Posted by SLS on June 28, 2008, at 11:32:01
In reply to Re: Lithium resistance? » SLS, posted by linkadge on June 27, 2008, at 18:21:46
> My mother did well on lithium for the first two years. She is still on a theraputic level, but it does not control her bipolar disorder well at all any more.
>
> After reading that (I don't know its validity), it go me wondering.There had been some controversy when the following article was published. The interest in this purported phenomenon no longer exists, and remains largely unexplored.
- Scott
************************************************Am J Psychiatry. 1992 Dec;149(12):1727-9.Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Am J Psychiatry. 1993 Nov;150(11):1756.
Am J Psychiatry. 1994 Oct;151(10):1522.Lithium-discontinuation-induced refractoriness: preliminary observations.
Post RM, Leverich GS, Altshuler L, Mikalauskas K.Biological Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
The authors used a systematic life-chart methodology to observe four patients with bipolar disorder in whom long periods (6-15 years) of effective lithium prophylaxis were followed by relapses on lithium discontinuation. Once the drug was reinstituted, it was no longer effective. The incidence, predictors, and mechanisms underlying this phenomenon all require further systematic study. The current preliminary observations suggest an additional reason for caution when lithium discontinuation in the well-maintained patient is considered.
PMID: 1443252 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
poster:SLS
thread:836653
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080626/msgs/836972.html