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BipolaRNurse · Aug 16, 2014, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curiosity77

I've posted lots about my problems with Saphris, so I've decided I am stopping it. My pdoc doesn't support this, but she doesn't understand me all that well, and she does not understand my motivation for taking this risk. I'm going to Burning Man next week, and I want to be clear from it by the time I get there. The half life is 24 hours, which means it will take about 5 days to get out of my system. I was on 10 mg, so I dropped it down to 5 mg for the past 4 days, and now I've stopped it as of tonight. I have melatonin to help with the insomnia, and I'm not sure what else to expect for withdrawal. I know that this is a risky thing to do, but I have decided it's worth the risk. This is an antipsychotic, but I am taking it as a mood stabilizer and not for psychosis, so I'm not at risk of becoming psychotic now. I think my biggest risk is depression, but I don't feel at all depressed right now so I think I will be fine. I want to fully experience Burning Man without being emotionally blunted. I'm going to bring some with me in case I need it. I think the next week might be a little bit difficult for me. Wish me luck...

Not to be blunt, but this sounds to me like a whole lot of rationalization for what you know is a bad idea.

You said it yourself: you're taking Saphris as a mood stabilizer. Well, what happens when you take the mood stabilizer away? You're apt to become destabilized, that's what. You're a NP, you know this even better than I do. I understand about wanting to fully experience Burning Man, but if you decompensate, how are you going to enjoy it?

I think what you want is what most of us want---to be a little bit hypomanic in order to enhance the experience. But as you know, it doesn't always stop there.

Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to feel flattened emotionally. FWIW, I'm having that issue myself---I feel an almost desperate desire for hypomania, just so I can have that boundless energy and optimism for a little while. I want it so bad I can practically taste it! But there's a reason why I'm on two APs.....it usually doesn't stop there, but turns on me and becomes full-blown mania.

I know you have BP 2 and don't have full manic episodes, but I think you've said you've had psychotic episodes before. What if that happens during your trip?

I'm aware you don't like Saphris and have wanted to go off of it for some time. But the stress of an event---even one that's enjoyable---is a bad time to make major adjustments in your medication regimen. Please reconsider.