Abstract
The effect of long-term lithium administration on the recurrences of affective episodes and the recurrences of labial herpes was estimated in 32 patients with bipolar affective illness (l1 male, 21 female) who have had recurrent labial herpes prior to starting prophylactic lithium. The assessments made in 1987 and after further 7 years of observation (1994) showed similar effect of lithium on the recurrences of affective episodes in these two study periods. The effect of lithium on the recurrences of labial herpes was significantly better with longer administration of the drug. In individual patients, the quality of prophylactic lithium effect on affective recurrences paralleled the lithium effect on the recurrences of labial herpes.