Q:  Lithium & Iron Supplements

My daughter was diagnosed with cyclothymia in January & put on lithium.  She was taking 300 mg.... which was increased to 450 mg a few weeks ago.  Her family doctor put her on 3 doses or iron per day after her most recent blood test. 

Lithium & Iron supplements

The pharmacist was wondering if the iron wouldn't affect the level of lithium in her blood.   Since she has been on the iron, she reports feeling much more energetic.  However, we've noticed a slight increase in her non-compliance & anger.  She claims this is due to frustration with not doing well at school and wanting to drop out or go to an alternate school.  We have noticed her raging over other things though.  Ex:  not getting a cigarette, not getting a lighter, having a curfew....  

Have you heard of any interaction between lithium and iron?

Dear Ms. J' -- 
A PUB MED search yielded only one rather obscure article on iron in rats who where given lithium; in one group it went down, in the other not.  And no comment on effects of iron in lithium.  That was as close as I could get.  Some nutritionist somewhere might be able to speak to how the iron ion, Fe++ , might affect the lithium ion, Li+ , in terms of transport across the gut wall.  Other than that I wouldn't expect much of an interaction. 

Dr. Phelps

Published June, 2003