Elsevier

Journal of Affective Disorders

Volume 10, Issue 1, January–February 1986, Pages 9-13
Journal of Affective Disorders

Folic acid enhances lithium prophylaxis

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0327(86)90043-1Get rights and content

Abstract

A double-blind trial was carried out to investigate the effect on affective morbidity of a daily supplement of 200 μg folic acid or a matched placebo in a group of 75 patients on lithium therapy. During the trial the patients with the highest plasma folate concentrations showed a significant reduction in their affective morbidity. Patients who had their plasma folate increased to 13 ng/ml or above had a 40% reduction in their affective morbidity. It is suggested that a daily supplement of 300–400 μg folic acid would be useful in long-term lithium prophylaxis.

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