Combined ECT and Lithium Therapy

Current guidelines for clinical practice advise against the concurrent use of lithium during a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) owing to an increased risk of morbidity involving the central nervous system. A reappraisal of the evidence indicates that the hazards of this combination treatment may have been overestimated. Although the potential therapeutic advantages of the combination treatment over ECT or lithium alone remain to be clarified, in special clinical situations, and with proper precautions, ECT-lithium combination may be used safely and effectively as an alternative treatment strategy where conventional therapeutic approaches have failed.