Rico: Zyprexa tapering

[Shep]

18 hours ago, Rico said:

The 'feeling sick' that I refer to is similar to the feeling I have had before when I was taking too much lithium. My best description of it is a toxic, sickening feeling that I feel all over my body, especially my throat and gut. I find that I quickly feel quite depressed too - not a melancholy depression, but a nauseous, sickening feeling. I am not sure if depression is the right word, but I am left quite angry and bitter and physically sick. This has been happening within an hour of my morning and bed time dose.

 

Rico, this prompted me to do a google of "nicotine and lithium levels" and I found an interesting article you might like to read from Pharmacy Magazine: 

 

Smoking, caffeine and lithium

 

So it's very possible that not only quitting smoking, but also quitting caffeine may be affecting your lithium levels. 

 

When did you last have your lithium level bloodwork? 

 

You may want to do some more research on this, but it looks like your recent nicotine and caffeine eliminations could be affecting your lithium levels. Hopefully, the effects will fade out, but please don't make any changes to the lithium from a couple of months at least. Give your nervous system time to adjust. 

 

18 hours ago, Rico said:

Yesterday was my birthday and it was also a really tough day at work. I was in the thick of nicotine withdrawal, because the irritability, anger, etc...were at their peak. There is an underlying sense of freedom that I feel in my body by not smoking, but unfortunately, I have used nicotine for 20 years as an emotional crutch. By the end of the day, I ended up smoking 12 cigarettes at my birthday party and I actually felt really sick afterwards. I went to bed really sick and depressed and now, woken up 5 hours later also feeling sick, anxious. The first thought that went through my mind when I woke up was "oh no, I am heading towards a breakdown, I am going to go to hospital".

 

I'm sorry your birthday ended up with a relapse on the cigarettes but I'd consider it a learning experience and move on without beating yourself up over it and catastrophizing. 

 

18 hours ago, Rico said:

I don't know if this is PTSD or some trauma, but I have a lot of anxiety about ending up in hospital. I am so scared of slipping into an "episode" or not coping and ending up in hospital. They are very traumatic places, and I have been to too many now and that's my biggest fear on a daily basis. 

 

I am starting to learn how to cope with problems without abandoning myself to a psychiatrist who will drug me. I am such a slow learner, but I think I am finally realising that there are other ways of coping than to just get drugged up. 

 

 

From my own experience with this, as you come off the drugs, you lose a very powerful "mental connection" to the hospital, as well as to doctors in general. Right now, you're still on a drug that keeps you connected literally (you have to go and get refills), but it's also a psychological connection.

 

Once you are off the drugs (and please don't rush to get there), you will breathe more deeply, feel more in control of your life and your destiny, and at that point, knowing you don't need any more refills, you'll realize how small and pathetic psychiatrists really are. Right now, the doctor is powerful because he has something you need. But that's only temporary. 

 

18 hours ago, Rico said:

As for the cigarettes, I don't think reinstating is a good idea - I may need to get nicotine replacement like patches or gum though. The key problem with cigarettes - especially the ones sold in Australia, is that there are lots of chemicals added now that are for fire safety reasons. The number of chemicals is huge and many smokers, including myself, have noticed that cigarettes don't even taste the same anymore - they honestly taste really awful, but it is the nicotine addiction which keeps me having one anyway. That's how powerful nicotine is!! 

 

I have fallen off the horse, but I am going to try again. I am not going to do anything with the lithium right now, other than maybe make sure I have lots of water and something to eat with my doses, as I feel this may make a difference. I really want to taper properly this time and not get myself into a situation where i end up in hospital because of withdrawal symptoms.

 

 

Just knowing that you are dealing with some fluctuating lithium levels due to the elimination of caffeine and nicotine may be enough to help you deal with the uptick in symptoms. So using a nicotine replacement may be a good way to go. Try to be as consistent as possible, though. I think the consistency issue may be the biggest obstacle for you, but as long as you're building up an armor made of non-drug coping strategies, you'll come out this golden. 

