Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T11:01:38.990Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Neurotoxic Effects of Lithium with Delayed Rise in Serum Lithium Levels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. Sellers ,
P. Tyrer ,
A. Whiteley ,
D. C. Banks  and
D. H. Barer
J. Sellers
Affiliation:
Mapperley Hospital
P. Tyrer
Affiliation:
Mapperley Hospital, Nottingham NG3 6AA
A. Whiteley
Affiliation:
City Hospital, Nottingham
D. C. Banks
Affiliation:
City Hospital, Nottingham
D. H. Barer
Affiliation:
City Hospital, Nottingham
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Neurotoxicity is a rare but well recognized unwanted effect of lithium therapy (Moore, 1972; von Hartitzsch et al, 1972; Tyrer and Shopsin, 1980) which tends to be associated with high serum lithium levels. In clinical practice it is normally assumed that once signs of toxicity are detected and treatment stopped, serum levels will return to normal. We report here a patient who developed toxic symptoms while her serum levels were in the therapeutic range but who developed severe neurotoxic sequelae and high serum levels after treatment was stopped.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 140 , Issue 6 , June 1982 , pp. 623 - 625
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1982 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agulnik, P. L., Dimascio, A. & Moore, P. (1972) Acute brain syndrome associated with lithium therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 621–3.Google Scholar
Birch, N. J. (1974) Lithium accumulation in bone after oral administration in rat and in man. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine, 46, 409–13.Google Scholar
Cohen, W. J. & Cohen, N. H. (1974) Lithium carbonate, haloperidol and irreversible brain damage. Journal of the American Medical Association, 230, 1283–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Hewick, D. S. & Murray, N. (1976) Red blood cell levels and lithium toxicity. Lancet, 2, 473.Google Scholar
Loudon, J. B. & Waring, H. (1976) Toxic reactions to lithium and haloperidol. Lancet, 2, 1088.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newman, P. K. & Saunders, M. (1979) Lithium neurotoxicity. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 55, 701–3.Google Scholar
Pringuey, D., Yzombard, G., Charbit, J. J., Portugal, H., Saingra, A., Frayssinet, R., Milech, T. & Dufour, H. (1981) Lithium kinetics during haemodialysis in a patient with lithium poisoning. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 249–51.Google Scholar
Shaw, D. M. (1979) Lithium and antimanic drugs: clinical usage and efficacy. In Psychopharmacology of Affective Disorders (eds. Paykel, E. S. and Coppen, A.). Pp 179–192. Oxford: Oxford University Press Google Scholar
Speirs, J. & Hirsch, S. R. (1978) Severe lithium toxicity with ‘normal’ serum concentrations. British Medical Journal, i, 815–6.Google Scholar
Spring, G. K. (1979) Neurotoxicity with combined use of lithium and thioridazine. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 40, 135–8.Google Scholar
Tyrer, S. & Shopsin, B. (1980) Neural and neuromuscular side effects of lithium. In Handbook of Lithium Therapy. (ed. Johnson, F. N.). Pp 289–309. Lancaster: MTP Press CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tyrer, S. (1978) Lithium toxicity. British Medical Journal, i, 1281–2.Google Scholar
von Hartitzsch, B., Hoenich, N. A., Leigh, R. J., Wilkinson, R., Frost, T. H., Weddel, A. & Posen, G. A. (1972) Permanent neurological sequelae despite haemodialysis for lithium intoxication. British Medical Journal iv, 757–9.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.