Seven patients with rapidly cycling, lithium-resistant affective illness
were followed for an average of 1.7 years during prophylactic treatment
with carbamazepine administered on either a blind or an open basis. The
number of manic and depressive episodes per year decreased
significantly--from 16.4 before treatment to 5.6 during carbamazepine
treatment; severity and duration of episodes were also reduced. Six of
seven patients relapsed after carbamazepine dose reduction or
discontinuation. These preliminary data add further support to the growing
evidence that carbamazepine may be useful in the acute and prophylactic
treatment of some lithium-resistant patients.
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