‘Survivor’ Season 42: Jackson Fox Gives Timeline on Lithium Medication
The Survivor Season 42 premiere was full of twists and turns viewers didn’t expect. And we finally got to meet the Survivor Season 42 cast. Jackson Fox was an early favorite, as he told his personal story as a transgender man with a complicated family history. Unfortunately, Fox’s sleep anxiety medication, lithium, could’ve potentially caused him issues in Fiji. Thus, he had to leave. Here’s a timeline Fox gave regarding what occurred with his medication and the game.
Why did Jackson Fox leave ‘Survivor’ Season 42?
The Survivor Season 42 cast featured Jackson Fox on the Taku Tribe. During the premiere, Fox shared his story of transitioning and establishing a better relationship with his father through his mother’s illness. Unfortunately, Fox’s time in Fiji was short-lived.
So, why did Jackson Fox leave Survivor? Executive producer and host Jeff Probst came to the Taku Tribe’s camp to talk to Fox about his medication. Parade notes production was alerted that changes had occurred to Fox’s medication before he left to compete in the season. Fox noted he was attempting to wean himself off of lithium, a prescription he took for his mental health. Unfortunately, going off of lithium while also dealing with the potential for dehydration and less food came with significant risks.
Probst then alerted Fox that production couldn’t take their chances. Fox then left camp that day.
Jackson Fox gave a full timeline on his lithium medication
Jackson Fox’s Survivor Season 42 exit shocked fans. And he spoke to Parade about the timeline.
Fox began lithium way before getting cast on Survivor. He explained his doctor had started weaning him off of lithium prior to him starting the show. By the time he got on Survivor, he only had a few doses left. He failed to disclose that he was on the medication to production beforehand because he knew he’d be completely off of it shortly into the game.
“On the day before starting, I told the doctor, ‘I’m on lithium. I just got a couple of doses left,'” Fox said. “She’s like, ‘Oh my, OK. OK, we can do this. We’re just going to watch you very closely for two to three days, and we’ll see how you are.’ And I thought, ‘It’s going to be fine. It’s not a big deal.'”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t fine. Fox said he “didn’t feel right” after two days of drinking less water in Fiji. Ultimately, Probst had to let him know he couldn’t continue due to the medication’s side effects after those two days.
“When they said, ‘Give your list of medications,’ I said, ‘Well, I’m going to be off of this. So there’s no point putting it there,'” Fox explained. “I didn’t realize I was getting off of it as fast as I thought it was. I really thought it was not going to be a big deal. It’s literally nothing; I’ve taken so little. And that’s why I decided to be open about it with Jeff.”
He hopes to rejoin the cast next season
With everything that happened with Jackson Fox on Survivor Season 42, fans would love to see him return again in the future. Will he return to the cast for Survivor Season 43?
“In a heartbeat!” he told Parade. “If Jeff is ever reading this, bring me in. I really want to prove what I can do. You really didn’t get that opportunity. But hey, you never know what the future is going to hold. I thought ten years ago they’d never want anything to do with me, and that changed. Never say never!”
Survivor Season 42 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
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