International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences

Lithium Carbonate is one of the most widely used and studied medications for treating bipolar mood disorders. It works by stabilizing the mood and reduces extremes in behavior by restoring the balance of certain ‘neurotransmitters’ in the brain.

Lithium carbonate is also used as a long-term prophylaxis for bipolar disorders, but its long term use is associated with thyroid abnormalities that has been widely reported in the medical literature over the last six decades. These include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis and goiter.

Lithium Carbonate side effects include

Increasing iodine content within the thyroid gland.

Reducing thyroid’s ability to produce thyroxine (T4) and thyronine (T3).

Blocking the release to thyroid hormones from thyroid.

Altering the release of thyroid hormones from thyroid.

Altering the structure of thyroglobulin, a protein responsible for making thyroid hormone. 1

The thyroid gland is one of the most important glands in the body with a far-reaching influence. It is one of the endocrine, hormone-producing gland that has an effect on immunity, energy levels, circulation and sugar regulation. Also plays an important role in mood.

Essentially, thyroid gland makes hormones thyroxine (T4), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and calcitonin that effects calcium metabolism. Ninety percent of body’s iodine is contained in the thyroid gland in organic form that is needed to manufacture thyroid hormones.

The thyroid hormones function via a “feedback loop,” the hypothalamus in the brain is affected by circulating level of the thyroid hormones, if the levels is low than it should be, then it pumps out a hormone, called thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) that stimulates the pituitary to produce more thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that causes the thyroid to produce more thyroxin until it achieves the adequate levels.

Hence, this research study is to evaluate the action of “Potentized Lithium Carbonate” on the ‘Hypothalamus- Pituitary-Thyroid Axis’ that has become dysfunctional or disturbed due to the effects of pharmacological action of ‘Crude Lithium Carbonate’ during its therapy in the treatment of mood disorders.