About a year ago, I was sipping my coffee at a cafe when I noticed an old wooden crate carrying 7-Up labeling. In a large font, the product was proudly proclaimed to be “lithiated”. Investigating further, I learned that it contained a small amount of lithium salts and the product was marketed as a mood elevator. It was also said to be good for hangovers. Seven-Up continued to contain lithium until about 1950, if memory serves.
The surprising thing I realized, was that many if not most of our popular soft drinks were originally formulated as patent medicines. Coca-Cola, of course, was the stimulating beverage. Pepsi was supposed to counteract digestive trouble (peptic, pepsin, pepsi, get it?). There was something similar about Dr. Pepper which now escapes me, and, of course 7-Up. Furthermore, we begin to see why it was pharmacists who originated the soda fountain concept. Soda water was a kind of solvent, or vehicle, which could be used to serve up a variety of medicinal syrups which were sold quite literally over the counter.
But getting back to lithium, it’s always been my understanding that when it is used to treat bipolar disorder, the patient has to use it for several weeks before they see an improvement in symptoms, and likewise that it takes about that long to wear off if suddenly discontinued. Is there any form of lithium for which that isn’t true?