Last Updated on March 2, 2021 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Written by Diane Ridaeus Published Sep 21, 2020
Medically Reviewed by Dr Samuel Lee MD
Table of Contents:
- Lithium Carbonate vs Lithium Orotate
- About Lithium Carbonate
- Lithium Carbonate Toxicity
- Lithium Orotate as a Lithium Alternative
- Natural Lithium Alternatives
- Microbiome Health and Mental Health
- Orthomolecular Treatments of Dr. Abram Hoffer
- Neurotoxicity in Mental Health
- Talk Therapy as an Alternative to Lithium
- CBT and Exposure Therapy as Lithium Alternatives
- Find Out More About Natural Alternatives to Prescription Drugs
Lithium alternatives may be of interest if you are worried about the risk of renal, brain, pregnancy, or heart problems, or developing abnormal muscle movements or other complications that have been linked to lithium carbonate, the pharmaceutical synthesized version of lithium. 6
Certainly, symptoms that led to being prescribed Lithium may have to some degree been alleviated by the medication, but the ongoing lab testing for Lithium levels and the narrow differences between its neuroprotective attributes and its neurotoxic potential may prove to be daunting to many consumers. 7
Does Your Diagnosis
Require Lithium?
Alternative to Meds focuses on antipsychotic withdrawal and lithium alternatives as natural means to regaining mental wellness. In order to do this, our clinical staff seeks to exhaustively uncover and then resolve issues that may have led to prescription medication. Our 15 years of experience, as shown in our evidence-based performance report, shows a remarkable success rate in resolving these often ruinous conditions while at the same time reducing or eliminating prescription drug use. Very often, and upon a deeper investigation, there are natural solutions for mental conditions that led to medicating in the first place.
Lithium alternatives, for some people, may offer a better option for addressing mood swings than conventional psychiatric medications.
However, if you were prescribed lithium by a doctor or psychiatrist to treat bipolar or other conditions, it would likely have been the pharmaceutical version (lithium carbonate). There is a well-documented risk that for the drug to be effective at suppressing mania the blood levels have to be quite high, and yet a little more than that, lithium carbonate can become dangerous.7,56 For this reason, the carbonate form is considered problematic because it can cause harsh and high-risk side effects. The neuroprotective benefits of Lithium have been very well established.9 And, also so have the neurotoxic effects when the delicate balance has been exceeded.8 It is for this reason that many doctors are guarded about prescribing Lithium because the knife on this one cuts both ways.13,14,17
In contrast, lithium orotate, sometimes called “nutritional lithium” is a combination of earth-sourced lithium and a compound that is naturally found in the body (orotic acid). Lithium orotate is available over the counter as a nutraceutical and is listed as an essential trace element according to the WHO in its literature on the subject of essential nutrients. 1
Lithium alternatives are not just limited to lithium orotate. Cleaning up the microbiome, limiting sugars and caffeine, exercise, talk therapies with a vast number of therapeutic focus, and other supplemental inclusions have been shown effective treatments for depression, bipolar presentations, and mood disturbances. And these types of treatments can themselves likely be viable Lithium alternatives.
Much exciting research has given us a more profound understanding of the connections between a healthy (or unhealthy) microbiome and our mental states. 51 Food sensitivities, inability to break down gluten, other digestion issues, maintaining proper and adequate gut bacteria and many other factors can have a significant effect on mood, energy, and even the presence or absence of psychiatric symptoms. In treating psychosis, schizophrenia, and other conditions, studies on the impact of diet and correction of nutrition for a healthy and functioning gut microbiome have been revelatory and surprisingly effective, to say the least. 49,50,51
We owe much to brilliant researchers like Dr. Abram Hoffer for all his work on the connections between proper diet, correct nutrition, and mental health. We recommend anyone interested in learning more about these fascinating studies and clinical trials to include Hoffer’s writings in your own personal research, to gain a fundamental understanding of many aspects of mental health that were previously overlooked in many treatment settings. We would recommend his work on niacin and high-dose vitamin C in the successful treatment of schizophrenia, for example. 53 Hoffer was a pioneer in what we call today orthomolecular medicine, which has helped uncountable persons in attaining better mental health through natural 
One of the most effective strategies for mental health may be the removal of toxic accumulations from the body.31,32 Alternative to Meds performs this by using safe, non-invasive measures such as nutraceutically provoked 
Alternative to Meds is a center using social setting based care, providing a safe space with some features similar to the Open Dialogue Programs that came out of Western Lapland in Finland in the 1980s. These programs focused greatly on family networks and other persons involved in the person’s well-being, with great success. Our program is client-based but does employ peer-support as well as personal and group therapies for treatments. Our aim is to use natural alternatives to medication, not just medication alone, to reduce or even eliminate psychiatric symptoms, especially where long-term drug management is not desired or has not proven adequately efficacious. We have similar goals in reductions in medication reliance and making gains in personal life functioning, and ability to get back to work or school, enjoy a higher quality of life, and other signposts of success. 43
Programs at Alternative to Meds are customized for each client. We can draw from many forms of CBT and other therapy for psychotherapeutic treatments. Whether a client wants to work through personal issues, face fears in a safe space with the support of trained therapists, or learn more about techniques to balance mood swings and anxieties, this work is extremely beneficial and does not require medication to be successful.
For over 15 years we have been helping our clients address mood swings, depression, anxiety, and other unwanted conditions by safely transitioning away from toxic prescription drugs and over to an effective regimen of natural methods and strategies that result in mental health naturally. The focus of our programs is always to aim for finding and resolving root causes, not seeking better bandages to cover an unresolved mental health crisis. Please contact us at the Alternative to Meds Center to get more information on the many methods that we use to rehabilitate healthy neurochemistry, support a healthy microbiome, increase energy, improve sleep, and much more.
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