Lithium toxicity - a descriptive study

Lithium is the treatment for acute mania and bipolar disorders. Ever since its introduction in the psychiatric arsenal, case reports of toxicity have been appearing in the literature at regular intervals. This study was thus carried out to study the presentation and associated features of lithium toxicity. In this retrospective study, case record files of all patients suspected to have developed lithium toxicity during a five year period were retrieved. It was found that toxicity presented most commonly with cerebellar symptoms and appeared at lower serum levels. Lithium could be restarted albeit at a lower dose and with a gradual titration in a number of cases.