Long-term Lithium Use Research Articles

A Case of Severe Polyhydramnios During Pregnancy Associated with Long-Term Use of Lithium

IntroductionThe perinatal period poses heightened vulnerability to bipolar affective episodes. Lithium serves as first line in the management of bipolar disorder, demonstrating efficacy in stabilizing mood episodes and preventing relapses. Therefore, it also a recommended treatment during the pregnancy period. However, its use presents potential risks for both the mother and the developing fetus. Given the prevalence of bipolar disorder in reproductive-age women, it is crucial to investigate the risks associated with lithium use during pregnancy, along with its subsequent obstetric and neonatal complications.ObjectivesThis report outlines a case of severe polyhydramnios in a 42-year-old primigravida patient, under long-term lithium and antipsychotic treatment. Additionally, a systematic search for similar case reports was conducted to provide an overview of the existing literature.Methods The patient’s medical history and perinatal medical care are documented in this case report. A systematic literature search on MEDLINE (PubMed) was conducted using Boolean operators.ResultsThe patient was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type I and had a history of lithium treatment for over 20 years, supplemented later with antipsychotics. During her pregnancy, she experienced a polyuria-polydipsia syndrome and a severe polyhydramnios. She also suffered renal impairment. Together, it is indicative of a nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), likely induced by prolonged lithium treatment. As the pregnancy progressed, she experienced premature rupture of membranes at 34 weeks and 5 days. The newborn needed medical support and was admitted to the neonatal unit, without further complications.Systematic research showed three published case reports describing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) and polyhydramnios associated to lithium treatment.ConclusionsChronic administration of lithium may contribute to the development of resistance to antidiuretic hormone (ADH), leading to polyuria-polydipsia syndrome and potentially severe obstetric complications. The co-administration of lithium and antipsychotics may exacerbate these effects. Further research is needed to elucidate their combined clinical impacts.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Lithium-induced parathyroid disease; an updated mini-review

Lithium is a medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions. However, long-term use of lithium can lead to parathyroid dysfunction, known as lithium-induced parathyroid disease. The exact mechanism underlying lithium-induced parathyroid disease is not fully understood. Still, it is believed that lithium interferes with the normal function of the parathyroid gland by inhibiting the synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and impairing the sensitivity of the parathyroid gland to calcium. The management of lithium-induced parathyroid disease depends on the type and severity of parathyroid dysfunction. In patients with hypoparathyroidism, treatment involves the replacement of calcium and vitamin D supplements. In severe cases, intravenous calcium may be necessary. In patients with hyperparathyroidism, treatment consists in discontinuing lithium therapy and monitoring serum calcium and PTH levels. In situations where hyperparathyroidism persists, or complications like kidney stones or osteoporosis arise, surgery may become necessary.

The Effect of Long-Term Lithium Use on Renal Functions in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

It is known that especially glomerular side effects of lithium lead to serious consequences such as end-stage renal disease. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate patients on long-term lithium therapy for glomerular pathologies. The present study investigated the changes in renal functions, prevalence of renal failure and progress in patients have been followed up for at least six years with bipolar disorders (BD) and on regular lithium treatment. 51 patients with BD and 38 age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled for the study. The serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, uric acid, electrolytes, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), vitamin D (25-OH D3), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and eGFR levels were measured to compare the kidney functions of patients and control group. The relation between the renal functions and mean serum lithium levels and duration of lithium treatment were also investigated. Mean eGFR level, 25-OH D3 and urine density of patients with were significantly lower whereas creatinine, uric acid, Ca and PTH were significantly higher than that of controls.. The duration of lithium treatment and mean lithium levels were negatively correlated with eGFR level. Eight of 51 patients have critical eGFR level as lover than 60ml/minute thus further nephrological investigation was needed. The study revealed that the renal functions of the patient group was significantly lower than controls. The findings suggested that both duration of lithium treatment and high serum lithium levels may have a negative impact on renal functions. These findings suggest that it is important to clarify the response type to lithium in patients who are on long term treatment with lithium and maintain the treatment with the lowest possible therapeutic serum levels and carefully monitoring the renal functions in patients with good response to lithium.

