[DelusionsDaily]

hey all going off meds and trying a diet change. No definitive research but if it works and I can get off the med. I'm trying it without telling pdoc will see her in a few weeks. I know that's not the recommended way but I gotta try something besides meds they make me so tired, groggy and slow.

You really, really, really MUST talk to your pdoc before you try this.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by MELISSSAD81

I know that's not the recommended way but I gotta try something besides meds they make me so tired, groggy and slow.

I agree with farmergirl. There are many med options out there that don't have the same side effects i.e. making one groggy etc.

[DelusionsDaily]

I understand that most if not everyone doesnt agree with adjusting med without pdocs knowledge. However, I believe the diet is working, therefore I am lowering my dosage by half slowly. I won't go off it until I have more substantiative evidence that the diet is working for me. I understand the risks and I'm willing to take that risk in the hope that I don't have to be on meds for forever. Don't worry I will tell pdoc when I see her in 3 weeks since I can't get in earlier. thanks for your concern though.

[Dave255]

What is the diet change?

[DelusionsDaily]

trying the gluten free diet...and eliminating lactose also

[DelusionsDaily]

also note i wouldnt necessarily recommend anyone else do this but I need to for now.

[SunnyD]

Do you have a gluten or lactose intolerance? Why not do the diet with the meds and see how it goes? There are usually digestion issues with both of these conditions. I have not heard that mental problems are indicators too. Also any reduction in medication might make it hard to know if it is a problem or not.
Your doctor needs to know what you intend and why. It is always possible that he will reduce your medications because of the reactions. You will then have someone to monitor your condition.

[Seaswept]

Melissa,
I know you don't want to hear this but I agree with everyone above.
I tried to do that myself last year and wound up in the hospital within 10 days. It's not worth it.
The other thing to consider is sometimes just losing weight too fast can cause problems because your brain chemicals such as Endorphins are effected. Hormones too.

[Seaswept]

Originally Posted by Seaswept

Melissa,
I know you don't want to hear this but I agree with everyone above.
I tried to do that myself last year and wound up in the hospital within 10 days. It's not worth it.
The other thing to consider is sometimes just losing weight too fast can cause problems because your brain chemicals such as Endorphins are effected. Hormones too.

For me a lot of times when I have lost weight, I get manic.

[DelusionsDaily]

I know those issues are digestion related...havent ever been diagnosed but dont have health insurance to get tested. I have notice much improvement in overall feeling...sleep more self-regulating, dont feel sick everytime I eat, have more energy to do things, etc. that was the diet alone (almost a week) started the meds yesterday(thursday). we'll see how it goes the wost that can happen is you all are right...right?

[sane1logic1]

Don't go gluten free without running all the appropriate tests at the surgery and hospital. There are specialised forums/ message boards on this. There are reasons for this advice due to the way the intestines work.

There is no such things as "meds". There are specific ones at specific doses. It is your responsibility to negotiate proper dosages and types of meds that give the best compromise between benefits and side effects.

[PT52]

I don't think you mentioned what meds you are on, and the dosage. This could be seriously dangerous..

[Yoda]

I agree with sane1logic1 that you should be tested BEFORE you remove gluten from your diet. If you have stopped consuming gluten and are then tested the test could be false negative.

You say you are feeling a bit better. You have changed 2 things at the same time: your diet and your dosage of meds. How do you know which change is helping?

[DelusionsDaily]

ok heres the deal I do NOT have health insurance so testing is out of the question. If i feel better I'm not going back to eating it just to maybe have a dr tell me what I have already figured out by elimination diet? I have cut lactose before and felt slightly better...now that I have cut gluten with it I feel a ton better. I have done lots of reading on this so I understand what you are saying but what dr if you feel better not eating something is going to tell me well go back to it so we can test you...and if he did I would tell him he is out of his mind. the test aren't 100% fail proof even if you are eating gluten. I didnt mean for this to become a huge issue. The fact is I gotta take care of me and no dr can do that for me. sorry dont have very high opinion of medical professionals(examle number one: doctors). thanks. changed the meds after the diet was helping and felt worse so went back to the reg med regimen and will talk to pdoc first but will push for weening off to see how it goes...and if i need to go back on them then fine. that the last of what i got to say...what am i doing justifying this to people i dont know anyway?!?!?!

