Just checking in

Well, a lot has happened since I've last been here, though I lurk quite a bit.
I've had some med changes after my hallucinations were still present. Now I'm on lithium 500mg, lexapro 60mg, Risperidone 2mg, Saphris 5mg. I'm currently switching from Risperidone to Saphris as I was putting on too much weight with the former.
I'm hoping Saphris does the job and I can start losing a little weight again. The biggest change was the lexapro which I *think* has made a big impact on my mood and might have shifted some of the 6 month depression I've been experiencing.
I'm not really happy to be taking three different types of medication, but I've accepted it. I'm also thankful I'm in a social healthcare system, when I saw the price of saphris!
Apart from that I'm just plodding along. I have a trip booked back overseas to where I was staying when my full blown psychotic episode happened. I'm traveling with a family member though, so I should be fine.
My long term plan is to apply for a disability pension, pending any improvements that the psychiatrist is able to make for me. I wouldn't like not working, but I think it has such a profoundly negative impact on my moods that it might just not be possible.
Well that's pretty much it, just wanted to get my thoughts out there

Hey - good to hear from you

Sounds like a lot is going on for you. I am on a lot of meds but I think it is better to be on a lot and more well than not on a lot but unwell - does that make sense to you? Weight gain from meds is horrible - I feel for you, same has happened to me.

Anyhow good to hear from you and I hope that things pan out OK

hugs

Cracked

Hey there!
It's super nice to hear from you! I'm glad that things are going better and that your medication changes have been helpful. I hope that going back to the place where you had your psychotic episode is not triggering for you. I wish you the best!

CrackedGirl wrote:Hey - good to hear from you

Sounds like a lot is going on for you. I am on a lot of meds but I think it is better to be on a lot and more well than not on a lot but unwell - does that make sense to you? Weight gain from meds is horrible - I feel for you, same has happened to me.

Anyhow good to hear from you and I hope that things pan out OK

hugs

Cracked

Thanks Cracked. Definitely I'm prepared to do anything to make me well. I was even considering going down the ECT route for depression but after hearing a bit more about it I'm not going to push it. I have a good team of people looking after me now which is great. The weight gain sucks because I actually had bariatric surgery a few years back because I was morbidly obese. So I have been a nice normal weight with all the benefits and now I'm slowly slipping back. Feels awful!

-- Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:16 am --

Cheze2 wrote:Hey there!
It's super nice to hear from you! I'm glad that things are going better and that your medication changes have been helpful. I hope that going back to the place where you had your psychotic episode is not triggering for you. I wish you the best!

Thanks Cheze! If you take a look at my profile pic, that's the place I'm headed back to. It's just glorious. Hopefully my episode hasn't damaged my ability to enjoy it, and I can get back there on a semi-permanent basis.

That place in your pic looks beautiful. Makes me think of Bali

Confuzzled12 wrote:Thanks Cracked. Definitely I'm prepared to do anything to make me well. I was even considering going down the ECT route for depression but after hearing a bit more about it I'm not going to push it. I have a good team of people looking after me now which is great. The weight gain sucks because I actually had bariatric surgery a few years back because I was morbidly obese. So I have been a nice normal weight with all the benefits and now I'm slowly slipping back. Feels awful!

So glad you have a good team working with you. I think this makes such a difference when trying to get well. That is reallly good to hear. That sounds really difficult to be regaining weight. I lost a load of weight then put it back on with the quetiapine It sucks when you need the meds so cant stop them to stop the weight gain. I really hope you are able to control the weight without having to mess with your meds - dont lose hope <3

huge hugs

Cracked

It is a very beautiful place. I too can join in on the weight gain wagon. In high school I was very heavy due to all the psych meds I was on. Later in life, I lost almost 100lbs and have slowly regained about 60 of that back due to medications again. (30 of those pounds were in one month!) The regaining of the weight is the worst feeling because you know how hard it was to lose it in the first place.

((hugs))

CrackedGirl wrote:That place in your pic looks beautiful. Makes me think of Bali

Cracked

It is Bali Have you been? I can't wait to go back, I've been thinking of it non stop!