 

Here are some links you may find useful:

 

Smoking cessation, nicotine, e-cigs

 

Smoking, neurodiversity, and pragmatism

 

You might want to start a list of non-drug coping skills specific to nicotine and caffeine craving that you have it handy to use whenever the urge strikes. Start small and build on what you learn. Breathing exercises, mindfulness, CBT to do self-talk, all can be helpful. For more:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

The beauty of this is the same non-drug coping skills you need to stop smoking are the very same skills you need to handle stress in general.

[Rico]

Many thanks Shep for your great advice. This time, I am going to do things properly and not reduce the lithium until end of January. 

 

I am so willing to be diligent this time and I will update this group regularly on my progress. 

 

When I first joined this forum I was very helpless and needy, but I have learned (the hard way of course) that I do have more control than I realise over my health. This is a long way from where I was a few years' ago, where I would panic at any uncomfortable symptom and ring my psychiatrist for more drugs. 

 

Thanks to this site and my determination to not go back to that mode of living, I have endured many uncomfortable symptoms and mental states without reaching for the phone and panicking. I have found therapy very helpful and I can see that true recovery is possible if I am willing to be patient and do the work I need to do for my health.

 

I am still very resentful towards my initial psychiatrist who treated all my life experiences with multiple medications. I feel like i have yet to grow from that 18 year old who was initially drugged. All my emotions since then have pretty much been 'frozen' with drugs and now I am trying to heal a very broken and fragmented person. 

 

I am very grateful for the wealth of knowledge on this site and for all the help I have received.

 

Thanks,
Rico

[Shep]

You've come a long way, Rico, and have many reasons to be proud of yourself. 

 

I also went on these drugs as a teenager. In many ways, I find positive aspects to this, as I'm able. I see myself able to become anything I want now. That's the beauty of not having a baseline to return to. 

 

As you bring in non-drug ways of coping and develop your confidence, that will make a solid foundation that you will build on over the coming years. You, too, will be able to become anything you want. It's a process, a slow and at times, a painful process, but very much worth it. The sense of being "broken and fragmented" will give way to feeling whole and together, stronger and wiser for the experience and able to handle anything that comes your way. 

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

I'm finding that I am getting quite sick every time I take my dose of lithium - either morning or night. The mornings affect me more as I am at work.

 

I don't know what to do until I start tapering in a months' time....it's getting me really down.

 

The symptoms I experience when I take it are:

 

1. Depression

2. Fatigure

3. Nausea

 

Thanks

Rico

 

 

[Altostrata]

Have you talked to your doctor about your adverse reaction to lithium, Rico? When was the last time you had blood tests for liver and kidney function? Those are very important.

 

Please re-read this post by JanCarol

 

If the drug is making you sick, reducing the dosage usually reduces the adverse reaction. See Tips for tapering off lithium

 

If no unusual symptoms have returned since you went off Zyprexa, perhaps your doctor cannot continue to justify your taking a high dosage of lithium. Minimizing drugs is best for your general health.

[Rico]

Hi Alto,

 

Yes, I have talked to my doctor about it, and I was completely dismissed - in fact, he said that I need to be in a therapeutic window which means I would need to take a lot more than I am currently.

 

I have started seeing a new doctor who I had the first appointment with yesterday. 

 

The fatigue and nausea is really impacting my ability to work. I just sneakily stepped out of the sick bay room after a 30 minute lie down.

 

I tend to get to this point with lithium and then make rapid reductions which can cause me to get sick.

 

Do you think it would be wise to just drop one of the tablets which is 250mg? This would be a 25% reduction? Good idea?

 

Thanks very much,

Rico.

[Altostrata]

30 minutes ago, Rico said:

I tend to get to this point with lithium and then make rapid reductions which can cause me to get sick.

 

Do not make rapid reductions, you know how it goes wrong. Make gradual reductions. Do not drop 25% at once. See Tips for tapering off lithium

 

Tapering lithium is something doctors do know about. Can you confer with your current doctor on a gradual reduction to the lowest effective dose?