[PT52]

Originally Posted by MELISSSAD81

ok heres the deal I do NOT have health insurance so testing is out of the question. If i feel better I'm not going back to eating it just to maybe have a dr tell me what I have already figured out by elimination diet? I have cut lactose before and felt slightly better...now that I have cut gluten with it I feel a ton better. I have done lots of reading on this so I understand what you are saying but what dr if you feel better not eating something is going to tell me well go back to it so we can test you...and if he did I would tell him he is out of his mind. the test aren't 100% fail proof even if you are eating gluten. I didnt mean for this to become a huge issue. The fact is I gotta take care of me and no dr can do that for me. sorry dont have very high opinion of medical professionals(examle number one: doctors). thanks. changed the meds after the diet was helping and felt worse so went back to the reg med regimen and will talk to pdoc first but will push for weening off to see how it goes...and if i need to go back on them then fine. that the last of what i got to say...what am i doing justifying this to people i dont know anyway?!?!?!

I guess because you posted it in the first place.

Hi MELISSAD81... I hope you will understand that the people who responded did so out of caring for your well-being, not to give you a hard time. Truly. I've had quite a bit of interaction with the folks here and they are an exceptionally caring bunch.

You mentioned you'd be talking about this with your Pdoc in 3 weeks. I think that is an excellent idea. Keep us posted how it goes for you, ok?

[DelusionsDaily]

We'll see about the update. I'm not sure I'll be back. It might be better that I dont. So we'll see.

[sane1logic1]

If you haven't specific insurance for that, discuss it at the Gluten Free Forum, there are lots of members from the U.S. there, some of them will have been without the insurance for it & can almost certainly offer practical guidance. They may not be very familiar with bipolar but hopefully that wouldn't stop it being a useful discussion.

If you carry on with meds perhaps after renegotiating the dosage, and then having a few weeks while you find out things, it will be easier to tell what the effects of a diet change are.

I made a diet change after which my GP of the time commented that I was much calmer. (He didn't run all the tests and I didn't know enough to ask.) Then I changed back but that's a long story

It can look like a conundrum but discussing complementary aspects of health at different forums could help, along with making the best use of professionals. Sorry they've not been too good in the past. I ran through a patch of having lots of those too.

[DelusionsDaily]

Thanks I've been on some gluten free forums...I should ask about that. although I dont know that I want to go back on gluten to be tested. we'll see...I have a lot of thinking to do.

[Dave255]

I tried the gluten/dairy free diet and definitely feel better. I can feel it pretty quickly if I eat a moderate amount of one. Especially dairy, I tried a lactose free icream but felt like my throat was closing in, so its something else in dairy.

If you haven't had either for a while you could just try gluten, see if it makes a difference and a few days later same with dairy.

I still need to take my medications, hasn't changed anything about that. Just feel better and I've lost 30 pounds, back to what I was when younger.

[DelusionsDaily]

thanks for not makin me feel crazy for doing it. I have only been doing this since last saturday and dairy is definitely an issue but just dairy wasnt enough. so tried gluten free and now feel a ton better. I understand peoples concern because it is a big change in diet. It feels so good to feel so much better in a week. I'm still indecisive about going off the meds will talk to pdoc when I see her next.

[RyuB]

luvvie PLEASE do not just stop taking them cold turkey.

i had to be immediately taken off my anti-psychotic due to severe side effects, and i went through h*ll going through withdrawal. the meds were non addictive, but i still went through withdrawal. even if they are non addictive, it is still something your body is used to having and needed. it needs time to adjust to doing without some meds.

[DelusionsDaily]

i think i already said this but i'll say it again...definitely not going off meds till pdoc appt in 2 weeks.

[sane1logic1]

Hoping you can piece together your path from various sources of information & that your health carries on improving.