Electroconvulsive Therapy and Lithium: Safe and Effective Treatment

It is often recommended that lithium not be prescribed during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The combined use of these treatments has been considered a risk factor for inducing encephalopathy; however, this precaution is controversial. We report the case of a woman who received over 70 outpatient maintenance ECT concurrently with lithium for years without signs of confusion. Similar observations are reported by others, too. The relative merits of all therapeutic interventions should be individualized to each patient.