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Research:
Lithium & ALS

See how ALS patients taking lithium are doing in real-time by viewing FRS scores before and after starting lithium. Easily compare individual dosages and blood levels, and filter results by a rich set of patient characteristics.

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Lithium Carbonate Treatment Report

Brand Names: Lithicarb, Priadel, Carbolithium, Lithium Carbonicum, Roxane, APO-Lithium, Eskalith, Quilonum SR, Lithionit, Lithobid, Lithium Carbonate ER, Licarb, Lithosun, Plenur, Camcolit
See also: Lithium

What is Lithium Carbonate? Lithium Carbonate is used to treat and prevent episodes of mania in people with bipolar disorder (manic depressive disorder). Lithium is in a class of medications called antimanic agents, which work by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain. Read more...Click to read more below

See more information, including instructions, precautions, side effects, and interactions.


Reasons taken

388 patients in the community are taking or have taken Lithium Carbonate.

Top 10 (Show all)

Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Slow my ALS progress 308 79%
Other 16 4%
Support another treatment 2 <1%
disease-related symptoms 2 <1%
Atrophy, upper body muscles 1 <1%
Anxiety 1 <1%
trial 1 <1%
Fasciculations 1 <1%
clinical trial/placebo 1 <1%
Sleep problems 1 <1%

Other treatments patients are taking for Slow my ALS progress include Riluzole, CoQ10 Coenzyme Q10, and Vitamin E.

Dosages

Based on the patients currently taking Lithium Carbonate.

Top 10 (Show all)

All (Show top 10)

  daily 20 mg daily 84 mg daily 92 mg daily 100 mg daily 150 mg daily 200 mg daily 210 mg daily 225 mg daily 250 mg daily 300 mg daily 400 mg daily 450 mg daily 500 mg daily 590 mg daily 600 mg daily 675 mg daily 750 mg daily 800 mg daily 900 mg daily 1000 mg daily 1200 mg daily 1800 mg daily
  5 Number of Patients: 5 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 10 Number of Patients: 10 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 4 Number of Patients: 4 59 Number of Patients: 59 4 Number of Patients: 4 38 Number of Patients: 38 7 Number of Patients: 7 2 Number of Patients: 2 51 Number of Patients: 51 1 Number of Patients: 1 6 Number of Patients: 6 2 Number of Patients: 2 11 Number of Patients: 11 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1  

Duration

How long current patients have been taking Lithium Carbonate or how long patients were taking Lithium Carbonate before stopping.

Currently Taking Lithium Carbonate

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
0
2
13
23
49
4

Stopped Taking Lithium Carbonate

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
15
36
60
45
20
1
Why Patients Stopped Taking Lithium Carbonate (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Did not seem to work 91 52% Did not seem to work: 52%
Side effects too severe 58 33% Side effects too severe: 33%
Doctor's advice 27 15% Doctor's advice: 15%
Other 27 15% Other: 15%
Personal research 21 12% Personal research: 12%
Not indicated 5 3% Not indicated: 3%
Course of treatment ended 3 2% Course of treatment ended: 2%
Expense 2 1% Expense: 1%

Patient Reported Evaluations

Results from 70 patient evaluations. See the overall results and all individual evaluations.

Efficacy (Effect based on reason taken)

Major 2% 1
Moderate 3% 2
Slight 8% 5
None 29% 19
Can't tell 58% 38

Slow my ALS progress

Side-effects (as an overall problem)

Severe 6% 4
Moderate 16% 11
Mild 27% 19
None 51% 36

Top reported side-effects include: thirst, Weight gain, tremors in hands

Summary results are based on 70 individual responses. For more information, see overall results for Adherence, Burden and Cost.

Individual Patient Reported Evaluations (2 of 70)

  • EfficacyCan't tell
  • Side-effectsMild
  • Slow my ALS progress
Advice/Tips
Give it some time before you dismiss it.

  • Tullnut
    Sex: M
    Mouth/throat: none
    Arms: moderate
    Chest: mild
    Legs: moderate
  • Tullnut
  • by Tullnut
    Aug 20, 2008
  • EfficacySlight
  • Side-effectsMild
  • Slow my ALS progress

See all evaluation results for Lithium Carbonate

Report created on November 07, 2009.