Cyclothymia

[Russell]

After my second appointment with Healthy Minds I have been given a diagnoses of Cyclothymia, a condition I didn't know existed, but on finding out about its symptoms see this exactly how I am feeling. Unfortunately Healthy Minds can't treat this as it requires more specialist treatment and so I now have to wait for that appointment to come through. Lithium was mentioned as a possible medication,what do any of you know of this? And what can I expect.

[Pip]

Okay so I had to look up to find out what cyclothymia is  .

I haven't taken lithium but I did 6 weeks on a psych ward when I was training to be a nurse and a couple of patients took lithium.  If you haven't googled lithium take a look at this link http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/lithium

[SteveW]

I'm glad you have got a proper diagnosis. I thought your mood swings were too extreme for cyclothymia. But your Healthy Minds worker has had the benefit of sitting with you face to face for a couple of hours and you really need that for proper diagnosis.

The link Pip gave you on Lithium is very good and I would only add a few things. The first is "shaking of the hands". Lithium can cause full blown tremor which isn't always confined to the hands. I got it so badly that I couldn't drink a full cup of coffee. I kept spraying myself with hot coffee and ended up drinking half cups.

The second thing is the long term effects. People end up taking Lithium for years and it has a tendency to cause kidney problems and much more commonly thyroid problems. It can cause goitre. I would Google Lithium Long Term Effects and explore this.

I will confess that I don't like Lithium very much. In overdose it is very nasty and a Lithium death is not a good one. It is claimed that that it is effective in dealing with suicidal ideation and it is often put in the hands of suicidal people. It can draw you into endless blood tests. If you reach a therapeutic level and stay there it is isn't too bad. My level kept changing and I experienced many dose adjustments and loads of blood tests. A good few people though end up with one blood test a year.

But I can't deny its effectiveness in cycling mood disorders though. I just think that after 50 or 60 years of use we should have something better. If you go on it I hope it does the trick for you. Take care.

Love

Steve

[Russell]

Hi ,Steve. Thanks for your advice.Although I am pleased to get something like a proper diagnoses,I am sceptical about taking such a potent drug,especially as you have told me about the potential risks. My Buddhist practice of mindfulness,meditation and self awareness are actually really helping at the moment and this is the road I want to go down. Certainly not ruling out a six month course of medication, just to get me on a level,but really do want to minimise any dependency/ side effects. Thank you so much for your continued support and advise and I truly hope you are well at the moment and long may remain so.

[Russell]

Finally saw psychologist today! I have now been referred for therapy as I have a load of issues I'm not dealing with. Good news is the Sertraline is really working for me at the moment and I'm in my third week of being normal/happy. Definately noticing a difference from days with and without alcohol, and really cutting back. Hopefully,this will be a long settled period.

[Pip]

It's good that you have had a positive outcome and will be getting therapy.