Help me quit my meds pls!

Your pdoc will probably advise against it, but you and he can have an intelligent conversation. You can present your reasons and he can give you info on how these meds work as you go down on them. Ultimately, you're right, it is your body and you should have a say. If the both of you agree to work together, then your pdoc can give instructions for going off meds.

Right now it sounds like you have your mind made up, so it would be best to talk to pdoc to see what the best course of action is.

What are you expecting to get out of stopping meds? Do you believe the diagnosis you were given?

I d0n't doubt the diagnosis. I just want to do things my way for a change. I'm d0ne with appearances. Let the real me out!

I dont think any responsible person here will tell you how to get off the meds...because we arent doctors. Its dangerous to go off meds without a medical professionals monitoring. You've experienced a huge hurt and sound like you might be in crisis. Please reach out to a professional for some more directed help. I know thats not what you want to hear but I think the intensity of your emotions might actually be clouding you judgement....but no one can stop you...

Trippin, I need to go to bed now. Try to call your pdoc today please.

Thank you for your kindness...

how you feeling today?

Happy. And still want to be med-free. That hasn't changed.

This is the first time I have even seen this thread. When I click on new posts it never gives mew more than the first 200 of them. I don't know how to change that either. Lots of posts go through the cracks and it seems to just be random when I do see something.

For liability reasons no one can give actual medical advice, and it sounds like that is what you are looking for.

Someone put you on medications for a reason - or several reasons. This is an approach to solve a problem. Ideally the idea is to solve the problem without causing more problems along the way that are worse than the original set of problems, but often this doesn't happen. Worse, quitting the medications brings a new set of problems in addition to the problems the medications were intended to help to control. The first thing I would suggest is learning as much as possible about the medications you are on and how they work. The second thing I would suggest is finding alternatives for solving the same kinds of problems. It may be that you can make changes to improve your life and you are currently taking medication to treat a situation that you are stuck in. It may be that you can find better ways of working with your thoughts and emotions and the pills are acting as a patch to control them for you. It may be that you have food allergies or problems tolerating something in your diet and this hasn't been diagnosed and the medications may be less effective than changing your diet. I don't know about your situation. The point I am trying to make is that the more you know about your situation, the easier it will be to make an informed decision. If you are going to stop taking the medication, you will need to do something else and you will need to have it in place before you start. You will also need to have a plan for the side effects of withdrawing from the medications. It may even be necessary to do this by gradually transitioning to other medications that are easier to stop taking.

Getting a balanced diet, the right amount of sleep, regular exercise, and learning to breathe correctly can all help to make your life work better. These are things you can do while you are still taking the medications. The thing about the breathing is that most people learn to breathe in just the top of their lungs, as a way of reducing the impact of their emotions and as a way to keep the stomach pulled in tight as a way of looking better. This by itself makes stress hit harder by increasing anxiety and tension.

When you want to change your life, it helps to have friends who can support you. It helps if you can meet people who are already living the way you want to live, and spend time with them. Easier said than done, I know.

Good post, inedible.

The non-med route is certainly possible, but if you gonna do it, you need to research it throughly before starting on it (yes, I am doing the non-med route, but I have years and years of zen and yoga practice and I am basically a witch doctor...).

If you really wanna do it, and are determined to face all the difficulties you should talk to your doctor. If he is absolutelly non-willing to talk with you, than you can start looking for someone else. Naturopaths can be good, but you need to be aware of the scammers and bad ones. Research, research and research some more.

You might be able to significantly reduce meds (if not eliminate them) by very, very strictly regulating sleep, diet, exercise, and daily routines. But that's not an easy set of behavioral changes to make! And it's still best to see a doctor if you're trying to make major changes like that.

hey.....I do hope you are feeling better. Ok, so I was where you are around...maybe 2 months ago and it was such a mistake as it always is every time I decide to go med free. I am not saying it's the wrong thing for you but your motivation for doing so does not seem concrete to me and really I would strongly advise you phone and speak to pdoc about it. What's funny is, from me wanting to stop meds, I am now taking more and I am feeling the best I have felt in MANY years. You don't sound as though you are ready to come off meds. I have been in remission for around a month now and spoke to my CPN about stopping meds and going back to work cause I feel great! But she said i need to be kind to myself and suggests I will need to remain on meds for around a year of feeling good and depending on how things go i may need to stay on them for the rest of my life! I understand where you are at right now but seriously think about seeking pro advice before doing it by yourself! I am coming from a caring place here and only want whats good for you :-) Please be kind to yourself! If I am really honest.......most of the times I have wanted to come off my meds is when I was in a bad place and a part of me wanted to punish me. I dont know if that makes sense to you? You have just broken up with your bf so you have probably been triggered all over the place! The last thing you need is to come off your meds ......'be kind to yourself!' *hugs*

I think you are being impulsive...
Don't punish yourself, by stopping your meds and going into madness, because a boyfriend broke up with you.

D0n't worry guys i'll be just fine, this has been a long time c0ming. I appreciate your c0ncern though. I'll be happier med-free...

The thing is.....you won't be just fine. Trust me I didn't go off my meds, but had too much stress in my life and went into (for the first time) complete, utter madness just a month ago. You're kidding yourself, you really are. If you're going to go off your meds, then all I can say is I'll pray for you.