Lithium-induced nephropathy; One medication with multiple side effects: a case report

BackgroundLithium carbonate is commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. A spectrum of side effects is associated with lithium, including nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, renal tubular acidosis, chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy, and minimal change disease. Although the former three adverse effects are well-known, minimal change disease is relatively rare.Case presentationWe herein report a case of lithium therapy-induced minimal change disease with concurrent chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy. A 66-year old man with bipolar disorder treated by lithium for 20 years, presented to the hospital with anasarca and decreased urine output for 4 weeks. The medical history also included hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Further laboratory investigation revealed elevated serum lithium (2.17 mmol/L), potassium (6.0 mmol/L), and creatinine levels (2.92 mg/dL), nephrotic range proteinuria, and hypoalbuminemia. Lithium was discontinued and the patient was treated with intravenous fluids. He underwent a kidney biopsy, which showed findings consistent with minimal change disease with concurrent acute tubular injury and chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy. The patient was subsequently treated with steroids in an outpatient setting. He did not respond to the treatment, and hemodialysis was started.ConclusionBased on the previously reported cases and review of literature, occurrence of lithium-associated minimal change nephropathy is rare. Patients with lithium-associated minimal change disease and acute tubular injury usually respond to discontinuation of lithium therapy and/or steroid treatment. In this case, minimal change nephropathy was steroid-resistant and kidney function of the patient reported here did not recover after 6-month follow-up. We postulated the underlying cause to be minimal change disease with chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy due to long-term lithium use. This case provides an example of a rare side effect of lithium-induced minimal change nephropathy with chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy in addition to its well-known complication of interstitial nephritis or diabetes insipidus. In our opinion, these patients likely have much worse clinical outcome.

Reversible and rapid calcium intercalation into molybdenum vanadium oxides

Looming concerns regarding scarcity, high prices, and safety threaten the long-term use of lithium in energy storage devices. Calcium has been explored in batteries because of its abundance and low cost, but the larger size and higher charge density of calcium ions relative to lithium impairs diffusion kinetics and cyclic stability. In this work, an aqueous calcium-ion battery is demonstrated using orthorhombic, trigonal, and tetragonal polymorphs of molybdenum vanadium oxide (MoVO) as a host for calcium ions. Orthorhombic and trigonal MoVOs outperform the tetragonal structure because large hexagonal and heptagonal tunnels are ubiquitous in such crystals, providing facile pathways for calcium-ion diffusion. For trigonal MoVO, a specific capacity of ∼203 mAh g-1 was obtained at 0.2C and at a 100 times faster rate of 20C, an ∼60 mAh g-1 capacity was achieved. The open-tunnel trigonal and orthorhombic polymorphs also promoted cyclic stability and reversibility. A review of the literature indicates that MoVO provides one of the best performances reported to date for the storage of calcium ions.

Lithium and the risk of chronic kidney disease: A population-based case-control study.

The association between lithium use and chronic kidney disease (CKD) needs further evaluation. We aimed to investigate this association using Danish nationwide healthcare registers and routinely collected plasma creatinine measurements from the Funen Laboratory Cohort. We conducted a case–control study nested within the population of Funen, 2001–2015. Incident cases of CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73m2; n = 21 432) were matched with four CKD‐free controls on age, sex and calendar time (n = 85 532). We estimated odds ratios (OR) for the association between lithium exposure and CKD using conditional logistic regression models, adjusted for known risk factors for CKD. Ever‐use of lithium was associated with an increased risk of CKD (adjusted OR [aOR]: 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33–1.85). A stronger association was seen with current use of lithium (aOR: 1.92; 95%CI: 1.58–2.33) and long‐term use of lithium (>10 years: aOR: 3.02; 95%CI: 2.00–4.56). Furthermore, we found evidence of a dose–response relationship between cumulative dose of lithium and the risk of CKD. In conclusion, the use of lithium, especially long‐term, is associated with an increased risk of CKD, although the extent to which detection bias and confounding by indication contribute to the association is unclear. Monitoring of kidney function in lithium users remains mandatory to identify individuals in which switching to alternative medications should be considered.

