Small molecule
PubChem CID 11125
Lithium
Lithobid
- Mechanism of action
- Mood stabilizer, mechanism of antimanic action not fully established
- In plain language
- Changes how nerve cells handle sodium and certain brain signaling chemicals, calming the overactive brain activity behind manic episodes, though even after decades of use doctors still don't fully understand its exact mechanism.
- How it works
- Lithium (Lithobid) is a mood-stabilizing agent indicated for Bipolar Disorder. Per the FDA label, preclinical studies have shown that lithium alters sodium transport in nerve and muscle cells and effects a shift toward intraneuronal metabolism of catecholamines, but the specific biochemical mechanism of lithium's antimanic action is unknown. Lithium has a narrow therapeutic index: toxic concentrations (≥1.5 mEq/L) are close to the therapeutic range (0.8 to 1.2 mEq/L), and some patients may exhibit toxic signs even within that range, so serum lithium levels must be monitored closely throughout treatment.
- Therapeutic applications
- Lithium (Lithobid) is FDA-indicated for the treatment of manic episodes of Bipolar Disorder and as maintenance therapy to reduce the frequency and diminish the intensity of manic episodes in patients with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. It carries a boxed warning: lithium toxicity is closely related to serum lithium levels and can occur at doses close to therapeutic levels, so facilities for prompt and accurate serum lithium determinations must be available before initiating therapy.
- Class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- CNS / Psychiatric
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