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6 - Lithium Toxicity

Manifestations and Management of Lithium Toxicity and Overdose; Debate About Hemodialysis Implementation; Safe Use of Lithium During ECT; Clinical Situations When Lithium Should Be Temporarily Discontinued

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2024

Jonathan M. Meyer  and
Stephen M. Stahl
Jonathan M. Meyer
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
Stephen M. Stahl
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
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Summary

Medical journals from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries contained descriptions of lithium toxicity derived from animal experiments, some of which resulted in fatal outcomes; however, a 1903 paper reviewed this animal and human literature extensively and noted that, when lithium carbonate was used in daily doses of 975 mg – 1300 mg as a putative gout treatment, the adverse effects were quite modest and gastrointestinal in nature [2]. Perhaps emboldened by this finding, a Michigan physician, Dr. Clarence Cleaveland, decided in 1913 to experiment on himself by ingesting 14 grams (g) of lithium chloride (equivalent to 12,380 mg of lithium carbonate) in divided doses over a period of 28 h (2 g at 1 pm, 9 pm and 7 am, then 8 g at 7 pm) and document the outcome [3].

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Chapter
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The Lithium Handbook
Stahl's Handbooks
 , pp. 329 - 361
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Lithium Toxicity
  • Jonathan M. Meyer, University of California, San Diego, Stephen M. Stahl, University of California, San Diego
  • Book: The Lithium Handbook
  • Online publication: 09 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009225069.009
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  • Lithium Toxicity
  • Jonathan M. Meyer, University of California, San Diego, Stephen M. Stahl, University of California, San Diego
  • Book: The Lithium Handbook
  • Online publication: 09 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009225069.009
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Lithium Toxicity
  • Jonathan M. Meyer, University of California, San Diego, Stephen M. Stahl, University of California, San Diego
  • Book: The Lithium Handbook
  • Online publication: 09 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009225069.009
Available formats
×