Summary
An ordinary and a sustained-release lithium carbonate preparation were administered acutely at equivalent dosage (1.80 g=24.3 mmol) in a crossover fashion to manic patients. Serum lithium levels were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Maximum mean serum levels of 1.13 mmol/l and 0.78 mmol/l were achieved at 6 h and 12 h respectively with the ordinary and sustained-release forms. The mean half-lives of absorption, redistribution and elimination were 0.78 h±0.05 (SE), 5.06 h±0.23, 26.8 h±4.5 and 3.73 h±0.37 (SE), 4.42 h±0.28 and 25.6 h±5.5 for the ordinary and sustained-release forms respectively. In healthy volunteers the ordinary preparation was completely absorbed but only 85% of the sustained-release form was absorbed in the manic subjects. Lithium ion distributed into two kinetic compartments and the final compartment appeared to correspond to total body water.
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Currently Commonwealth Medical Fellow c/o Department of Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology Clinical Research Block, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH, England.
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Thornhill, D.P. Pharmacokinetics of ordinary and sustained-release lithium carbonate in manic patients after acute dosage. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 14, 267–271 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00560460
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00560460