Subjects suffering from bipolar disorder taking lithium are less likely to report physical pain: a FACE-BD study

Autor: Nathan Risch, Jonathan Dubois, Bruno Etain, Bruno Aouizerate, Frank Bellivier, Raoul Belzeaux, Caroline Dubertret, Emmanuel Haffen, Dominique Januel, Marion Leboyer, Antoine Lefrere, Ludovic Samalin, Mircea Polosan, Romain Rey, Paul Roux, Raymund Schwan, Michel Walter, FondaMental Advanced Centres of Expertise in Bipolar Disorders (FACE-BD) Collaborators, Philippe Courtet, Emilie Olié
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: European Psychiatry, Vol 67 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0924-9338
1778-3585
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.2476
Popis: Abstract Background Physical pain is a common issue in people with bipolar disorder (BD). It worsens mental health and quality of life, negatively impacts treatment response, and increases the risk of suicide. Lithium, which is prescribed in BD as a mood stabilizer, has shown promising effects on pain. Methods This naturalistic study included 760 subjects with BD ( FACE-BD cohort) divided in two groups: with and without self-reported pain (evaluated with the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire). In this sample, 176 subjects were treated with lithium salts. The objectives of the study were to determine whether patients receiving lithium reported less pain, and whether this effect was associated with the recommended mood-stabilizing blood concentration of lithium. Results Subjects with lithium intake were less likely to report pain (odds ratio [OR] = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35–0.95; p = 0.036) after controlling for sociodemographic variables, BD type, lifetime history of psychiatric disorders, suicide attempt, personality traits, current depression and anxiety levels, sleep quality, and psychomotor activity. Subjects taking lithium were even less likely to report pain when lithium concentration in blood was ≥0.5 mmol/l (OR = 0.45, 95% CI, 0.24–0.79; p = 0.008). Conclusions This is the first naturalistic study to show lithium’s promising effect on pain in subjects suffering from BD after controlling for many confounding variables. This analgesic effect seems independent of BD severity and comorbid conditions. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the analgesic effect of lithium salts and to determine whether lithium decreases pain in other vulnerable populations.
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