Should Lithium Be Added To The Public Water Supply?

Great Debates
21

I get daily emails about soma, does that count? :wink:

22

Let me first state the usual disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am however someone who been on Lithium. Now, obviously this varies with people, but I ended up with;

  1. Uncontrollable tremors, these being so bad that I could only fill a glass of water half way without spilling it.

  2. A ‘flatness’ both emotionally and intellectually. Even severe ups and downs are preferable to that.

  3. Dizziness. This was not constant but was unpleasant to say the least.

  4. Thirst. OK so I tend to have a very high fluid intake anyway. But this was unbelievable.

  5. Weight gain. Not such a biggie for me as I am naturallyu a slender kind of guy.

After three months (and at no stage were my levels near toxic) I was thankfully taken off it and moved carbemazepine (sp?) which significantly lowered the frequency of those effects.

I have also spoken to many others in similar situations whose experiences mirrored mine to a greater or lesser extent. Putting this in the water supply would be disastrous.

23

And it is not a “cure” for depression. It is sometimes used to treat the symptoms.

24

Lithium is actually more of a treatment for Bipolar disorder than for Depression. It is not a first line treatment for depression. Plus, as stated, too many serious side effects to let everyone have it. Not even safe enough for OTC use.

25

How about all the depressed people just grow up and deal with it, then we won’t have to treat anything.

26

Replace the water supply with beer, and Bloody Mary on Sunday mornings. That’ll do 'er.

27

You know what, that looks like one of the most ill-informed things I have ever seen here.

I hope like hell it was sarcastically said.

28

I thought the same thing until I was interrupted once from a deep sleep cycle and experienced what I could only describe as depression. It was like I was living through every country song ever written. I had the presence of mind to go back to sleep and it went away (there’s a name for the syndrome but I forget it). If that is what depressed people feel they have my extreme sympathy. It was a very illogical feeling of doom.

29

Actually lithium carbonate does not treat depression, it is used to treat mania in manic depressive patients. I have taken lithium since 1994 and there have been many times that I have wanted to hang myself or to turn left into oncoming traffic at a high speed, anyway. I am, by the way, the third generation of my family documented to suffer from this mood disorder.

And as for fuckers like Rhum Runner with that “just snap out of it” opinion. You can all go to hell. Come join me sometime.

30

i think it’s a great idea. you could resealable lithium cell batteries. charging them would be a matter of dumping the old water out and putting new ones in. you could get 2 glasses of water put them side by side, stir a couple tea spoons of antimatter and plasma, and have a warp drive, or atleast an ovelitene like drink for the kids.

lithium seems to make some people more perky, maybe it will work on plants too. this might make us all better gardeners.
the possibilities are endless.

31

Or they could just start marketing “7-Up Classic”, the Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda

32

Rhum Runner, if you want to spew ill-informed ignorance, this isn’t the place. :mad:

33

Oh, I see, this is the place for talking about filling the drinking water with lithium, but not the place for spewing ill-informed ignorance. My mistake.

34

I’m gald you recognize that it is your mistake.

The OP began with a faulty assumption and some ignorance and has been corrected on the particularities of depression, the use of lithium, and the issues with widespread pharmacological distribution. Following which you posted more ignorance without even making an attempt to substantiate your clearly erroneous claim.

I would suggest that posting unsupported prejudice that is clearly in error belongs in the Pit or, perhaps, IMHO, not here in GD.

35

Said proposition has been soundly criticised and shot down.

Now, you’ve advanced another proposition. One principle of debate is that the person who makes the assertion bears the onus of proof.

So, are you going to try to defend your proposition that people suffering from depression can just “grow up and deal with it”? You know, provide cites in support, indicating that that is a recognized form of therapy?

36

That post was directed to Rhum Runner, not tomndebb.

37

Hi Tom - gunning for your mod wings again? I’m well aware of the forum descriptions, thanks much.

My point, which apparently has been lost on y’all was that suggesting we introduce mind alterng substances into the water to treat depression is as silly as suggesting that we just tell everyone to snap out of it. The OP has been around here long enough that I can’t possibly imagine that the post was a serious suggestion designed to start a serious debate.

38

You need to work on your delivery if you really want us to believe that was your intent.

39

I don’t really care what you believe my intent was, but honestly who opens a debate on whether or not we should dump lithium in the water? It’s the height of lunacy, or brilliant Swift…

40

I believe Rhum Runner, although I didn’t catch it at first. And I actually think the OP was started not to debate lithium in drinking water, but rather fluorine in drinking water. But maybe I’m just suspicious. :slight_smile: