The Effectiveness of Combining Lithium With Olanzapine in the Treatment of Resistant Schizophrenia

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The Expert Consensus pane1 agrees that adding lithium to conventional antipsychotics for treating resistant schizophrenia can be a second-line alternative, although a recent trial found no response with lithium augmentation. This combination can improve both psychotic and affective symptoms. Olanzapine is a new, atypical antipsychotic medication that seems effective and safe in the treatment of schizophrenia. Two open-label clinical trials also suggest good results with olanzapine in individuals with resistant schizophrenia. Nevertheless, 1 doubleblind comparison trial obtained contrasting results in terms of effectiveness. We present our experience with 5 treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients (DSM-IV criteria) who did not respond to olanzapine as monotherapy, but did exhibit improvements when lithium was added to the treatment.