If you have bipolar disorder, what you're doing is not a good idea, in my view. If you must quit meds, why stay on an antidepressant? That could possibly do more harm than not taking the antidepressant. I urge you to ask yourself what happened the last several times you became hypomanic (or manic)? How did people react to you? What were the ramifications?
Quitting medications can make it more difficult for many people to be stabilized again. In some cases, it can bring on episodes that are worse than any they have experienced before that. Quitting medications without cooperation with a psychiatrist can sometimes anger the psychiatrist (and even therapist) enough that they quit the patient. Then the patient is left alone in the situation, and it may be very difficult to find new mental health support when the XXX hits the fan, possibly resulting in a costly psych hospitalization (or hospitalizationS) and maybe PHP/IOPs.
Please think carefully about your plan. Consider asking your psychiatrist about reducing your moodstabilizer instead of quitting it cold turkey. If they refuse, you can ask why.
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Dx: Bipolar type 1
Psych Medications:
* Tegretol XR (carbamazepine ER) 800 mg
* Lamictal (lamotrigine) 150 mg
* Seroquel XR (quetiapine ER) 500 mg
I also take meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, and tachycardia.
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