[Rico]

Hi,

 

I made a reduction of 125mg (1000mg - 125mg / 12.5%) yesterday because I was sick of going to work dysfunctional and tired.

 

It actually worked out ok yesterday, and I was able to function at work better. I know from experience, that the effects of the reduction will not really show until at least another couple of weeks, so i will keep you posted.

 

Last night I went out with a friend and had some wine, something I rarely do. I got quite tipsy and had a good night, but I have just woken up dehydrated and quite confused and recalling a lot of trauma etc. 

 

I am not anxious or anything, and I do have more coping tools than I have ever had, however, I am of course scared that my brain is a little less suppressed than it was before. There is a complex web of trauma that I carry and lots of confusion and distress as a result of my last relationship. 

 

I can't have it both ways. I can't have the suppression of emotions with lithium but not have the side effects. When the lithium is reduced, the brain starts to function again, and unfortunately, the veil over the insanity that is there starts to lift too. Its not so much the physical withdrawal that's the issue, but dealing with the brokenness that has been there for a long time and actually being in touch with it.

 

Although I function cognitively ok at work, my emotional system is broken. I find it hard to cry or really feel emotions. For quite some time now, the only feelings I have is pain, discomfort, and just dysfunction. I either have to face this bravely, or just go back and take a pile of drugs and forget about recovering altogether. It is really hard. I am still dealing with a relationship breakup and also quite depressed about the physical side effects that are a result of the lithium (i am quite overweight and also sexually dysfunctional at present). My memory also is really bad and I find it hard to piece together bits and pieces of the past. I feel like I have lost my identity and I really don't understand myself at all. 

 

I will be on holidays soon after this week for 2 weeks, so hopefully that helps in dealing with whatever symptoms come up.

 

Thanks,

Rico

 

[Shep]

18 hours ago, Rico said:

I made a reduction of 125mg (1000mg - 125mg / 12.5%) yesterday because I was sick of going to work dysfunctional and tired.

 

It actually worked out ok yesterday, and I was able to function at work better. I know from experience, that the effects of the reduction will not really show until at least another couple of weeks, so i will keep you posted.

 

Last night I went out with a friend and had some wine, something I rarely do. I got quite tipsy and had a good night, but I have just woken up dehydrated and quite confused and recalling a lot of trauma etc. 

 

Just a word of caution here on alcohol. Alcohol is one way to severely destabilize your nervous system. 

 

Brassmonkey recently wrote a post about this so I'll quote it here:

 

On 11/30/2018 at 2:56 PM, brassmonkey said:

It's a Seasonal Thing, but Then Again It's Not

 

Drinking alcohol is a choice that we face everyday and the decision can be quite hard give how pervasive drinking is in just about every culture in the world.  We are once again coming into the "Holiday Season" for many of our members.  This is marked by celebrations at home and at work that frequently involve drinking alcohol, and usually not just a celebratory glass, but over indulgence and excess.  As much as we, people experiencing ADWD, would like to fit in, join in the "fun" and be a part of it all, drinking is not the way to do it.

 

Through out the years I've been involved with the ADWD community I've seen it time and again, people who have been diligently tapering and having a very successful time of it get carried away during the holidays and lose years of progress in the process.  It has shown me that drinking is the best way possible to derail a successful taper and recovery.  It doesn't take a weeks long drunken binge to do it either.  A single beer or glass of wine is enough to push ones recovery over the edge and cause severe damage.  While drinking things will seem fine, but the hangover from h*** hits during the following days and will take weeks or months to resolve.  It will also leave a person with an increased sensitivity to not just alcohol, but to everything that they are putting into their body, food, the drugs they are tapering, water and air.  The results are just not worth the few minutes of "social pleasure" that the drinking provide.

 

It's not just at the "Holidays", but any time.  Drinking is one of the worst things a person can do for themselves while they go through ADWD and the continued healing that follows reaching "0".  So this year really give yourself something to celebrate, all the progress you've made, and don't throw it all away.  Remember, drinking is a choice.

