Encephalopathy with combined lithium-risperidone administration.

OBJECTIVE

Lithium-neuroleptics induced encephalopathy is a rare drug interaction. Here I am reporting a patient who developed reversible encepatholopathy with lithium-risperidone combination.

METHOD

A single case report.

RESULT

A patient of bipolar disorder, who presented with manic symptoms with psychotic feature, started with a combination of lithium and risperidone. Within few days, the patient developed encepatholopathy, which reversed upon discontinuation of lithium and risperidone.

CONCLUSION

Combining lithium and neuroleptic is useful in treatment of bipolar disorder. However, encepatholapthy can be anticipated to result when lithium is used with high potency anti-psychotic such as haloperidol and risperidone and there are baseline EEG abnormalities.