Abstract
Although lithium treatment is appropriate for recurrent bipolar disorder and has helped many patients, the following opinions are often expressed:
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Lithium is not effective in unipolar and in rapidly cycling affective illness.
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In long-term use lithium destroys the thyroid gland and the kidneys.
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Side effects of lithium treatment are frequent and troublesome.
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Lithium treatment curbs creativity.
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Lithium intoxications may develop capriciously even with therapeutic doses and serum concentrations.
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The need for frequent laboratory monitoring makes lithium treatment cumbersome and expensive.
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Lithium is used too frequently.
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References
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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Schou, M. (1990). Lithium Is All Right, but … About Some Misconceptions and Some Recent Findings. In: Bunney, W.E., Hippius, H., Laakmann, G., Schmauss, M. (eds) Neuropsychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74034-3_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74034-3_3
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