 

I would advise not drinking until you are completely off these drugs and well into the healing phase. 

 

Drinking can be especially problematic with certain psych drugs. As you noted, you were dehydrated afterwards. This is dangerous when you're taking lithium due to it's effects on the kidneys.

 

Rest up as much as possible and drink plenty of water. 

 

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

Happy new year !

 

I have been on holidays and decided to make a further reduction of 125mg of lithium. 

 

So far all is going well. I feel like my body absolutely detests this drug, as I feel a lot better on the lower dose.

 

In the evening, however, when I take the 3 x 250mg tablets, I experience extreme fatigue within 2 hours. It is absolutely debilitating. I try and combat it with water etc, but I end up going to sleep in quite a knocked out state. Lithium never did this to me in the past, and I feel this time, the withdrawal is going to be easier.

 

There have also been some changes lately in my life which have really helped. I have been in quite a challenging and toxic relationship for some time, and under the advice of my therapist, I have finally cut off all contact. I have been in a much better head space as a result and now I realise how much I was adversely affected by this relationship. 

 

I still have a long way to go. I am very grateful for the knowledge i have gained from this site and about drug withdrawal in general. I do experience some withdrawal symptoms, but knowing they are withdrawal symptoms help a lot.

 

i recently started feeling a tiny bit of emotions, which is a good sign that I am recovering. 

 

I wish you all the best for this coming year, and I hope that your recovery continues.

 

Thank you for all your support and help.

 

Rico

[Altostrata]

Happy new year, Rico.

 

As you know, a 125mg reduction of 875mg lithium is more than 14%. Your nervous system might not feel this is gradual enough.

[Rico]

Thanks for your reply Alto, happy new year to you too. 

 

I have found that I am doing ok on the lower dose, which I am now taking all at night. I know it's early days, as previous experience tells me that it takes about two weeks to see the true result.

 

My main motivation for reducing now is that I am on holidays and have time to deal with any symptoms that come up. So far, I haven't experienced any negative symptoms at all, I only feel better physically.

 

I am sleeping well and functioning a little better, but the side effects I experience after the lithium are still horrendous. This time though, I am only experiencing them once a day, where before, I was zonked out first thing in the morning and would struggle at work. 

 

I will definitely not be rushing to reduce any further until I see the true result of this change, and I am keeping any eye on it closely. I must say that, I do feel that my body feels a lot of physical relief from this last reduction.

 

I go back to work next week, so we'll see how things are like once stress ramps up again. The absence of emotional stress as a result of my recent breakup has definitely being a huge factor in being able to cope (thanks to therapy and having the courage to be on my own for a change!).

 

Have a great day.

Rico

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

I haven't noticed any changes really since my last reduction of lithium from 875 -> 750mg on the 1st of the month.

 

Tonight, I am going to reduce it by 62.5mg (~8%). I'll see how I go over the next weeks.

 

Rico

[ChessieCat]

Just don't get too gung ho about it and end up regretting it.

[Rico]

Thanks Chessie, I will try not to. Hopefully, this is a modest reduction. The stuff is making me sick every night.

[Carmie]

2 hours ago, Rico said:

Hi all,

 

I haven't noticed any changes really since my last reduction of lithium from 875 -> 750mg on the 1st of the month.

 

Tonight, I am going to reduce it by 62.5mg (~8%). I'll see how I go over the next weeks.

 

Rico

 

Good to hear you’re going well Rico, 

 

Just remember to go slow and steady, and make long holds💚

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the encouragement and support.

 

I haven't experienced any withdrawal symptoms since the reduction on the 11th (3 days ago). 

 

The only things I have noticed is that I am less sedated after taking the dose and don't wake up as groggy in the morning.

 

Thanks,
Rico

[Altostrata]

This is good, Rico. Just don't get too aggressive with the reductions, we don't want you to go back to hospital.

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

I'm still doing well and feel much better after giving up smoking cigarettes...my body just physically can't handle them anymore.

 

I am sleeping much better too since quitting cigarettes and I don't wake up in the middle of the night like I used to. I think cigarettes were causing a lot of problems in the past that I underestimated.

