From http://www.crazymeds.org:
What is lithium carbonate: Officially lithium is classified as an antipsychotic. Really it's one of two true mood stabilizers. All the other medications that people call "mood stabilizers" are really anticonvulsants and are best used as anti-manics. The exception being Lamictal (lamotrigine), which is the other true mood stabilizer.
FDA Approved Uses of lithium: Acute and chronic bipolar mania, approved by the FDA to treat bipolar disorder in 1970. For thirty years the lithium medications were the only medications with FDA approval to treat mania that lasted longer than six months. As of early 2004 Zyprexa (olanzapine) just received approval to also treat chronic mania. Were supposed to stay on our medications but there are only two medications approved for use long than six months. Isnt that crazy?
Off-Label Uses of lithium. Some of the other uses of lithium that don't have FDA approval, but it will be prescribed for anyway include:
Cluster Headaches (although it still appears over the years not to be that effective)
Augmenting antidepressants to treat refractory depression
Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism)
