On the 31st July 2025, I called the crisis team with concerns about Molly. She is not sleeping, changed her PJ’s many times through the night, has oculogyric crisis, is very repetitive and has no spacial awareness plus agitation. The said they would call back, they did at 2am which I missed… called back later that morning to be advised the concern was closed due to lack of engagement. I repeated the same concerns and was told the CLD team would pick it up at 9am today and that they will call me asap.

The CDL team did call and I relayed the concerns to them, an urgent review will be arranged with an out of area psychiatrist today the 4th August 2025. The review was on ‘Teams”, the concerns discussed and no change made, to be honest I don’t think any of us on the call knew what the next move should or could be. The outcome was to wait for the Psychiatrist from the RADS team in Newcastle to to return to work on Thursday 7th August 2025. Fortunately RADS offered a face to face meeting he felt the need to review Molly in person which was best in everyone opinion.

Molly an I arrived at St Nicholas Hospital (which is where RADS is located) for 10am, Molly was sick in reception which still isn’t unusual even though Quetiapine was deemed a the cause and yet she has fully been withdrawn from it at this time.

Molly was physically examined and observed by her psychiatrist, he described her a hypomanic, he believe the Amisulpide has not helped to stabilise her mood and the side effect of it were visible and very evident. Three option are now being discussed:

1. Restart quetiapine which had prevented a manic episode since her discharge from hospital in 2019
2. Start Orlanzapine
3. Start Lithium

I didn’t like the sound of any!!! I put my head in my hands and asked myself “what the hell are you going to agree to?”

“No to quetiapine – “she can’t metabolise it, maybe trial Olanzapine…. not sure…. Lithium – OMG isn’t that battery acid?

Since the 1970s, lithium has been a common and effective treatment for manic-depressive illness, also known as bipolar disorder. But lithium is also the central constituent in powerful modern batteries used in everything from cell phones to electric cars such as Teslas. 

After a long period of consideration we opted for option 2. We left with a prescription for the new antipsychotics, instruction to stop the Amisulpide with immediate effect and have Zopiclone as a PRN. The goal is to slow Molly’s brain, thought and stabilise her mood and prevent another hospital admission.

Now let me see…

Claire X