The short answer
Measures the level of lithium in your blood — used to monitor patients taking lithium for bipolar disorder or related mood conditions, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $29.00 plus a $6 lab fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 2–4 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Quest or Labcorp.
Hospital Lab
$120
cash pay
Other Labs
$90
+ lab fees
TestWell
$29.00
+ $6 lab fee
A lithium level test measures the concentration of lithium in your blood. It's primarily used for therapeutic drug monitoring in people taking lithium for bipolar disorder or other mood conditions. Because lithium has a narrow therapeutic window, regular monitoring helps confirm the dose is high enough to be effective without climbing into the toxic range that can affect the kidneys, thyroid, and nervous system. Results are most accurate when the sample is drawn as a trough — about 12 hours after the last dose.
Measures the concentration of lithium in your blood to ensure levels stay within the narrow therapeutic range. Too little may mean inadequate mood stabilization; too much can cause toxicity. Used exclusively for monitoring patients already taking lithium — not a diagnostic test for lithium deficiency.
Anyone currently prescribed lithium for bipolar disorder or related mood conditions who needs routine therapeutic drug monitoring, has recently had a dose change, is experiencing symptoms that could indicate toxicity (tremor, nausea, confusion), or whose prescriber has requested a trough-level check.
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Not required
Results In
2–4 business days
Performed At
Quest or Labcorp
1 biomarker tested
Your Lithium Level (Serum) results will include values for each of the 1 biomarker tested, along with reference ranges. Results are reviewed by a licensed physician before being released to your secure portal.
If any values fall outside the normal range, your report will include guidance on what that may mean and recommended next steps. You'll receive an email notification when your results are ready, typically within 2–4 business days.
Typical reference range layout
Lab reports show where your value sits relative to established reference intervals—your physician interprets this in context for you.
No fasting required. For accurate monitoring, schedule your blood draw about 12 hours after your last lithium dose (a trough level), and tell the lab when you took your last dose.
The short answer
Yes if you take lithium — this is not an optional wellness test but the standard safety monitoring for a medication with a narrow therapeutic window: the blood level where lithium works and the level where it becomes toxic are close together. That's why it's monitored with blood tests rather than by how you feel, and why WHEN the sample is drawn matters as much as the number that comes back. At $29 it's far cheaper than the $90-120 the same draw bills elsewhere — but it is not a substitute for the monitoring schedule your prescriber sets; it's the affordable way to keep up with it.
We would rather you order the right test than the most expensive one.
Not available at home, deliberately. Lithium levels are interpreted as a 12-hour trough with tight timing, and mobile phlebotomy arrival windows span hours — a mismatch that breaks the whole basis of interpretation. A patient service center with a fixed morning appointment preserves the timing at no real cost, since a morning draw is what the trough convention needs anyway (for a once-daily evening dose, about 12 hours later means morning). Record the exact date and time of your last dose and bring it to the draw. Ask your prescriber how they want the timing handled before you schedule — do not change or skip a dose to hit a window.
An at-home draw is not recommended for this test — it needs a lab-based collection to be accurate.
The markers that matter most and what an out-of-range value can mean. Reference ranges vary by lab, age and sex.
| Marker | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium level | Commonly cited maintenance range: roughly 0.6-1.0 mmol/L (some references use 0.4-1.0; lower targets around 0.4-0.8 are often used in older adults, higher around 0.8-1.2 for acute treatment). Your target is set by your prescriber, not by the lab's reference interval. | Risk of toxicity rises meaningfully above about 1.5 mmol/L; above 2.0 is serious. A result 'in range' for the lab may not be right for you — prescribers deliberately target different levels for different people and situations. Toxicity can also occur at levels that look normal, more often in older adults, during dehydration or illness, with reduced kidney function, and with medications including NSAIDs, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and thiazide diuretics. |
This section medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD — updated August 2026. General health information, not medical advice; interpret results with a qualified clinician.
A Lithium Level (Serum) test costs $29.00 at TestWell — $35.00 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $120.00 self-pay for the same test, and often more. With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and your plan's negotiated rate; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and is HSA/FSA-eligible.
| Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TestWell (drawn at Quest or Labcorp) | $29.00 | $35.00 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $120.00 | $120.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
Lab test codes: Quest test code 613 · Labcorp test no. 007708 · BioReference code 0119-8. Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
TestWell Price
$29.00
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
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