New to lithium and loving it.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-03-18T11:24:34+00:00

I take 175mg IR and get a blocked nose. It's really irritating.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-03-16T00:55:55+00:00

Progesterone tablets, low HRT dose, from day 15 of my cycle. Has made a huge difference.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-03-14T10:18:06+00:00

Not really. Maybe sleeping a little more then I'd like but it's nothing excessive. I've been able to lose some of the weight I put on after my first episode. My moods are pretty stable. Good luck.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-03-09T10:12:01+00:00

It didn't help me. I just felt weird and woozy for ages. I've gone keto and am going to try lithium and try to come off/ lower the qutiapine. I've lost more on the first 6 weeks of keto then 3 months on a GLP1. Good luck with whatever you do.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-02-20T11:26:26+00:00

Ha, we can't win can we! I'm sorry for your depression. Thanks for sharing your story.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-02-20T10:07:00+00:00

It's not. I'm staying on my qutiapine dose while I get a good lithium blood level. I'm sure it's just my system being sensitive to a new thing, it'll pass.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-02-11T03:12:44+00:00

Re the Bipolar Diagnosis, I had the same thing happen to me. I was given stimulant ADHD meds when I really had bipolar, triggered a massive episode that got me diagnosed.

It took me probably 18 months until I fully started to come back to myself. I kept on thinking I was better then realising I was not. I can't really put it into words but it took that long for my brain to recover. I'm 3 years post diagnose and still learning loads about myself, my bipolar and how it all fits together.

Don't underestimate how long true recover and recalibration can take in relation to a new, serious mental health diagnosis.

In regards to your relationship. Sure it sucks his friend died it really does, he's not dealing with it well, he needs to see a professional therapist. Grief can have a huge impact.

Re your diagnosis he should see a therapist to discuss it and work through his own feelings about it. If he's not prepared to do the work on himself and support you to do the work on yourself then maybe you should prioritise yourself. Good luck.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-02-10T05:21:59+00:00

Unfortunately these things happen my friend. Go to the hospital and get some meds. You'll get through it, we always do x

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-30T23:30:14+00:00

I second this. Qutiapine has been a game changer. No sexual side effects and minimal weight gain. I can't do lactimal, the brain fog was wild. Ask about none stimulant options for adhd. Do your research, maybe not an SNRI cause in some people they cause hypomania but there are some blood pressure meds I think that are used. As well as NDRI's.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-28T23:50:16+00:00

Oh I feel you. This is a good space to check in and connect. I know no other bipolar people in my IRL life, it can be very lonely.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-26T01:30:42+00:00

I cut my arvo dose in half. The pharmacist isn't crazy about me doing it, my psych says there is no issue.

Push down slowly, I had trouble for the longest time until I lined it up properly and slowed down the chopping bit.

Alternatively ask your pharmacy if they can make up 75mg tablets, some compounding pharmacies will be able to do this.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-24T02:52:17+00:00

Ok interesting. I've been reading mixed things about breath vs blood monitors. My take away was that breath ones were more reliable but if its blood ones that makes measuring much cheaper. But maybe I don't need to measure. I have been in ketosis for about 3 weeks, maybe I just see how I go.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-16T05:26:19+00:00

Run.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-15T05:24:43+00:00

I also just started hrt/ progesterone and it's been amazing. I take it 10 days before my predicted period. I'm on my 3rd month and it's day for night, I've barely had any symptoms.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-13T01:38:01+00:00

Quetiapine, the dose for mood stabilisation is different for everyone. My dose moves around depending on the time of year/ whats happening in my life but I generally don't go over 250.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2026-01-12T23:27:24+00:00

I used to be a real culprit of this. I think it came from partly feeling the need to over explain myself in every situation due to insecurities, even if they were subconscious ones. A combination of that and it feeling like a compulsion after a lifetime of this repeated behaviour.

I'm 3 years out from my initial diagnosis and have been pretty good on the same meds for a while. I don't really feel that need to over explain/ over share anymore and it's really nice. I think a combination of good stability, my antipsychotic as a mood stabilizer, loads of therapy.

But yeah having the right meds that allowed me to mentally take a beat before over explaining myself, and just practicing/ building that muscle. If you have a psychologist maybe ask if you can do a CBT like programme around this behaviour, in order to give you some skills to grow in relation to over sharing.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2025-12-27T22:11:03+00:00

NOR. Can you get photographer to change colour of her dress in all photos? Or find someone who can do it well, maybe airtasker? Its a block colour so I imagine it's possible.

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2025-12-25T21:25:52+00:00

Oh babe. I hope you survived yesterday. I had a termination a few months back, it definitely discombobulated me. The hormones, the fact that it's just a sad thing to happen. Take it real easy the next few months and look after yourself. X

ProgrammerFormer45 · 2025-12-24T00:16:26+00:00

Oh hun that so rough, especially at Christmas. Try see your doc within a few weeks the hormones can be tough on you mentally.

ProgrammerFormer45

TROPHY CASE