title: Adding lithium carbonate to carbamazepine: antimanic efficacy in treatment-resistant mania.
abstract: Although lithium and carbamazepine used alone are effective in treating acute mania, some patients do not respond adequately to either of these medications used alone. We assessed, under double-blind conditions, a potential synergism between carbamazepine and lithium in the acute treatment of mania. Six of 7 manic patients who had previously been largely refractory to lithium alone, and who still showed substantial mania after several weeks of double-blind treatment with carbamazepine, improved following the blind addition of lithium. The clinical and theoretical implications of the response to this combination treatment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Biological Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kramlinger
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Post
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D002220:Carbamazepine; D008094:Lithium