dantepekoe: Getting off lithium or stay on for life

[dantepekoe]

Is there a connection of incontinence with severe depression??  No medical or physical problem found.

[ChessieCat]

Hi DP,

 

Welcome to SA.  This is a peer support site for people want to get off their psychiatric drug/s or people who have gone off their drug/s too quickly and are suffering withdrawal symptoms.  It is "staffed" by volunteers and we are not medical professionals.

 

If you are taking psychiatric drugs it will be helpful if you would Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Please include details for the last 12-18 months of  all drugs, dates, doses and discontinuations & reinstatements.  If you can't remember dates, please write it as "early March" or "mid-August".  Please provide a summary of any drugs prior to that which can just be listed with start and stop years. Please include all prescription, non-prescription drugs and supplements you are currently taking.

 

If you are taking any type of drugs, have you researched their side effects?

 

Here is the SA topic discussing:  urination-and-bladder-issues-male-and-female

 

It may be a chicken and egg situation, which came first?  A quick search on google for depression and incontinence brought up links about incontinence causing depression.

 

From:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/mens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises-for-men/art-20045074

Benefits of Kegel exercises for men

Many factors can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, including the surgical removal of the prostate (radical prostatectomy) and conditions, such as diabetes and an overactive bladder.

 

You might benefit from doing Kegel exercises if you:

• Have urinary or fecal incontinence
• Dribble after urination — usually after you've left the toilet

[dantepekoe]

The shrink says must stay on for life. Is this so?

 

[Shep]

Hi, dantepekoe.

 

I also was told I'd be on psych drugs for life, but I'm off everything and slowly healing from the damage the drugs did to me. For me, the drugs were making me sicker and sicker, so I had to go against my doctor and get off them in order to not die from them. 

 

Many (if not most) people are not able to stay on these drugs for long periods of time without getting physically and mentally sick from them.

 

You may want to read Robert Whitaker's Anatomy of an Epidemic. 

 

Here's a brief video about the book:

 

Robert Whitaker, author Anatomy of an Epidemic

 

You're on lithium, which can affect the kidneys and may be causing problems. Have you had your lithium bloodwork done recently? 

 

Also, you have "major heart surgery" listed in your signature. Are you on any medications for that? Please note that some heart meds can cause incontinence, too. 

 

You may also be experiencing problems with Prozac, since you're bouncing your dose around quite a bit in the past month.

 

Are you interested in coming off any of these drugs? As ChessieCat wrote, we're a peer support forum for people who want to learn how to come off psychiatric dugs. 

 

Please let us know your goal with your psychiatric drugs so we can better assist you.