Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration
The use of lithium for the prevention of recurrences in mood disorders has a 55-year history. Nowadays, lithium is universally accepted as the first-choice mood-stabilizer (MS) for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. In addition to its mood-stabilizing properties, lithium exerts anti-suicidal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00349/full |
| _version_ | 1819208686666514432 |
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| author | Janusz K. Rybakowski |
| author_facet | Janusz K. Rybakowski |
| author_sort | Janusz K. Rybakowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of lithium for the prevention of recurrences in mood disorders has a 55-year history. Nowadays, lithium is universally accepted as the first-choice mood-stabilizer (MS) for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. In addition to its mood-stabilizing properties, lithium exerts anti-suicidal, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective action which may further substantiate its clinical usefulness. Despite these facts, the use of lithium in mood disorders has been greatly underutilized. The reasons include the introduction and promoting other MS as well as a perception of lithium as a “toxic drug” due to its side effects, mainly thyroid, renal and cognitive disturbances. The trends in lithium prescription in recent decades show relative stability or a decline at the expense of other mood-stabilizing drugs, both first generation (valproate) and second generation (olanzapine, quetiapine, lamotrigine). In this review article, the negative perception of lithium by some clinicians will be challenged. First, the data showing lithium superiority over other MS will be presented. Second, the lithium-induced side effects which can make a challenge for a more frequent application of this drug will be delineated, and their proper management described. Finally, an issue of benefits of long-term administration of lithium will be discussed, including the phenomenon of the “excellent lithium responders” (ER) as well as a subject of starting lithium prophylaxis early in the course of the illness. This review article is based on the 47-year experience with lithium therapy by the author of the article. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:43:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52677511260f4e89b00f081c76a6675b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5099 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:43:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-52677511260f4e89b00f081c76a6675b2022-12-21T17:58:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience1662-50992018-10-011110.3389/fnmol.2018.00349402873Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term AdministrationJanusz K. RybakowskiThe use of lithium for the prevention of recurrences in mood disorders has a 55-year history. Nowadays, lithium is universally accepted as the first-choice mood-stabilizer (MS) for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. In addition to its mood-stabilizing properties, lithium exerts anti-suicidal, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective action which may further substantiate its clinical usefulness. Despite these facts, the use of lithium in mood disorders has been greatly underutilized. The reasons include the introduction and promoting other MS as well as a perception of lithium as a “toxic drug” due to its side effects, mainly thyroid, renal and cognitive disturbances. The trends in lithium prescription in recent decades show relative stability or a decline at the expense of other mood-stabilizing drugs, both first generation (valproate) and second generation (olanzapine, quetiapine, lamotrigine). In this review article, the negative perception of lithium by some clinicians will be challenged. First, the data showing lithium superiority over other MS will be presented. Second, the lithium-induced side effects which can make a challenge for a more frequent application of this drug will be delineated, and their proper management described. Finally, an issue of benefits of long-term administration of lithium will be discussed, including the phenomenon of the “excellent lithium responders” (ER) as well as a subject of starting lithium prophylaxis early in the course of the illness. This review article is based on the 47-year experience with lithium therapy by the author of the article.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00349/fulllithiumbipolarlong-term treatmentthyroidkidneycognition |
| spellingShingle | Janusz K. Rybakowski Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience lithium bipolar long-term treatment thyroid kidney cognition |
| title | Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration |
| title_full | Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration |
| title_fullStr | Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration |
| title_short | Challenging the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing Its Long-Term Administration |
| title_sort | challenging the negative perception of lithium and optimizing its long term administration |
| topic | lithium bipolar long-term treatment thyroid kidney cognition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00349/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT januszkrybakowski challengingthenegativeperceptionoflithiumandoptimizingitslongtermadministration |