Confuzzled12 wrote:

CrackedGirl wrote:That place in your pic looks beautiful. Makes me think of Bali

Cracked

It is Bali Have you been? I can't wait to go back, I've been thinking of it non stop!

I have been to Bali yes - I went on my elective at med school and did absolutely no elective work at all - rather had a lovely time hanging out in Bali Wonderful place. I loved the heat and humidity too and sitting in the swimming pool where we stayed (which was a bit of a dive but still kind of lovely). Food was great too despite one of my friends insisting on eating MacDonalds We hung out in bars in the capital too where they had bands singing cover songs and we drank cocktails. And also hired a car and went exploring. Unfortunately 2 months after we went someone decided it was a good idea to blow up a nightclub there

I flew on to Australia. My friends had got me drunk then it was a night flight. I had bought loads of wooden carvings as presents for family and ignored the customs warnings for Australia as I was drunk and exhausted. Said I had nothing to declare then they xrayed my bag and saw all the wood. Got into a load of trouble and put on a naughty list so if I do the same again I will be fined - so I am on an official naughty list for Australian Customs

Anyhow I loved Bali - hope you have a great time

Hugs

Cracked

CrackedGirl wrote:

Confuzzled12 wrote:

CrackedGirl wrote:That place in your pic looks beautiful. Makes me think of Bali

Cracked

It is Bali Have you been? I can't wait to go back, I've been thinking of it non stop!

I have been to Bali yes - I went on my elective at med school and did absolutely no elective work at all - rather had a lovely time hanging out in Bali Wonderful place. I loved the heat and humidity too and sitting in the swimming pool where we stayed (which was a bit of a dive but still kind of lovely). Food was great too despite one of my friends insisting on eating MacDonalds We hung out in bars in the capital too where they had bands singing cover songs and we drank cocktails. And also hired a car and went exploring. Unfortunately 2 months after we went someone decided it was a good idea to blow up a nightclub there

I flew on to Australia. My friends had got me drunk then it was a night flight. I had bought loads of wooden carvings as presents for family and ignored the customs warnings for Australia as I was drunk and exhausted. Said I had nothing to declare then they xrayed my bag and saw all the wood. Got into a load of trouble and put on a naughty list so if I do the same again I will be fined - so I am on an official naughty list for Australian Customs

Anyhow I loved Bali - hope you have a great time

Hugs

Cracked

That must have been an amazing experience! Good old Kuta by the sounds of it. Did you get to go to Ubud? I still have lots of great friends there all waiting for me to come back. The cover bands are great, eventually you end up knowing the set lists off by heart though (the joys of living in a tourist town). I'm not surprised Aussie customs gave you grief, they're some of the strictest in the world! When I went to the UK I laughed as I went through customs in comparison

Hey

Confuzzled12 wrote:That must have been an amazing experience! Good old Kuta by the sounds of it. Did you get to go to Ubud? I still have lots of great friends there all waiting for me to come back. The cover bands are great, eventually you end up knowing the set lists off by heart though (the joys of living in a tourist town). I'm not surprised Aussie customs gave you grief, they're some of the strictest in the world! When I went to the UK I laughed as I went through customs in comparison

It was really cool Except one of the ppl I was travelling with was a bit of a knob but it was still great. That was it, Kuta. Yeah we were not far away from there and used to get a taxi in. I am not sure about Ubud. Some places we went were for an island tour - we saw a volcano I think and rice paddies and made some stops along the way. We also drove out to near where you can get the ferry to Lombok and went to a beach where the sand was really weird and your feet sank right into it.

That is so cool that you have friends there waiting for you - and that you lived there. Hehe for knowing the set lists off by heart - they reminded me of the ppl in the bar in Good Morning Vietnam.

Yeah Aussie Customs seem pretty strict - and not to be messed with. Us in the UK have already had mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease, MRSA and the plague - so we are not too fussed lol.

So you got ill out in Bali? How was that? I was ill in Malaysia esp but also in Thailand and Singapore whilst travelling but had no insight and got into a fair bit of trouble as a result.

Hugs

Cracked