Plasma and intracellular kinetics of lithium after oral administration of various lithium salts.

Five healthy volunteers were treated orally with lithium carbonate, sulphate, or chloride. There were no significant differences in area under time-concentration curves, half-lives, total body clearance or apparent distribution volumes between the various salts, either in plasma or in the RBC compartment. The carbonate salt did show a higher RBC/plasma distribution ratio than the other salts, which might possibly imply greater therapeutic effectiveness of this salt. Some considerations on the tolerability of various lithium salts are discussed.