Outcome of mood stabilizer discontinuation in bipolar disorder after 5 years of euthymia

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the outcome of mood stabilizer discontinuation on recurrence in patients with bipolar disorder after at least 5 years of euthymia. METHODS: Twenty-three patients diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision Diagnostic Criteria for Research, receiving mood stabilizer prophylaxis for at least 5 years, had undergone planned discontinuation, and the rates and time to recurrence were studied. RESULTS: Twenty (87%) of 23 patients had recurrence, and all of the episodes were manic. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed median time to recurrence following discontinuation of mood stabilizer prophylaxis was 10 months (SE, 6.06 months; 95% confidence interval, 0 to 21.89 months). CONCLUSION: Four fifths of our patients had recurrence following discontinuation of mood stabilizer prophylaxis within 10 months.