LITHIUM FOR IRRITABILITY IN POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

Irritability is often a problem for patients with Post-Traumatic Stres s Disorder (PTSD). We describe two cases that illustrate the use of li thium in the treatment of veterans with PTSD who complained of serious problems with irritability or angry outbursts. These cases are discus sed in the context of evidence that lithium may be useful in other pat ients with disorders of impulse control. The evidence linking disorder s of anger and impulse control to a dysregulation in neurotransmitter regulation, particularly in serotonergic pathways, supports a psychoph armacologic approach to treatment. These findings should lead to furth er study of the role of lithium in the treatment of this symptom compl ex in patients with PTSD.