Effects of Short-term and Long-termUse of Lithium on Thyroid Hormones in Nepalese Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Background: Lithium has been used for decades as mood-stabilizing agents in the management of bipolar disorder and other condition with a manic component. However, some studies have also reported varying degrees of thyroid abnormalities associated with lithium therapy and effect of such therapy on thyroid function is unclear in this part of world. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of long term use of lithium on thyroidfunctionin the individual with bipolar disorder receiving lithium therapy.&#x0D; Methods: A total of 75 bipolar disorder patients (24 males, 51 females) who are under lithium therapy and equal number of control were recruited for this study. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder was made by psychiatrist according to ICD-10-DCR guidelines and DSM-IV criteria. Serum fT3, fT4 and TSH were measured by enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 version.&#x0D; Results: The prevalence of primary hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were found significantly increased in lithium treated group (12% and 17%, respectively) which was further increased with duration of treatment. The mean fT3 and fT4 concentration is low in lithium treated group compared to control group.Butmean TSH level was found significantlyhigher in lithium treated group compared to control (9.67±12.47 vs. 3.41±3.69, p&lt;0.005).&#x0D; Conclusion: Our findings indicate that use of lithium therapy is associated with higher degree of primary hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism and female are more susceptible for the thyroid dysfunction associated with lithium therapy.

Long-Term Use of Benzodiazepines, Stimulants and Lithium is Not Evidence-Based.

ObjectiveTo study whether three widely differing drug classes, benzodiazepines and similar agents, stimulants and lithium, showed similar patterns of long-term usage.MethodI constructed usage curves over a ten-year period, from 2007 to 2017, based on data from Statistics Denmark.ResultsIn 2007, a total of 478,097 patients deemed a prescription for a benzodiazepine or similar agent, 13,225 for lithium and 8,800 for a stimulant, corresponding to 8.8%, 0.24% and 0.16%, respectively, of the Danish population of 5,427,459 people. Only 6,2102, 5,339 and 983 of these were first-time users (13.0%, 40.4% and 11.2%, respectively). The percentage of current users who redeemed a prescription for the same or a similar drug in each of the following years fell most quickly for benzodiazepines and similar agents and most slowly for lithium, and after ten years, it was 18%, 40% and 29%, respectively.For first-time users, the drop in usage was much quicker. The percentage of first-time users who redeemed a prescription for the same or a similar drug in each of the following years fell to 12%, 59% and 49%, respectively, already after only two years.ConclusionsWe should focus on helping patients withdraw slowly and safely from the drugs they are on instead of telling them that they need to stay on them.

Lithium continuation for a patient with bipolar disorder and chronic kidney disease.

Lithium is the gold-standard treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). Long-term lithium use can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, lithium can be safely used in patients with CKD while minimizing polypharmacy and may not necessarily increase the risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD), thus maintaining mood stability. We present a case of an excellent lithium responder whose lithium was discontinued due to renal insufficiency. After mood exacerbation, lithium was resumed with good effect without continued worsening of renal function.

169 Microcystic Kidney Disease Related to Long-Term Lithium Use

169 Microcystic Kidney Disease Related to Long-Term Lithium Use

Psychiatric and physical outcomes of long-term use of lithium in older adults with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder: A cross-sectional multicenter study

