Low dose lithium-carbimazole in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis.

Fifteen patients with thyrotoxicosis were treated with low dose sustained release lithium carbonate 400 mg, combined with carbimazole 40 mg daily, and the therapeutic response was followed over a two week period. This response was compared with that obtained in a similar group of patient treated with carbimazole alone. Li-carbimazole treatment brought about a fall in the mean total serum T4 of 57.4% compared with a drop of 32.8% in patients treated with carbimazole alone. The mean serum T3 fell by 69.4% in the Li-carbimazole group compared with 47.3% in the group treated with carbimazole only. No lithium adverse effects were encountered.