- Lithium, otherwise known as Lithicarb or Quilonum SR. It is one of the most widely-used and studied medications for treating bipolar disorder.
- Research shows that lithium helps strengthen nerve cell connections in parts of the brain involved in regulating mood, thinking and behaviour.
- The dose prescribed is based on your blood levels. There is a working (therapeutic) range, which for maintenance levels is around 0.6-0.8 mmol/litre.
- Lithium is the oldest mood-stabiliser. New medications are often compared or measured against it.
- It acts on a person’s central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to “stabilise” mood.