ObjectiveAlthough lithium is widely used in current practice to treat bipolar disorder (BD) and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) among older adults, little is known about its efficacy and tolerability in this population, which is generally excluded from randomized clinical trials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of long-term use of lithium among older adults with BD and MDD. MethodData from the Cohort of individuals with Schizophrenia and mood disorders Aged 55 years or more (CSA) were used. Two groups of patients with BD and MDD were compared: those who were currently receiving lithium versus those who were not. The effects of lithium on psychiatric (i.e., depressive symptoms severity, perceived clinical severity, rates of psychiatric admissions in the past-year), geriatric (overall and cognitive functioning) and physical outcomes (i.e., rates of non-psychiatric medical comorbidities and general hospital admissions in the past-year) were evaluated. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, duration of disorder, diagnosis, smoking status, alcohol use, and use of antipsychotics, antiepileptics or antidepressants. ResultsAmong the 281 older participants with BD or MDD, 15.7% were taking lithium for a mean duration of 12.5(SD = 11.6) years. Lithium use was associated with lower intensity of depressive symptoms, reduced perceived clinical global severity and lower benzodiazepine use (all p < 0.05), without being linked to greater rates of medical comorbidities, except for hypothyroidism. LimitationsData were cross-sectional and data on lifetime history of psychotropic medications was not assessed. ConclusionOur results suggest that long-term lithium use may be efficient and relatively well-tolerated in older adults with BD or treatment-resistant MDD.

An observational study of 110 elderly lithium-treated patients followed up for 6\xa0years with particular reference to renal function

BackgroundRecent observational studies have focused on lithium treatment in the elderly, with particular reference to safety in terms of thyroid and renal functions. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of patients starting lithium treatment before (N = 79) or after (N = 31) the age of 65 years. Patients were followed up for 6 years with focus on renal function and prescription of levothyroxine and methimazole.ResultsAt baseline, median lithium serum concentration was 0.55 mmol/l. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was lower than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 in 43 (39%) patients. In a multiple regression analysis controlling for age and gender, we found a significant effect of duration of lithium treatment on estimated glomerular filtration rate (−0.85 ml/min/1.73 m2 per year of prior exposure). The annual decline during follow-up was 2.3 ml/min/1.73 m2. Two patients were prescribed levothyroxine, and two were prescribed methimazole for the first time during follow-up.Conclusions Median lithium serum concentration in this cohort of elderly patients with mainly bipolar disorders was lower than the therapeutic range indicated for younger adults. The decline in glomerular filtration rate may be accelerated by long-term lithium use. Thyroid and renal functions continue to require close monitoring throughout the course of lithium treatment.Trial registration NP/2013/3836. Registered 24 June 2013

Long-term use of lithium and risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma: a nationwide case–control study

Background:Lithium accumulates in the colon and inhibits the enzyme GSK-3β that possesses anti-carcinogenic effects. We therefore examined the association between lithium use and colorectal cancer risk in a nationwide study.Methods:We used the Danish Cancer Registry to identify all patients diagnosed with incident colorectal adenocarcinoma during 2000–2012 (n=36 248). Using a matched case–control approach, we estimated the association between long-term use (⩾5 years) of lithium and risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma using conditional logistic regression.Results:Long-term use of lithium was similar among cases (0.22%) and controls (0.20%), yielding an odds ratio of 1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89–1.43) for colorectal adenocarcinoma. Dose–response, subgroup and other subanalyses returned neutral associations. However, ORs differed for colorectal subsites (proximal colon: 1.01 (95% CI, 0.66–1.55; distal colon: 1.52 (95% CI, 1.05–2.20); and rectum: 0.80 (95% CI, 0.50–1.30).Conclusions:Lithium use was not associated with an overall increased risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma. The variation by subsite warrants further investigation.

Long-Term Lithium Use and Risk of Renal and Upper Urinary Tract Cancers.