You posted on the "lithium" thread that you are taking that med, READ THIS-

"Much of the research looking at Lithium withdrawal are concerned with whether the actual process of Lithium discontinuation may result in ‘relapse’, particularly whether manic ‘episodes’ occur sooner than would have theoretically occurred if Lithium had not been started. A study by Stuppes and colleagues (1991) analysed all the studies that had previously aimed to answer this question and found that more than 50% of new ‘episodes’ of illness occurred within 3 months of stopping Lithium treatment. Other research studies have since concluded that there is a high risk of individuals becoming manic once Lithium is withdrawn, especially when withdrawn all at once or over a very short period of time."

AND read this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11862280

Your kindness leaves me speechless. All i can say is thank you...

Your welcome. Please think of the REAL reason you want to go off your meds, then think to yourself "is this rational?...Is this my disorder talking or me?".

Yeah, I agree with thinking about it rationally. There are rational reason for going off meds - it is not working for you, you are too flattened, the side effects are worse than the original problem, you are feeling it is not you anymore and you loved your old self more, etc.

but with freedom comes responsibility. Freedom is a burden and can be deadly.

I accept that (but for these reasons I avoid romantic relationships, because I know as stable I seem, I am bit of mess). Not saying it is the right way. It depends on what you want...

If you wanna go the aunatural route, than you should, imho, discover your spirituality, your intuition... these things.

Venus,
No offense, but I have to say... Although being med free is your choice and may work for you, I don't think the majority of people with bipolar can or should be off of medication. I see you seem to try to educate that you do Zen and yoga, however I think people don't really "get" what you mean by that (I do, but I don't know if others do). Making them think if you can do it, then they should be able to also. And I just don't think that's realistic for MOST people with BP. Usually, if someone meds aren't working, causing side effects, are too flattening...then the meds should be changed or adjusted. If their Pdoc is not skilled enough to do this appropriately my suggestion would be to find another Pdoc. Going off meds altogether is incredibly irresponsible in my opinion.

You said yourself-

>>>freedom comes responsibility. Freedom is a burden and can be deadly<<<

I hope this statement really sinks in for anyone thinking about going off medications. Especially since the BP group has a very high suicide rate, if not medicated properly.

I equate it to a diabetic that wants to control their disease with diet and exercise only and not any medications. They would have to stick to their regimen for life and not falter, or they could die from a diabetic coma. However, some diabetic are so severe they can NOT control it with diet and exercise.

Just like I think most people with BP, including myself are at a point in the disorder that there is no turning back from medications without serious consequences.

I am trying to provide the info and experience I have. As much as it is out-of-mainstream, I am not the only person who went this route.

I am trying to promote informed choice, that is all I do. I am not saying "go off yer meds NOAW". But "trust your pdoc, because person who you see 15 minutes every three months knows you better than you do" is not responsible either.

Here Trippin' needs to make her own choices and her research and see what works for her.

Guys i'm n0t going to change my mind. I'm n0t even upset or sad anymore. I lived with my bp for ten years before dx and i was coping. I went on meds as per request, tried it for the last 2 years and frankly, i d0n't like where it's going. I'm on meds that cause trem0rs and mem0ry loss. I've tried remaining positive and even encouraged others, but i can't ign0re how i feel any longer. I want to go back to the way things were, i kn0w what my challenges are n0w, and i want to do this my way n0w. I have a gr8 supp0rt system who's willing to help me. Thanks to everyone for the support and advice i really appreciate it.

Trippin' - I'm back in the office tomorrow; send me as many mails as you need to, and I'll be able to keep in touch.

I do think you are experiencing a wide variety of emotions right now. A break-up is never easy, and I would imagine this has triggered your emotions to the extent that it has.
Apart from the obvious, and everyone else telling you to remain on your meds, unless it is a decision between you and a doctor, I need you to look rationally at the possible repercussions.

Please don't think of me as being nasty or cold - I'm just trying to show you another side of the coin.
1 - you have your daughter. She needs you; she needs a stable mom; she looks up to you.
2 - the rest of your family also loves you dearly.
3 - a job. While you may not currently have a job, you need to remain as stable as possible in order to apply for any new positions.
4 - yourself. You need to learn to love and cherish yourself again. Then it becomes obvious that you would never dare hurt yourself.

I am not sure what your REAL reason is for wanting to stop your meds. It almost sounds self-destructive. Don't hurt yourself.
You also suffer from mania - you CANNOT stop your meds in an uncontrolled environment, and risk an episode.

Your pdoc only being available in 3 month is NOT acceptable. Phone your medical aid tomorrow and explain to them. Else go to a hospital and ask someone there to help you. Or mail me some details tomorrow, and I WILL FIND YOU SOMEONE!! (My medical aid phoned me a few weeks ago to put me onto a Wellness program, and they personally phone me every 6 or so weeks just to check if things are ok; they also have a few nurses that I can phone whenever I need to - enquire if yours has a similar setup)
Therapy is not all bad. Even if you were to technically just sit there in silence for an hour. It will give you an hour to be quiet, think and feel.

Maybe speak to your doctor and start tapering off one or 2 of the meds. If you pdoc won't help, go and see your GP. He may not be an expert in this field, but you'll have enough of a relationship with him/her, that they will help you in whatever manner.

Please don't do anything rash. You are emotional. Stopping your meds in a healthy manner needs to be a rational decision...

Jackie,honey, i assure you i'm perfectly alright. Sweet of you to worry tho. To put everyone's mind at ease ( and 4 my own safety ) i will ask the pnurse to help me. She's m0re accessable. Btw Jackie, i'm under state care since being unemployed... I wish you all could see me,to kn0w that i AM being rati0nal, i've thought about this for m0nths n0w...

We are all in charge of our own lives, if this is what you want and you are rational, then I wish you well. I will not be posting to this thread any longer.
Good Luck