Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder: Phenomenology and Treatment

The science and practice of lithium therapy

“…Rapid cycling and mixed states. Rapid cycling, defined by the occurrence of four or more episodes per year, occurs in 13-20% of bipolar patients (Goldberg and Berk, 2010). Conditions such as hypothyroidism, antidepressants and substance abuse possibly contribute to the development of rapid cycling (Coryell, 2005;Yatham et al, 2005), and this is a concern because patients that are rapid cycling are often less responsive and less adherent to treatment than those with conventional patterns of BD.…”