Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment
This paper discusses essential issues related to long-term lithium therapy and presents a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment. Lithium is currently regarded as the drug of choice for preventing manic and depressive recurrences in bipolar disorder. In 1/3 of patients with bipolar disorder, l...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021000400407&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1798019510056255488 |
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| author | Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak Maria Chłopocka-Woźniak Janusz K. Rybakowski |
| author_facet | Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak Maria Chłopocka-Woźniak Janusz K. Rybakowski |
| author_sort | Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper discusses essential issues related to long-term lithium therapy and presents a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment. Lithium is currently regarded as the drug of choice for preventing manic and depressive recurrences in bipolar disorder. In 1/3 of patients with bipolar disorder, long-term monotherapy with lithium can completely prevent recurrences of abnormal mood. Numerous clinical and psychosocial factors associated with a good response to lithium have been described. Lithium is more efficacious than other mood stabilizers, and its long-term treatment significantly exceeds them. Lithium also exerts antisuicidal, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. The main problems associated with long-term lithium treatment include kidney, thyroid, and probably cognitive issues. In this paper, a case of successful continuous lithium treatment for 50 years in a 79-year-old female patient is presented. In this patient, apart from maintaining a euthymic state, long-term lithium treatment also exerted a favorable effect on general health, especially the elimination of viral and other respiratory infections. It is concluded that ultra-long term lithium therapy can enable good professional and psychosocial functioning for many patients, and the possible somatic side effects are manageable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:41:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa8cf2df9c5b4f1bb2962e1061e9fccb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1809-452X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:41:56Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa8cf2df9c5b4f1bb2962e1061e9fccb2022-12-22T04:13:40ZengAssociação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry1809-452X2020-09-0143440741310.1590/1516-4446-2020-1111Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatmentEwa Ferensztajn-Rochowiakhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7701-8389Maria Chłopocka-WoźniakJanusz K. Rybakowskihttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0577-0381This paper discusses essential issues related to long-term lithium therapy and presents a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment. Lithium is currently regarded as the drug of choice for preventing manic and depressive recurrences in bipolar disorder. In 1/3 of patients with bipolar disorder, long-term monotherapy with lithium can completely prevent recurrences of abnormal mood. Numerous clinical and psychosocial factors associated with a good response to lithium have been described. Lithium is more efficacious than other mood stabilizers, and its long-term treatment significantly exceeds them. Lithium also exerts antisuicidal, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. The main problems associated with long-term lithium treatment include kidney, thyroid, and probably cognitive issues. In this paper, a case of successful continuous lithium treatment for 50 years in a 79-year-old female patient is presented. In this patient, apart from maintaining a euthymic state, long-term lithium treatment also exerted a favorable effect on general health, especially the elimination of viral and other respiratory infections. It is concluded that ultra-long term lithium therapy can enable good professional and psychosocial functioning for many patients, and the possible somatic side effects are manageable.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021000400407&tlng=enMood disordersbipolarlithium |
| spellingShingle | Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak Maria Chłopocka-Woźniak Janusz K. Rybakowski Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry Mood disorders bipolar lithium |
| title | Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment |
| title_full | Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment |
| title_fullStr | Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment |
| title_short | Ultra-long-term lithium therapy: all-important matters and a case of successful 50-year lithium treatment |
| title_sort | ultra long term lithium therapy all important matters and a case of successful 50 year lithium treatment |
| topic | Mood disorders bipolar lithium |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021000400407&tlng=en |
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