This is the most relevant paper I could find regarding lithium for ADD. I couldn't find anything like a study of LiOr for ADHD, as the
quoted page implied, except allusions to unpublished/unreviewed studies by Dr. Napier, who sells the brand of LiOr that I take, and makes many claims about his invention that aren't supported by any public data.
A randomized, double-blind, crossover study of methylphenidate and lithium in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: preliminary findings.
Dorrego MF, Canevaro L, Kuzis G, Sabe L, Starkstein SE.
The authors examined the efficacy of methylphenidate (MPH) and lithium to treat attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Patients received 8 weeks of MPH treatment (up to 40 mg/day) and 8 weeks of lithium treatment (up to 1,200 mg/day), by random assignment. Independent evaluators blind to group assignment assessed response every 2 weeks and at the end of each phase. The primary outcome measure was the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale sum score for the clusters of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and learning problems. Secondary outcome measures were scores of irritability, overt aggression, antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression, and scores on tests of verbal learning and sustained attention. In this preliminary study, lithium and MPH produced similar improvements on the primary outcome measure and on measures of irritability, aggressive outbursts, antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression.
PMID: 12154153 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
The dosage of lithium was escalated from 55mg to 215mg (elemental). The characteristics measured were emotional and behavioral, and did not include the defining characteristics of ADD. It's unsurprising that a huge psychiatric dosage of lithium would make a person less irritable and (anti)social, but this seems like it's treating the symptoms (and the less-important ones, at that) rather than the cause of the disorder.
In my experience, a 5mg dose of lithium orotate might have some potential in helping with ADD, in a pretty roundabout way. I found that in a period after the brain fog lifted, and before I became tolerant to the positive effects, the anxiolytic properties helped me a bit with task avoidance. The effect may have persisted had I chosen to elevate my dose, but I really didn't want to.
@tlm884: I don't think you've run out of options yet. What about guanfacine? And I can think of a dozen nootropic/experimental approaches just off the top of my head, so I don't think you read through the info available here as carefully as you should if truly desperate for more options. A cardiac condition means that some advanced research may be required to ascertain safety. ADDforums is another place to find ideas, though it tends to be a lot more anecdotal.
My understanding is that a 5-10mg dose of lithium shouldn't have appreciable toxicity. There are papers speculating about this, but no good studies I'm aware of which actually prove such safety.
Edited by chrono, 17 November 2010 - 09:46 PM.
