Clinical experience with lithium carbonate.

Abstract

Lithium carbonate is described in this paper as a mood normalizing drug, and recent literature is reviewed and summarized. Thirty-one patients were treated with lithium in doses of 600–1200 mg daily in order to attain a serum concentration of 0.5 to 1.5 meq./litre. This drug quickly arrested ongoing manic attacks in eleven patients and, when used prophylactically, has averted expected manic attacks in all 19 cases. Lithium, used in this way, also averted expected depressive reactions in eleven patients and modified such attacks in the remaining eight patients. Where it did not prevent illness it appeared to facilitate the action of added antidepressive drugs, while not being a potent antidepressive drug when used alone. Lithium also showed promising results in the treatment of six patients with recurrent depressions and for five patients diagnosed as having schizoaffective reactions. Careful studies are required to establish whether toxic effects on various organs will emerge after long usage, but lithium carbonate must be regarded as a remarkable addition to the existing list of psychiatric drugs. A full exploration of its clinical application is warranted.