 

I have made another 9% reduction of my lithium dose, which continues to make me feel sick after I take it. 

 

I have  recognized that stress from fighting with my ex-girlfriend can be very destabilizing. 

 

My goal over the next two week is to start doing some light exercise because I have been sedentary for a long time!

 

Thanks,
Rico

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

All has gone well since my last reduction, I plan to do another small one this week. 

 

Unfortunately, I went back to smoking cigarettes which really make me sick now compared to how they did many years ago.

 

I also have plenty of work to do in addressing past trauma and learning how to deal with negative feelings. 

 

I haven't started exercising like I said I would but will try again soon!

 

Thanks,

Rico

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

It's been roughly a week since my last reduction, and there are no issues.

 

However, a couple of days ago I got home late and didn't take the lithium as it would affect my ability to get up for work in the morning.

 

That night, I slept really well and did not feel the usual nausea and 'brain flu'. I also had a very productive day at work and my mind was a lot clearer.

 

Yesterday, I contemplated not taking it anymore because I was convinced that I would continue to feel better and dreaded taking the nightly dose due to the side effects it causes.

 

I ended up taking it out of fear of having issues, and I was extremely sick an hour or so later. I lay in bed with nausea, pain all over my body, and I was very confused mentally. 

 

I wasn't able to sleep like the night before, where I actually slowly wound down. Instead, I lay there in quite a toxic state and out of fear of not being able to go to work the next day, I took a 5mg of Valium - something which I haven't done in a long time.

 

Today, I have been affected by the valium and probably the lithium too.

 

I am really tempted to no longer take the lithium because it is more than obvious that it is making me very sick. My psychiatrist agrees that I have kindled on this drug and that is no longer effective and is aware that I am reducing it slowly. However, he has no other input because his belief is 'therapeutic level'' or be on another drug.

 

I am scared of just stopping the lithium at this dose (562.5mg), but I also don't want to feel like crap for the next few months as I withdraw it slowly. 

 

I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

 

Thank you,

Rico

[Bokart]

Hi Rico,

I'm sorry you're having problems. I know your situation has been pretty rough, and at times very rough, leading to hospitalizations.

I'm just throwing something to consider for you.
Right now you take 562.5mg lithium. You work at the same time. You manage to sleep usually, albeit sometimes it's hard and the sleep is not refreshing. You feel nauseated at times and your mind feels unclear.
 

Can you compare the state you're in to any other situation you have had? How about after you quit olanzapine? Or while you were taking olanzapine?

The point I'm making is that when you only focus on your condition right now, its hard to see any positive things due to your symptoms. But in reality you're even working right now. You're holding it together. That must be a sign for something, right?

I do not mean to belittle your situation. I've been in the same place at some time in my olanzapine taper. I felt really bad and so the symptoms I had were the centrepiece of my life... my sole focus.

I mean yes, the symptoms should be accounted for, but: can you risk your condition worsening? I know it must feel tempting to drop the medicine completely, I did too at one time. My mother talked me out of it. And it was a good thing she did.
 

It's an unfortunate thing that you don't have any reasonable person to talk to about your taper, even your close family seems to be against it. My mother however has always supported me in my taper and has given me good advice when I myself have been having trouble to navigate the way ahead.

Fortunately you're here in this forum.

I can say from my experience that there's always a significant progress backwards the greater your drop is. If you feel destabilized, anxious and stressed  right now, a large drop will usually compound these things. You will be stressed more easily. You will have more anxious spells. You will feel fragile and your mind might be prone to panic. At least this is my experience about myself.

So don't take your current progress for granted. One drop large enough will undo all your progress.

The thing with psychosis or breakdowns is that they destabilize the mind for a long time. It takes time to get back to normal, sometimes considerable time. You won't know how long it will take until you feel better... at ease... and not so concerned anymore...

Please don't risk it. Take your time. Sometimes you just have to ride through the symptoms until you see the sun. And the sun will be there, there's just some clouds passing by. Clouds are moving, but the sun is not and will never be. This will pass. I know it will.


