Posted by SalArmy4me on May 15, 2001, at 13:25:24
In reply to Lithium Alone for Depression, posted by Christina on May 15, 2001, at 12:56:08
I thought you might find this interesting:
From: Schou, Mogens MD, DRMed, DrHCMult. Forty Years of Lithium Treatment. JAMA Archives of General Psychiatry. 54(1):9-13, January 1997:
LITHIUM PROPHYLAXIS IN UNIPOLAR AFFECTIVE ILLNESS
...Trials by Baastrup et al and myself [2,3] have demonstrated that lithium is also prophylactically effective in recurrent unipolar depression (recurrent major affective disorder), and, in most parts of the world, lithium has been used successfully for this indication. In a recent comprehensive analysis of the literature Souza and Goodwin concluded: "There is no reason to doubt the efficacy of lithium in the prophylaxis of unipolar depressive illness."...However, the British study reveals nothing about the value of lithium alone, and it is difficult to see how a single American study (based on pooling of patients from many clinics with consequent risk for "loose" diagnoses) can outweigh the evidence of more than 15 studies carried out over the last 25 years that show the prophylactic, recurrence-preventive action of lithium to be as effective in unipolar as in bipolar affective disorder.
...In recent years American research has proved that long-term treatment with antidepressants is prophylactically effective in recurrent depressions. Although these are fine studies, lithium prophylaxis was not mentioned. I believe that patients who suffer from recurrent depressions without obvious psychosocial precipitating factors, have symptom-free intervals, and are without deviating character features, might benefit from first-line or second-line lithium maintenance treatment. The final choice of prophylactic agent must depend on how individual patients respond to and tolerate treatment with antidepressants and with lithium.
...For patients with unipolar illness, the new antidepressants may, for the reasons given above, be preferable as first-choice agents, but lithium should not be forgotten as an effective alternative of proven efficacy.
poster:SalArmy4me
thread:63103
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63108.html