---
name: Lithium
molecule: Li2CO3
compound: "Lithium Carbonate"
era: Ancient
origin: Sweden
archetype: Acidhouse
ancestor: Irish Druids
swag_score: 5
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/acidhouse_irishDruids_lithium.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/acidhouse_irishDruids_lithium.webp" alt="Lithium" width="320" />
</div>


# Lithium

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Stabilizes mood, reducing manic and depressive episodes in
bipolar disorder. May cause mild tremor, increased thirst, frequent urination, and weight gain.

**Natural Occurrence:** Lithium carbonate is a synthetic compound
and does not occur naturally in its pharmaceutical form. However, lithium (the metal) is found in
trace amounts in minerals and human tissues.

## History

Lithium was first discovered as an element by Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson in 1817 in the mineral petalite. Its psychiatric applications were pioneered by Australian psychiatrist John Cade, who in 1949 discovered lithium's remarkable ability to calm manic episodes after testing lithium salts on guinea pigs, marking one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of psychiatry. Despite Cade's discovery, lithium was not approved by the FDA for bipolar disorder treatment until 1970, partly due to pharmaceutical companies' lack of interest in patenting a naturally occurring element, and it remains the gold standard mood stabilizer to this day.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Acidhouse](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#acidhouse)

**Ancestor:** [Irish Druids](../../../core-lore/ancestors/irish-druids.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Queen of Pentacles](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/queen-of-pentacles.md)

**PubChem:** [Lithium Carbonate](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Lithium-Carbonate)

**Paired With:** [Lamotrigine](lamotrigine.md)

## Sources

- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Lithium-carbonate
- https://www.drugs.com/lithium.html
- https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-5887-795/lithium-carbonate-oral/lithium-controlled-releas
- [Lithium (medication) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_(medication))
- [Johan August Arfwedson - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_August_Arfwedson)
- [John Cade - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cade)