Lithium induces proliferation in the epithelium of renal collecting ducts. A recent small-scale cohort study reported a strong association between use of lithium and increased risk of renal neoplasia. We therefore conducted a large-scale pharmacoepidemiologic study of the association between long-term use of lithium and risk of upper urinary tract cancer, including renal cell cancer and cancers of the renal pelvis or ureter. We identified all histologically verified upper urinary tract cancer cases in Denmark between 2000 and 2012 from the Danish Cancer Registry. A total of 6477 cases were matched by age and sex to 259,080 cancer-free controls. Data on lithium use from 1995 to 2012 were obtained from the Danish Prescription Registry. We estimated the association between long-term use of lithium (≥5 years) and risk of upper urinary tract cancer using conditional logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. Long-term use of lithium was observed among 0.22% of cases and 0.17% of controls. This yielded an overall nonsignificant adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.3 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.8-2.2) for upper urinary tract cancer associated with long-term use of lithium. Analyses stratified by stage and subtype of upper urinary tract cancer revealed slight but nonsignificant increases in the ORs for localized disease (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.8-3.0) and for renal pelvis/ureter cancers (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 0.5-5.4). In conclusion, in our nationwide case-control study, use of lithium was not associated with an increased risk of upper urinary tract cancer.

Hyperthyroid Rage

Long-term lithium therapy has been associated with euthyroid goiter, hypothyroidism, and less commonly, hyperthyroidism. We report a case of a 19-year-old male patient with schizoaffective disorder who was hospitalized after trying to suffocate his mother. Severe psychomotor agitation persisted despite the high dose of antipsychotics. Initial laboratory tests showed elevated creatine kinase and free thyroxine. Lithium was replaced by sodium valproate, and new laboratory tests were obtained. After lithium discontinuation, the patient had a rapid improvement in agitation and tremors. Antithyroid drugs were not necessary, suggesting the diagnosis of lithium-associated thyrotoxicosis that progressed to spontaneous remission. There are only 2 other reports of lithium-associated thyrotoxicosis successfully treated with lithium withdrawal. Even patients on long-term use of lithium are not free from having acute thyroid dysfunction and may present with treatment-resistant symptoms.

Multisystemic Side Effects of an Indispensable Old Drug: A Case Report of Chronic Lithium Use (A Patient with Multiple Side Effects of Lithium)

Presented here is a case of long-term lithium use, with multiple emerging lithium-associated side effects. An 82-year-old woman was brought into the emergency department because of loss of consciousness. According to the physical examination and laboratory analyses, patient was diagnosed with lithium-associated hypercalcemia, hyperparathyroidism, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), symptomatic sinus bradycardia, and thyroid dysfunction. In the literature, there is a limited number of case reports with lithium induced multiple clinical conditions. Multiple clinical manifestations due to the side effects of chronic lithium use might be seen. Health care professionals should keep in mind that lithium-related side effects might trigger or exacerbate each other. To avoid toxicity, close follow-up and clinical supervision are important for the early diagnosis and treatment of these side effects, due to the narrow therapeutic index and obscure clinical signs and symptoms of toxicity.

Test–retest reliability of a new questionnaire for the retrospective assessment of long-term lithium use in bipolar disorder

BackgroundThe identification of predictors of treatment response holds tremendous potential for the improvement of clinical outcomes in bipolar disorder (BP). The goal of this project is to evaluate the test–retest reliability of a new clinical tool, the Lithium Questionnaire (LQ), for the retrospective assessment of long-term lithium use in research participants with BP. MethodsTwenty-nine individuals with BP-I (n=27), major depression (n=1), or schizoaffective disorder (n=1) were recruited for participation. The LQ was administered to all participants at two time-points, spaced 17 months apart on average, and used to determine each subject׳s score on the Retrospective Criteria of Long-Term Treatment Response in Research Subjects with Bipolar Disorder Scale, or the Alda Scale. Scores were confirmed through a best-estimate procedure, and test–retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC]) of the LQ was calculated. ResultsThe correlation between the total Alda Scale scores at the two time-points was in the moderate range (ICC=0.60). Relevant clinical factors such as age or presence of Axis I psychiatric comorbidity did not influence the reliability. LimitationsThe validity of the LQ was not examined. Inclusion of two participants with non-BP diagnoses may have affected the LQ׳s reliability, but re-analysis of our data after exclusion of these participants did not influence the reliability. The absence of measures of mood and cognition at time of LQ may be a limitation of this work. ConclusionsThe LQ holds promise for the standardization of the retrospective assessment of long-term treatment in BP.

