After various types of drugs - including anticholinergics and antipsychotics - used to treat a patient with bipolar disorder and parkinonism had been gradually phased out, the patient developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome; initially doctors failed to diagnose the syndrome. The treatment of choice was lorazepam administered intravenously, but when this proved unsuccessful the patient was given electroconvulsive therapy. The complicated course of neuroleptic malignant syndrome and of electroconvulsive therapy is described. Following the electroconvulsive therapy lorazepam was found to be remarkably effective.