimes peaking at a 7 and sometimes dropping to a 3. I feel as though I am experiencing emotions the way I feel like normal people should. I typically just take 2 a day, usually at night after I eat, about 1-2 hours before bed. It does not effect my sleep in a positive or negative way. I have not tried taking this in the morning, just because I have always been hesitant of taking any possible mood altering drug before I begin my day. I have two negative side effects. The first is I have noticed is some days I wake up with a nausea, and once every couple weeks I have experienced slight vomiting. I can not for certain say its because of the Lithium Orotate, because I have experienced this in the past, but it seems since taking this it has increased. The second thing I have noticed is I experience some occasional diarrhea, which I can only chalk up to the Lithium Orotate. Regardless of these side effects, I think they are manageable in comparison to the side effects I have received due to prescriptions. Overall this medication is great for me. I feel confident in its effects to combat Cyclothymia, but I do question it's effectiveness against stronger mental disorders. This is really dependent on the person. I hope this honest review helps others to try this to help even them out. *UPDATE* I have been on this for nearly 2 months now, and the nausea and diarrhea have subsided. After reading up on LO, these side effects are common, and they usually disappear after continuous use. I have also noticed that 2 tablets a day do not do the trick anymore, so I have increased my dosage to 2 pills in the evening, and 2 pills in the morning. I have noticed that this dose works perfectly for me, with no side effects. My only concern is will I have to up my dose again in 2 months. But that is always a concern when taking a mood altering drug. It takes time to figure out dosage. I am currently at 18.4 mg of Elemental Lithium a day, which is still in the safe zone. Most doctors believe that anything under 30-40 mg per day is safe, so I would not recommend going over that. I have noticed a slight increase in weight, roughly a 2% increase, which is negligible. I will continue to monitor this and see if it continues.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2015 by Hunter Green
