Low Dose Lithium for low white blood cell count (leukopenia)

Dr. Weeks’ Comment:   A safe and beneficial way to restore low white blood cell counts (even for people suffering from chemotherapy) has been known for years and yet is rarely recommended.  Why?      And the Side effect of low dose lithium?  Less dementia!   (sounds like good medicine to me!)

 

The use of lithium carbonate to reduce infection and leukopenia during systemic chemotherapy

GH Lyman, CC Williams, D Preston – New England Journal of …, 1980 – Mass Medical Soc
Abstract To investigate whether lithium ameliorates the infectious complications that
accompany systemic chemotherapy, we studied 45 patients with small-cell bronchogenic
carcinoma receiving combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Twenty received 

The effect of lithium carbonate on leukopenia after chemotherapy

PS Lietman, PG Steinherz, G Rosen, F Ghavimi… – The Journal of …, 1980 – Elsevier
Two evaluate the efficacy of lithium carbonate in ameliorating leukopenia, 37 patients (3 to
26 years old, median 15) with normal marrow elements, on chemotherapeutic regimens that
produce leukopenia (≤ 1,000/mm 3) over 40% of the time were designated at random on 

Lithium counteracts carbamazepine-induced leukopenia while increasing its therapeutic effect.

TD Brewerton – Biological psychiatry, 1986 – psycnet.apa.org
Abstract 1. Reports the case of a 29-yr-old White woman, hospitalized for bipolar disorder
(manic), illustrating an occurrence of a counteractive or protective effect of lithium on
carbamazepine (CBZ)-induced leukopenia as well as a positive synergistic psychotropic 

[CITATION] Lithium carbonate protection against drug-induced leukopenia in lymphosarcoma patients

G Tisman – J Int Res Commun, 1974

Clozapine-induced leukopenia successfully treated with lithium

EC Kutscher, GP Robbins, WK Kennedy, K Zebb… – American Journal of …, 2007 – ASHP
Summary. A 55-year-old man with paranoid schizophrenia who had been stable on
clozapine for more than 10 years was admitted to an inpatient behavioral health unit with
leukopenia associated with clozapine use. This patient’s history was significant for four 

Clozapine-lithium combined treatment and agranulocytosis.

A Valevski, I Modai, M Lahav… – International clinical …, 1993 – psycnet.apa.org
 On admission, levomepromazine treatment showed no improvement and was replaced by lithium
with clozapine. After 40 days, leukopenia followed by rapid deterioration to agranulocytosis (ALC)
was noted, which lasted for 27 days but was subsequently successfully treated. 
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