Electrocardiography changes in bipolar patients during long-term lithium monotherapy

ObjectiveCardiovascular side effects of lithium have been reported to occur mainly at higher-than-therapeutic serum levels. We aimed to investigate the impact of the long-term lithium use on electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters in association with the serum levels in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and in healthy controls (HCs) serving as the reference group. MethodsThe study sample consisted of 53 euthymic BD type I patients on lithium monotherapy at therapeutic serum levels (M=0.76, S.D.=0.14, range=0.41–1.09 mmol/l) for at least 12 months and 45 HCs. A 12-lead surface ECG was obtained from all participants at resting state for at least half an hour for 5-min recording. Heart-rate, Pmax, Pmin, QRS interval, QT dispersion, QT dispersion ratio (QTdR) and Tpeak-to-end interval (TpTe) were measured. ResultsRegression analyses revealed that QTdR (B=14.17, P=.001), TpTe (B=18.38, P<.001), Pmax (B=17.84, P<.001) and Pmin (B=25.10, P<.001) were increased in BD patients who were on chronic lithium treatment than in HCs after controlling for age, sex and strict Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. There were no associations between serum lithium levels and ECG parameters. ConclusionOur findings suggest that the use of lithium is associated with both atrial and ventricular electrical instability, even when lithium levels are in the therapeutic range.

The association between psychiatric diseases, psychotropic drugs and the risk of incident rosacea

Psychological conditions, such as traumatic events or stress, have been discussed controversially as aetiological factors for rosacea. To assess the association between diagnosed depression, other affective disorders or schizophrenia and subsequent incident rosacea. We further aimed at evaluating the possible role of various psychotropic drugs within this association. We conducted a matched case-control study of psychiatric diseases and incident rosacea, stratified by exposure to various psychotropic drugs, using the UK-based General Practice Research Database. Cases had a first diagnosis of rosacea recorded between 1995 and 2009. Each case was matched to one control on age, sex, general practice and years of history on the database. A history of depression or other affective disorders was not associated with an increased risk of developing rosacea; lithium was the only antidepressant drug that significantly altered this association. Current long-term use of lithium was associated with a decreased odds ratio (OR) of 0·58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·38-0·88] among people without a schizophrenia diagnosis (with or without affective disorders), compared with people not exposed to lithium. Patients with diagnosed schizophrenia revealed a decreased rosacea risk (OR 0·71, 95% CI 0·60-0·91), independent of antipsychotic drug use. Depression or other affective disorders were not associated with incident rosacea, whereas patients with schizophrenia were at a decreased risk of this skin disease in our study population. The materially decreased risk of rosacea among people with chronic lithium exposure may lead to new insights into the pathomechanism of rosacea.

Lithium treatment and potential long-term side effects: a systematic review of the literature

Lithium is recommended by all treatment guidelines for bipolar disorder (BD) as a first-line maintenance treatment. However, the potential side effects and risks associated with long-term lithium use may at times make the implementation of these recommendations in daily practice challenging. The aim of the study is to review available literature on potential long-term side effects of lithium. A PubMed/Medline search was performed on papers dealing with long-term treatment with lithium and side effects. Articles published from January 1980 to February 2013 were selected. Long-term lithium treatment is associated with a reduced urinary concentrating ability, with subsequent polyuria and polidypsia and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (in 10-40% of patients). Lithium also reduces glomerular filtration rate, and increases risk of renal failure, although the absolute risk is small (0.5% of patients). Lithium treatment is associated with significant higher TSH levels, with a 6-fold greater risk of hypothyroidism in lithium-treated than in control subjects. Less known is the increase of PTH and calcium levels induced by lithium. An exacerbation of psoriasis is also frequently associated with lithium treatment. Lithium remains a fundamental tool for the treatment of BD. Clinicians should know potential side effects (renal, endocrine and dermatological) associated with long-term treatment with lithium, for a correct management of the patient. A specialist referral is often necessary; the question is how to deal with long-term side effects more than whether or not withdrawing lithium. This decision should remain a psychiatrist's competence.