This Article  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Paul H. Blachly, MD
Portland, Ore

JAMA. 1970;212(3):480.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

If Dr. Wharton has some clinical data to back up his concern about the use of lithium for the treatment of psychiatric illness, (211:1379, 1970) he should present it rather than extrapolating from data that have been shown to be irrelevant. All drugs have hazards, but the overwhelming clinical evidence suggests that lithium treatment is more effective than any other existing treatment for a significant number of psychiatric patients.

Our clinical experience suggests that when properly used, there are fewer side effects with lithium than for phenothiazines, antidepressants, or minor tranquilizers. I would also point out that dose levels of less than 1.0 mEq/liter are therapeutic, sometimes as little as 0.3 mEq/liter, particularly in depressive patients.

A bibliography on the biology and pharmacology of lithium containing some 1,200 references was published in the Psychopharmacology Bulletin, October 1969, pp 33-62. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?