Lithium, the GOAT: INTRO

[00:00:00] Welcome to Renegade Psych, a nuanced podcast dedicated to informing the American public about the flagrant shortcomings of our healthcare system. I'm a board certified psychiatrist, and along with my guests, break down interesting and important topics into several segments to appeal to both the general public, as well as medical and psychiatric students, residents and practitioners. My primary motivations are to appreciate nuance in major medical and psychiatric discussions, educate listeners on the undue and widespread influence of big business in healthcare, and provide accurate and reliable information on relevant mental and medical health topics. While I'm still young and have a lot to learn in my career, I cannot continue to stand idly by while so many in my field repeatedly fall victim to pharmaceutical interests, misinformation, and [00:01:00] manipulation of existing data at the expense of Americans’ health. Whether you struggle with your mental health, work in behavioral health or the health care system, or want to better understand our healthcare systems’ over-promise and under-deliver status quo, my guests and I hope to provide public education on some of the most pertinent, under-reported and controversial issues in psychiatry, mental health, and healthcare in general.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, techs, graphics, images, or any other [00:02:00] materials, should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. . .

.. Somebody get this guy some help.

What do you know about lithium? What's your knee jerk reaction to that word: Lithium. Do you think about sedation or mind-numbing effects? Do you think it's a medicine for “crazy people”? Have you heard it is toxic and dangerous? Well, you may be [00:03:00] surprised to find out it is by far the most effective mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder, previously termed manic-depressive illness. And it's one of the only medications, if not the only medication, in psychiatry, that actually modifies or even fixes an underlying disease process, as opposed to just covering up symptoms. Did you know that it exists in the dirt that we walk on? In the groundwater we drink? In many of our foodstuffs and drinks that we ingest? Did you know that two weeks before the Wall Street crash in 1929, Charles Gregg unveiled a new lithium-containing soft drink, ‘Bib Label Lithiated Lemon lime soda,’ later shortened to the better known 7 Up. And, lithium was a constituent of several [00:04:00] other health tonics in the early to mid-1900s. Grover Cleveland had lithium water shipped to the White House regularly throughout his tenure as president. Did you know it is the only antidepressant proven to reduce the risk of suicide in depressed patients? Did you know that areas with greater concentrations of lithium in the water supply have lower rates of homicide and violent crime, compared to neighboring areas with lower concentrations of lithium in the water supply? Did you know it has neuro-protective or anti-cell death properties? And, is being investigated in the prevention of, or at least to slow the progression of, dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Did you know it boosts the immune system, with potent antiviral properties, Including prevention of oral herpes recurrence? And potentially improving COVID-19 and [00:05:00] other viral syndrome outcomes? It has anti-inflammatory effects to help reduce inflammation, with possible roles in auto-immune disorders, and chronic inflammatory conditions like long-COVID, along with a host of other possible roles in other conditions. So, why is it so underutilized? Why is there not more research done on lithium? Why is it only prescribed to about 10% of bipolar disorder patients in the United States, compared to up to 50% in Europe and around the world. What is the role of the pharmaceutical companies and big business in its underutilization? These are a few of the many questions we will address in this series. Today, we're going to talk about lithium, a drug that is not on patent because it is a naturally occurring substance. [00:06:00] First we'll review its origins, its’ most common uses in medicine and psychiatry, and John Cade's discovery of its usefulness in bipolar disorder. We'll talk about how it works, side effects, investigate the historical and modern reasons for its under utilization, and track its long and tortuous path to FDA approval.

Finally, we'll review the research proving its superiority, and look at some potentially under-recognized and underappreciated novel uses in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, and CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, as an antiviral for herpes prophylaxis and long COVID recovery, and its potential anti-aging mechanism. Just to note, lithium is toxic at high levels, and can cause [00:07:00] thyroid, kidney and neurological problems if lithium toxicity is not treated, though it can have significant benefit at much lower levels; even some say at a micro-dose level. While fear of its risks are warranted, the benefits, especially at low dosages, seemingly far outweigh its risks. But join me and decide for yourself as I sit down with Dr. Rif El-Mallakh, a world-renowned expert in bipolar disorder for further discussion on this series topic, Lithium.

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