A longitudinal survey of side effects in a lithium clinic.

The cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of lithium side effects were surveyed in a prospective 12-month study. The use of other psychotropic medication (antidepressants, neuroleptics) in addition to lithium was associated with a higher frequency of complaints. The presence of noneuthymic mood was not associated with changes in the incidence of side effects. Persistent side effects were not related to current age, age at onset of illness, severity of illness, or duration of lithium therapy. The chronicity of lithium therapy was not specifically associated with the presence or absence of any of the 23 side effects surveyed.