Parkinsonian symptoms with lithium, lithium-neuroleptic, and lithium-antidepressant treatment

Eighty-one patients treated for a least 3 months with lithium were examined for the presence of parkinsonian symptoms. Twenty-four patients were receiving treatment with lithium alone, 30 with lithium and 1 or more neuroleptics, and 27 with lithium and antidepressant. Twenty-four of the patients were found to be free from parkinsonian symptoms. Severe rigidity was not found. Two patients receiving neuroleptic with lithium and 6 on lithium-antidepressant combinations exhibited severe tremor. Neuroleptics administered concomitantly with lithium did not aggravate parkinsonian symptoms. The combination of lithium and an antidepressant significantly increased tremor in comparison to lithium alone.