Is Low-dose lithium legal?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
- US: Sold as a supplement
- UK: Sold as a supplement
- AU: Available as a supplement / complementary medicine
- CA: Sold as a supplement
The US comes first because most people ask about it. Each country has its own page. It names the agency, the law or rule, and what the legal category means in real life.
All four countries, side by side
| What we list | United States · FDA | United Kingdom · MHRA | Australia · TGA | Canada · Health Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Not approved | Not approved | Not approved | Not approved |
| Legal category | Sold as a supplement | Sold as a supplement | Available as a supplement / complementary medicine | Sold as a supplement |
| Note | Lithium orotate is sold over the counter as a supplement with no approved use. Lithium carbonate is a separate prescription medicine for bipolar disorder that needs regular blood tests. The memory and thinking trials used that prescription form, at 150 to 600 mg. | Prescription lithium is licensed for bipolar disorder. Low-dose orotate products sold as supplements have no licensed use. | Prescription lithium is registered for bipolar disorder. Supplement forms with tiny doses are not registered medicines. | None recorded |
| Agency | Check FDA directly | Check MHRA directly | Check TGA directly | Check Health Canada directly |
US FDA status: Lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are FDA-approved prescription medicines for bipolar disorder. People taking them must have regular blood tests to check their lithium level. Lithium orotate is sold as a dietary supplement. It has no approved use and no required blood tests.. Reviewed Sep 2026.
Country by country
Is Low-dose lithium legal in the United States?
Low-dose lithium can be sold in the United States as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Sold as a supplement". That is not approval as a drug. FDA has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 3 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
The full United States answerIs Low-dose lithium legal in the United Kingdom?
Low-dose lithium can be sold in the United Kingdom as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Sold as a supplement". That is not approval as a drug. MHRA has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 3 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
The full United Kingdom answerIs Low-dose lithium legal in Australia?
Low-dose lithium can be sold in Australia as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Available as a supplement / complementary medicine". That is not approval as a drug. TGA has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 3 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
The full Australia answerIs Low-dose lithium legal in Canada?
Low-dose lithium can be sold in Canada as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient. Its legal category is "Sold as a supplement". That is not approval as a drug. Health Canada has not checked any health claim made for it. Versions you inject, and "research use only" versions, fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make them legal to use in people. On the evidence, 3 completed human trials are cited on its profile.
The full Canada answerLow-dose lithium in sport and the military
Whether Low-dose lithium is banned in sport is set by the World Anti-Doping Code and by military rules, not by its legal status. Before you compete or get tested, look up Low-dose lithium by name on the Prohibited List, or look up a named product in Global DRO. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, category S0 bans, at all times, any drug-like substance that meets two tests. No other section of the List covers it. And no government health regulator anywhere has a current approval for it as a treatment in people. Many substances that are approved somewhere are banned by name in another section. So approval does not mean a substance is allowed in sport.
- WADA Prohibited List
- Global DRO (check a named product)
- USADA (US athletes)
- Operation Supplement Safety (US service members)
The rules you compete or serve under decide this, not this page.
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General information, current as of Sep 2026. Not legal advice. Legal status changes. For your own situation, check with the agency or a lawyer. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use. Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.