Best Regards,

Bokart

[Rico]

Hi Bokart,

 

Thank you for your reply. You are right, things are much better than they used to be before.

 

I think the day that I skipped the lithium and then taking it again the next day, then valium - as well as the stressful confrontation with my mother, has somewhat destabilised me.

 

Last night I reduced the dose to 500mg, and felt quite sick afterwards and woke up at 1am vomiting and my brain feeling really inflammed and sore.

 

I have dragged myself to work, but my head is in a lot of pain right now and it is really hard to function. I am praying that I don't get worse.

 

I also have a feeling that being so sick has something to do with the amount of cigarettes  I have been smoking. Cigarettes have been making me sick for quite some time, and in the times that I did stop, I felt better, but I'd go back on them after 5 days. 

 

I'm back at the point where everything is overwhelming and finding it hard to cope, but I am really trying hard to hang in there holding on to a little thread.

 

Regards,
Rico

[Guest]

Hi Rico,

 

after reading 5 pages of threads and your horrible experiences I just want to know have you quit/tapered zyprexa successfully and if so how’d did you feel afterwards and currently and at what rate was your taper? Thanks in advance!

 

-Brock

[Rico]

Hi Brock,

 

The first time I 'successfully' quit zyprexa was in a hospital setting at the end of 2016 where I became completely destabilised and I was sick regardless of the dose I took.

 

The second time was last year when I was discharged from hospital after a two week stay. They had me on 10mg zypexa. My doctor reduced it by 2.5mg per week (I was also taking lithium) and I was quite ok with that rate of reduction. I guess being on it for a short time made it easier. It takes a while to feel better afterwards.

 

I see that olanzapine is your only drug and that you are tapering slowly. I wish you all the best, I know about all the frustrations and side effects of this drug. I was on it for almost 18 years.

 

------

My update:

 

I ended up in ER earlier today due to severe nausea from lithium. The blood tests show that all my organs are fine and my lithium level was 0.35 (I had taken a 250mg tablet in the morning though, so the level would have been much lower otherwise).

 

They gave me a drip for the nausea, pain killers of the head ache and really looked after me. The doctor also consulted with a psychiatrist who suggested that the lithium be stopped altogether.

 

Of course, I am very hesitant to do that so I am back on 500mg that I took when I got home. I ended up sleeping for a couple of works and woke up with the nausea and head pains again. 

 

I must say that I believe that stress and smoking a lot this week have contributed to how I am feeling. I also felt quite upset and vulnerable after a psychotherapy session which touched on pretty painful stuff.'

 

I really look forward to the day that I begin healing. It can be extremely scary when I get sick as I often assume that I will be like that forever.

 

I have learnt this week to manage my stress better by changing the way I react to other peoples' behaviour. I tend to stress out too much when someone responds to me in a way that I don't like.

 

I hope everyone is doing well.

 

Rico

[Altostrata]

Rico, please please do not skip doses! We can't tell what's causing your symptoms -- the irregular dosing or lithium side effects.

 

If I were you, I'd stay at 500mg for several weeks, let that dosage change settle out. In the meantime, I'll ask @JanCarolto look in.

 

Also, you need to put your relationship with your mother on different footing. Can the two of you see a counselor? If you want to minimize drugs, you cannot be taking a pill, especially a benzo, whenever the two of you have an argument. That causes all kind of repercussions that might send you back to the hospital and get re-medicated all over again.

[Bokart]

I also want to chime in on this.

I have found that one of my biggest obstacles in tapering has been managing stress. I have found that each drop makes me more susceptible to effects of stress and that causes many different problems like insomnia, anxiety etc. So it has been worthwhile for me to minimize stress in any way possible. I'm concerned that your work might be an impediment to your tapering efforts. But you have to evaluate this yourself. What causes you stress and how can you avoid those things or manage them better? Also, what are your ways to relieve stress?

Honestly, I don't know what options you have regarding working & living, so I can not comment on that. I just know from my experience that managing stress has been vital for me.

