Posted by Larry Hoover on March 6, 2006, at 11:19:37
In reply to Re: Does anyone Hallucinate on generic lithium?, posted by elzoid on March 6, 2006, at 9:47:37
> > So now all that's available is the generic.
> > Ever since this shift (my friend) has had problems with hallucinations. I offered to help by posting on this board.
> > Thanks Jai
> >
>
> Lithium (Li) is an element. What can be generic about that? I don't get it.
>
> MikeYou'd have to go back into the history books, to get the full picture. Lithium carbonate is not instantly soluble, even in stomach acid. Lithium chloride is, but we don't use that very often. It may be little more than an historical quirk of fate, but the carbonate salt was shown to be better tolerated than were other lithium salts, when the original research was done, decades ago.
Now, the specific composition of a pharmaceutical compound does vary between manufacturers, notwithstanding identical content of active ingredients (elemental lithium, as the cation). The other stuff that's in the pill/capsule includes binders and fillers and colourants. Those other things do make a difference, despite the presumptive idea that they ought not to do anything at all. Those other things are called, collectively, the excipients. "Substances that are released by or dissolve out of the pill, other than the active ingredient" is a loose definition of an excipient.
Here are the excipients for Eskalith, one patented form of lithium carbonate:
"Inactive ingredients consist of benzyl alcohol, cetylpyridinium chloride, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 6, gelatin, lactose, magnesium stearate, povidone, sodium lauryl sulfate, titanium dioxide and trace amounts of other inactive ingredients."
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lithium.htmAny one of those excipients might prove to be an active ingredient in a particular sensitive individual (e.g. the colourants). Or, withdrawing from a particular group of active excipients (caused by changing brands), might lead to unanticipated trouble.
If you go back to that list of "inactive" ingredients, what the heck is included under the catch-all phrase "trace amounts of other inactive ingredients"? Who knows. Chemical companies used that loophole to continue using DDT in California for *twenty years* after it was banned in the United States.
If somebody tells you that brand matters, it simply matters.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:613944
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060304/msgs/616603.html