JoBlog

Blurred vision seems to be the major side effect for flupenthixol, at least for me. My consultant assures me that it’s normal, and is caused by the drug affecting the muscles which control the lens. Hopefully it will improve as I get used to the drug. If not, we’re going to try a reduced dose, as it should be possible to achieve full action with few side effects.
On the plus side, it’s actually working. I’d lost all hope of ever feeling better, but it’s kicked in quickly like it claims, and I’m feeling ok, even if not “normal” yet. Not sure if that’ll ever happen, but flupenthixol is my friend, at least for the moment.

From tomorrow, I will be taking 3 medications aimed at my depression. 1000mg Lithium, 4mg Edronax and 1mg Flupenthixol each day. The pharmacy I use didn’t give me a patient information leaflet with the flupenthixol, so I’m not that sure what to expect, except that it can definately make you very tired. 1mg is a very low dose though (can be up to 60mg) so I’m hoping it won’t cause much of a problem.
On the plus side, it usually kicks in within 2-3 days if it’s going to help, which is very nice. Also, it’s a pretty bright red pill, which makes a change from the dull white and beige ones of late.
I honestly don’t know what the next option would be. Probably an MAOI or a Tricyclic type antidepressant, both of which I should be at home to go onto, not here in London. We’ll give the flupenthixol a chance, and see what happens.

I like to think that via my blog I am pretty open about my life, and events that occur within it. I do so in the hope that some of it may help others in similar situations, and so that people can keep up with events without having to be in touch with me.
That’s why I feel I need to write about this. Six weeks ago, my boyfriend split with me. I feel no need to go into details, save to say that my depression was a major part of it, and that I don’t blame him.
So how does a depressed person cope with the loss of her boyfriend, her best friend and her strongest support in one go? She doesn’t.
I’m not coping, but I am surviving, due mainly to my parents. But term starts in a week, with two exams followed by a pretty hectic timetable. My consultant should be contacting me in the next couple of days, and I guess we’ll go from there.
I just don’t see things getting better any time soon.

Edronax plus Lithium is not a friendly combination. They combine to give you much worse side effects than the two taken separately. Most of them I can cope with, but not with the daily headaches, which don’t respond to paracetamol. And no, I can’t try ibuprofen, as Lithium prevents you taking any non-steroidal anti-inflamatory pain killers.
Since my consultant is on holiday all of this week and next, I’ve decided to reduce the dose by 1/4 on my own, because I just could not tollerate the pain. I would expect to speak to my consultant, and a drug change some time after Easter.

On an unrelated note, my second dwarf Hamster died on Friday night. We think he had a stroke. As a result we have 2 very large hamster cages, and loads of toys if anyone’s interested! Otherwise we’ll put them in the paper, or give them to a charity shop.

Thank goodness for holidays! My Easter Holiday starts today, since I’ve just sat my Ethics exam. (They make us do a humanity in our second year). It was horrible, but at least I don’t have to resit it if I fail - I can still pass the year.
I got my MBII exam back a few days ago, and I passed it (C including coursework) which I’m happy with, so hopefully passing the year is a reasonable possibility.
I’m still plodding on with the Reboxetine. I’m coping better, but feeling worse if that’s possible. I’ll talk to my consultant sometime next week.

Not surprisingly, the time has come for me to change drugs again. We’re sticking with Lithium, and removing the Duloxetine, before adding an antidepressant I responded quite well to last time, Edronax (Reboxetine). Coming off the duloxetine is currently not great, since I’m getting really nasty headaches, but they should be over in a few days.

The next step if this doesn’t work, would be to add a low dose of Fluanxol to the mixture. It’s used fairly often in a mixture of drugs, and can help with depression, although it is an antipsychotic.

Yeah, I know I’m late with this, but I figured I should catch up.

Four jobs I’ve had in my life

• Baby Sitter - I only include this because I couldn’t find a 4th
• Some kind of IT lackey at my Dad’s company when I was 16 - I installed ghost images onto people’s computers, and wiped a few important documents…
• Call Centre Monkey, for a mail order company.
• Silver Service Waitress, all over London

Four films I can watch over and over

• The Matrix
• The Lord of the Rings Films
• Serenity (or rather I will, when it gets released)
• Shrek

Four TV shows I love to watch
Again, I’m not sure if these count. I mean, they were tv shows, but now they’re DVD’s…

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Angel
• Firefly
• Friends

Four places I have lived
Ok, so this is cheating a bit, but it’s the best I would come up with…

• Bishop’s Stortford
• South Kensington
• Chelsea
• Battersea

Four places I have been on holiday

• California (a long time ago)
• Slovenia
• Sailing round the Greek Islands
• France

Four of my favourite dishes

• Roast Pork, with apple sauce
• Lamb Passanda, with Nan bread
• Apple Crumble and Icecream
• Stew and Dumplings

Four websites I visit daily
Erm, I’m not sure if I have 4…

• Gmail
• My Uni E-mail
• Google, most days I guess
• Erm, my blog?

Four places I would rather be right now

• In a jacuzzi
• In bed
• In New Zealand
• In Canada

Four bloggers I’m tagging
Unfortunately, due to my great tardiness, I can only think of one, and that’s Kayleigh.