One of our patients had some interesting questions about lithium orotate. He said he had come across a couple of research papers that suggested that lithium orotate might have a unique pharmacologic profile, one that reduces adverse effects from lithium while preserving its therapeutic benefit. Lithium orotate is a compound formed from lithium and orotic acid. It is available for …
Breakthrough Hope for Bipolar Depression: Stanford Study Seeks Clinical Trial Participants
Are you struggling with treatment-resistant bipolar depression? Stanford University’s Brain Stimulation Lab (BSL) is offering a unique opportunity to participate in a groundbreaking research study aimed at bringing relief to individuals like you. The study, titled “Accelerated Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (aiTBS) in Treatment-resistant Bipolar Depression,” explores the potential of a novel therapy called Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT), also …
UCSF Psycho-Educational Zoom Group for Adults with Bipolar Disorder – January 2024
The Adult Psychiatry Clinic at UCSF has released the schedules of their Group Psycho-Education for Bipolar Disorder for January 2024. This activity under the Bipolar Disorder Program of the Department of Psychiatry is aimed at providing a community resource for individuals with bipolar disorder, mental health professionals and psychiatrists. Headed by Dr. Descartes Li, the program director, it is designed …
Gateway Bipolar 101 Group – July 2021
Next week will commence another round of our 6 week Bipolar 101 group for Gateway clients/patients hoping to learn more about how to manage the impact of their moods with more grace and awareness. Bipolar 101 is an online, six session group that covers topics such as general knowledge of the disorder, medications, substance use, early detection of episodes, healthy …
Psychotherapy for Bipolar
People with bipolar disorder are much less likely to receive psychotherapy (26-50% of patients in one study got therapy) as opposed to psychiatric medications (46-90% were treated with medications) according to a study sponsored by the Depressive and Bipolar Support Association. This is not surprising since many mental health professionals were taught when we were in training that bipolar depression …
Starting Lithium – Instructions for GPS Patients
Take lithium near your bedtime and take it with a little food to reduce GI discomfort. If you are particularly sensitive to medications you can start by taking either ½ of the 300 mg tablet or capsule or you can ask for your doctor to write for a couple of 150 mg tablets for the first day or two. If …
Chronotherapy and Bipolar Disorder
Chronotherapy refers to treatments for depression, mania, or both, that focus on changing sleep and wakefulness patterns. This blog post provides an update of this important area. Background The International Society of Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) task force on chronobiology and chronotherapy published a comprehensive review of chronotherapy techniques and their effectiveness in bipolar disorder in 2019. This article summarizes the …
Predicting Lithium Response
Lithium is usually considered the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder. However, at least 30% of lithium-treated patients do not have a clinically significant response; and only 30% have a long-lasting full response. Since close laboratory monitoring is required, and adverse effects are not uncommon, identifying predictors of lithium response is highly desirable. In this largest-ever study of lithium recipients …
Lithium Associated Hypothyroidism May Be Reversible
People who develop hypothyroidism while using the mood stabilizer lithium may return to normal thyroid function after the drug is discontinued, according to a study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Hypothyroidism—a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone—has long been known to be associated with the use of lithium. Recent studies have clarified the nature of this association. …
Exercise and Mental Health – A Therapist’s Guide
This is a great resource from Psychology Tools, with a huge amount of information about the use of exercise in treatment of mental illness, and a long bibliography of articles describing evidence related to the use of exercise, impact of physical exercise on mental health, ways of encouraging clients to exercise, and biological, psychological and social mechanisms by which exercise …