Also, by judging your history, Rico, I think you are very sensitive to any kind of psychoactive substance. Minimizing them might be a good idea, and you have pondered that yourself too (quitting smoking). I would do that. I would also look into coffee, if you are taking it. You have also mentioned that quitting smoking made you feel much better in the past. That might be worth a try again, even though quitting addictive substances is always hard. Could you get some professional advice on this? Having a plan with this probably increases your chances of success.

 

However, I wouldn't still drop your lithium until you feel more stable. A drop  -or a missed dose- would most likely unstabilize you further. But I also have to say I have no experience of tapering lithium and my advice is based on my own experiences of tapering a different medication.

Best of luck to in your efforts!
-Bokart

[Rico]

Thanks Alto, I agree that staying on 500mg for a few weeks is a good idea. 

 

You are absolutely right Bokart. Managing stress is critical!

 

My inability to manage stress twenty years ago is what landed me in the psychiatric system. 

 

Can you please tell me how you manage stress?

 

My current symptoms are:

 

- waking up with pain in left side of my brain / body

- feeling nausea after taking lithium

- really angry emotions coming up towards my mother who I live (there is so much trauma and resentment that has never been dealt with.

- feeling somewhat cognitively impaired.

 

I am stressed at the moment due to work, and I want to continue working. My brain is active with all sorts of worries at the moment and I have also quit smoking. 

 

I have a lot of anxiety about going back to hospital if I cannot cope. It has been ingrained in me that I cannot cope without medication. I'm quite vulnerable at the moment, so I need to be careful not to take too much on. 

 

Thanks,

Rico

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

I am doing well and will continue to hold on the current 500mg dose as Alto suggested.

 

i am finding that I am functioning mentally ok, but due to smoking and lack of physical exercise, I am not in the best shape.

 

i am moving out today on my own as I think it’s time to separate from the codependent and enmeshed relationship with my mother. I am quite nervous but I look forward to living closer to work and making my own decisions without being nagged all the time.

 

i am finding that cigarette smoking is causing a lot of issues and I am really addicted. I am going to have to stop due to not being able to afford this habit but I am scared of the withdrawal symptoms.

 

Work has extended my contract and I am doing well, however, I have been quite lazy and distracted lately.

 

Thanks

Rico

[Altostrata]

That's very good news, Rico. Good for you, get some distance from your mother.

 

Getting more exercise and tapering off the cigarettes -- that's real self-care. You'll feel so much better.

[Guest]

I agree with that, cigarettes  magnify anxiety for sure, I too have quit smoking and feel a whole lot better I know it’s hard because it’s a hell of a crutch. Make that change and you’ll thank yourself later. 

 

Good luck and stay well! 

 

-Brock

[Carmie]

Hi Rico, 

 

All the best with your move. Being codependent is really bad for our health, I’m glad you’re going to be taking better care of yourself. Glad to hear you’re going to hold for a little while too. 

 

Take care, sending hugs🤗

[Rico]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm nearly settled in at my new place. I definitely don't feel as anxious as I was before being around my mother.

 

I exercised for the first time in months today! I walked around the block which involved a couple of hills. 

 

I haven't had a cigarette for several hours now and not sure if I am ready to give up just yet. 

 

Lots of hugs to all!

 

Rico

 

[ChessieCat]

That's good to hear.  Please be careful not to overdo things.

[Rico]

Hi all,

 

I had a brief hospital stay during April as a lot of stress de-railed me. 

 

My lithium was increased by doctors in hospital, but now it's back to 500mg. I have improved significantly since discharge, and managing stress better.

 

I am back at work full time and looking to move out from home this weekend. I am too scared to reduce the lithium any further, so will hold for a while. 

 

Paying attention to my issues and solving real problems has made a huge difference for me, as much as this group has helped me understand withdrawal and non-drug coping techniques.

 

Thanks,
Rico

[ChessieCat]

Hi Rico,

 

Really pleased to hear from you and that you are doing okay.