Worried

[HildaOgden]

I've got a blood clot/dvt.
GP wrote to psych because a side effect of Clopixol is dvt
spoke to psych's secretary today and psych has arranged for an urgent appt on Thurs
I'm worried that I'll have to stop the Clopixol depo because of the dvt thing

the locum psych I saw last week said I might have to go into hospital to do the med change. I don't want to go into hospital.

I'm just really worried about it all

[Wonderland.]

Sorry to hear about the blood clot!

I really hope the appointment with your psych goes okay.

If you do not want to go into hospital I think it's important for you to express that clearly to them, if that is something they bring up.

Would you like to talk about the reasons why? We are here if you do.

[chinahorse]

Perhaps you could think of what support you'd like and would help you to remain safe to do any changes whilst in the community?

[HildaOgden]

thanks for your replies wonderland and chinahorse

I was in hospital in May for 3 weeks and I just don't want to go back in again.

I'm going to France on 11 July for 2 weeks (my Mum has sold her house there and she's completing on 20 July, I'm going over to support her and help her sort the last few things re moving)

I am at odds with my care-co. When I was on overnight leave from hospital for the night he was supposed to visit me the following morning at home. He forgot to visit me which I didn't think was very good.

Then last week I phoned him on Weds afternoon to remind him to come to my appt with the locum psych on Thurs morning at 9.50am. He didn't turn up and I've not heard from him since.

I know I could phone him but I'm really annoyed with him for being so unreliable. He's only been my care co since March. I had another social worker before him and got rid of her because she was so unreliable my mum complained about her.

So I'm not convinced my care co will support me in the community if I change meds while in the community.

I suppose I could be under the HTT or crisis team or whatever they are called these days

My GP is really good, I could get more regular appts with him.

I'm due my Clopixol depo on 30th June (next Thurs I think), so I guess my psych wants to see me before then to discuss if I need to change meds.
IT's frustrating because I wanted to ask my psych if I could increase my dose of depot and regularity of depo to gain some stability and quality of life as the past 10 months has been pretty bad especially since Jan this year.

thanks again for your replies

[HildaOgden]

been doing some research online about anti psychotics and blood clots
have looked at several different anti-p's patient info leaflets and they all say that developing blood clots is a side effect

from what i found some research has been done into blood clots and anti psychotics and the increase in risk of developing a blood clot if you take an anti-p.

apparently developing a dvt increases after you turn 40... and I'm 42.

I guess I'm just going to keep on with the clopixol and be more vigilant about developing a blood clot in the future.

[tiptoes]

Maybe it would be worth discussing how the different medications cause blood clots and work out how the different reasons can be managed and what other considerations you will need to consider.

The biggest problem with blood clots is not realising you are at risk of them once you know they can be a problem there are ways of reducing the risk and knowing the warning signs.

[HildaOgden]

thanks tiptoes, will definitely ask what you suggest.
thanks

[HildaOgden]

saw psych. he said blood clots side effect of anti-psychotics but usually risk is small.
However, as I've developed a blood clot need to be cautious. Am to stay on Clopixol depo at same dose and see him again in 5 weeks when I get back from France to see how the anticoagulant is working.
He's agreed in principal to an increase in Clopixol but using tablets not depo.

Reasoning being that IF the Clopixol is causing blood clot then tablets get out of system quickly if stop taking them whereas a depo takes about 3 months to get out of system.

I feel it's risky taking the tablets as when I become unwell I am not compliant with medication which makes me worse. Yet the psych says hopefully the 300 of Clopixol depo will hold me from getting really unwell.

My psych has just returned from a couple of months off sick and he was fitting me in at the end of clinic this morning so I really appreciated his time.

I mentioned a couple of other things to him like how beneficial the hospital stay ended up being despite having to initially be sectioned. I'm hoping when I see him in 5 weeks time we can talk about the use of hospital as an option in the future if I become acutely unwell again.

Plus I mentioned diagnosis. He said that he would monitor me over the next 3-4 months and discuss diagnosis again with me then. I am saying that I feel like my illness has changed drastically over the past 3-4 years which has been helped partially by finding a good medication mix but also through DBT.

I feel I no longer meet all the necessary criteria of BPD/EUPD and if I do then it is purely as traits.
My psychotherapist (who is also a psychiatrist) believes I have a type of schizoaffective disorder and I know that when I was in hospital, the locum psych I saw said that 4 diagnoses were mentioned in my file:

1. BPD/EUPD
2. Bipolar
3. Major recurrent depression with psychotic features
4. Schizoaffective disorder

I'm just looking for some clarity so that I can make sure I'm receiving the appropriate treatment and so that I can make my family and friends aware of what I am dealing with and so they know how best to help me when I become unwell.

I just want some stability and quality of life and I've certainly not had that for some time