VALPROIC ACID IN ULTRARAPID CYCLING - A CASE-REPORT

Valproic acid has been proven to be efficient in the treatment of bipo lar affective disorders as an adjunctive agent to lithium and carbamaz epine. Recently, its efficacy in rapid cycling states has attracted in terest. We present the case of a male patient with bipolar affective d isorder who developed an extreme state of ultrarapid cycling (48-h cyc les). Only the addition of valproic acid therapy to prior lithium trea tment succeeded in curtailing the ultra-rapid cycling. Several issues regarding ultra-rapid cycling and valproate's efficacy in bipolar diso rder are discussed.