Home
Bipolar Blog
BP Treatments
BP Symptoms
Bipolar Chat Room
Bipolar Test
Treatment Centers
Claim Disability
Bipolar Infidelity
Diet & Bipolar
Lithium
Money & Bipolar
Bipolar Resources
Bipolar Suicides
Bipolar Pregnancy
My Secret
About Me
Contact Sarah
Sitemap
SiteSearch
Free Ebooks

XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

Lithium and liver cancer

Is there a link between lithium and liver cancer? There is something you should know!

Lithium can cause kidney damage or thyroid damage - especially if doses are high and regular blood tests to check for safe levels are not performed.

BUT there is NO EVIDENCE that lithium causes tumors or other cancer in humans!

Lithium and livver cancer
IN FACT, lithium is being trialled as a treatment for some kinds of cancer characterized by low white blood cell counts. For example, in leukemia the white blood cell count becomes too low and the body becomes unable o fight off infection. This is the cause of many leukemia deaths. Because lithium slightly raises the white cell blood count it is showing promise as a treatment for people suffering such cancers.

Further, a particular lithium salt known as Li-GLA or lithium gammalinolenate is an effective liver and pancreatic cancer treatment!

Why the myth?

Lithium and kidneys
It seems to me there are 2 possible reasons for the myth linking lithium and liver cancer:

1. Confusion between the liver and the kidneys.

2. Bipolar people are particularly high risk for developing problems with alcohol - some studies have indicated 46% of bipolar people abuse alcohol. No doubt these significantly elevated levels of alcohol abuse translate into high rates of bipolar people with liver problems!


So is lithium safe?

Don't get me wrong - it is not possible to state simply that lithium treatment is safe. High doses are toxic and can be lethal. Lithium medication must be used in low and careful doses with regular testing and supervision from a competent clinician.

However, not only will lithium help most people manage both mania and depression - there is NO LINK to liver cancer!

Sources

Our motto here at bipolar-lives.com is Fact NOT Fiction. the following authoritative texts were used to compile this page:

- Frederick K. Goodwin & Kay Redfield Jamison Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression, Oxford University Press, 2007.

- James W. Jefferson & John H. Greist Lithium and Bipolar Disorder: A Guide, Lithium Information Center, Madison Institute of Medicine, 2004.

- Ronald R. Fieve Moodswing, Bantam Books, 1997.





Google

Return from Lithium and Liver Cancer to Lithium

Return from Lithium and Liver Cancer to Bipolar Lives home page


footer for lithium and liver cancer page