[Combination treatment of depression].

Severe depression is a common diagnosis and a number of studies have demonstrated the superiority of antidepressants to placebos. More than half of the patients remain depressed despite initial treatment. If reasons like incorrect diagnosis and non-optimal choice of drug or doses are excluded, combination therapy may be considered.

[Treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnancy and in the postpartum period].

Background: Pharmacological treatment and prophylaxis of bipolar disorders during pregnancy and in the postpartum period imply complicated clinical assessments.

Material And Method: This article is based on a non-systematic search in PubMed and the authors' clinical experience.

Results: If a woman is already using a prophylactic drug at the time of pregnancy, she can in general continue to do so during pregnancy, with the exception of valproate.

[Follow-up of patients that use lithium].

Lithium has been among the most important pharmacological treatments of psychiatric disease for more than 50 years. The main indication is treatment and prophylaxis of bipolar disease. Lithium is also used in the treatment of schizophrenia conditions with affective symptoms.