Lithium carbonate as a treatment for paliperidone extended-release-induced leukopenia and neutropenia in a patient with schizoaffective disorder; a case report.

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotic drug treatment can potentially lead to adverse events such as leukopenia and neutropenia. Although these events are rare, they represent serious and life-threatening hematological side effects.

CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case study of a patient with schizoaffective disorder in a 50-year-old woman. We report a case of paliperidone extended-release (ER)-induced leukopenia and neutropenia in a female patient with schizoaffective disorder. Initiating lithium carbonate treatment and decreasing the dose of valproic acid improved the observed leukopenia and neutropenia. This treatment did not influence psychotic symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The combination of paliperidone ER and valproic acid induces increased paliperidone ER plasma levels. Lithium carbonate was successfully used to treat paliperidone ER-induced leukopenia and neutropenia.