Mednet Logo
HomePsychiatryQuestion

What doses of lithium have you found effective in reducing suicidal ideation?

4
6 Answers
Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · UT Southwestern School of Medicine

I use 300 mg at night, and it has been very effective for reducing suicidality.

Register or Sign In to see full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Private Practice

For depression augmentation in patients who have non-bipolar states, I generally use 150-450 mg (low-dose lithium). The blood levels usually range below therapeutic for bipolar, but the low-dose lithium can help reduce SI without too many side effects. I still watch for issues of thyroid and kidney ...

Register or Sign In to see full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Private Pratice

Even microgram doses in the drinking water bring down rates of suicide. Low doses work, e.g., 150 mg. It's patient-dependent. I'm curious if anyone has tried compounding doses lower than 150 mg.

Register or Sign In to see full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Next Step 2 Mental Health

Here's an analysis I included in a podcast series on lithium for those who are interested. Not every piece of evidence is going to back the same finding for any given clinical question; there seems to be almost always 2 debating sides on most issues.

I think you could create a data set that shows wh...

Register or Sign In to see full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Fairfax County Government

It seems it's more about time on it versus the dose of it. Not sure if there are any studies that address this.

Register or Sign In to see full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Private Practice

I've often wondered about this. I tend to vary between 300 to 600 mg a day, which is the same dose range I use for augmenting antidepressants, but I don't have good evidence that this is better than 150 mg a day or some other strategy. Obviously, in Bipolar I, it makes sense to max out the lithium, ...

Register or Sign In to see full answer

What doses of lithium have you found effective in reducing suicidal ideation? | Mednet