lithium carbonate

How long does Lithium Carbonate stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of lithium carbonate is about 18 to 36 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. The label calls this the elimination half-life and gives no separate distribution phase. Lithium has no active metabolite to worry about — the label states plainly that lithium is not metabolized. It is an element, excreted unchanged in the urine, and it is not a prodrug (lithium carbonate is a salt of the active lithium ion). Because the kidneys do essentially all the clearing, kidney function drives how long it lasts: the label directs lower starting doses in mild-to-moderate kidney impairment (creatinine clearance 30 to 89 mL/min) and says to avoid lithium altogether in severe impairment (below 30 mL/min), though it does not publish a specific half-life number for those groups. For older adults the label likewise gives no separate figure, but cautions that they more often have reduced kidney function and so face greater risk of toxicity. Liver function is not a factor, since the drug is never metabolized. One limit on this number: the label notes lithium can take up to 24 hours to distribute into brain tissue, so blood levels and the half-life do not track brain effects in step. Anything that dehydrates you or drops your sodium — heavy sweating, diarrhea, fever — makes the body hold on to lithium and raises the risk of toxicity, which matters because lithium's toxic range sits close to its therapeutic one.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: DailyMed — LITHIUM CARBONATE (lithium carbonate) capsule, Camber Pharmaceuticals — §12.3 Pharmacokinetics.

Frequently asked questions

What does Lithium Carbonate treat?

Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate) may be used to treat bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders, conduct disorder, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How is Lithium Carbonate rated?

pharmaranks gives Lithium Carbonate a composite score of 3.2 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Lithium Carbonate cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $5.78 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Lithium Carbonate?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Lithium Carbonate. To pay less, Lithium Carbonate is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Lithium Carbonate?

Lithium Carbonate is marketed by Pfizer. You can see Pfizer's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Lithium Carbonate a brand-name or generic drug?

Lithium Carbonate is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Lithium Carbonate. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Lithium Carbonate available over the counter?

No. Lithium Carbonate is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Lithium Carbonate come in?

Lithium Carbonate is currently marketed as capsule, tablet and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Lithium Carbonate?

Lithium Carbonate is classified as mood stabilizer, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Lithium Carbonate FDA-registered?

Lithium Carbonate is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA016834. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Lithium Carbonate been recalled by the FDA?

Lithium Carbonate has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Lithium Carbonate safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Lithium Carbonate a recall-safety score of 64/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.