Lithium has a strong stereotype and folklore around being only useful in treating bipolar patients, but this is not necessarily the case.
The carbonate form of lithium is still the only form prescribed, but orotate is receiving increasing attention in the academic research.
Note
Unfortunately, the most frequently employed lithium salt, lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), is associated with a host of adverse health outcomes following chronic use: these unwanted effects range from relatively minor inconveniences (e.g., polydipsia and polyuria) to potentially major complications (e.g., hypothyroidism and/or renal impairment). As these undesirable effects can limit patient compliance, an alternative lithium compound with a lesser toxicity profile would dramatically improve treatment efficacy and outcomes. Lithium orotate (LiC5H3N2O4; henceforth referred to as LiOr), a compound largely abandoned since the late 1970s, may represent such an alternative. LiOr is proposed to cross the blood–brain barrier and enter cells more readily than Li2CO3, which will theoretically allow for reduced dosage requirements and ameliorated toxicity concerns.
Lithium is not an especially rare element, it is present in the Earth's crust in amounts greater than lead, boron, iodine, tungsten and molybdenum.