PSEUDOHALLUCINATIONS INDUCED BY LITHIUM-C ARBONATE

A 58-year old women with a history of recurrent depressive episodes ha d been on successful prophylaxis with lithium carbonate in controlled therapeutic dosage for 11 years. At this time she experienced with inc reasing frequency mostly visual, sometimes auditory pseudohallucinatio ns which disappeared after stopping the lithium medication. Because a subsequent depressive episode did not respond to tricyclic antidepress ants or to a MAO-inhibitor the patient was again prescribed lithium. A t therapeutic lithium blood levels the previous perceptual disorders t hen returned.