Correlation of mono and combined amitriptyline/lithium therapy with therapeutic and side effects.

The role of lithium in combination with tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) used in the treatment of unipolar depression has been much less studied than in the case of bipolar disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic and side effects with doses and plasma concentrations in the patients with major (unipolar) depression (DSM-III-R criteria) treated by amitriptyline combine (At+Li) and mono-therapy. All three, of these regimens, were therapeutically effective, but after 6 weeks combined (At+Li) therapy showed the absence of the increased number of side effects.