[LiteraryLark]

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in January 2011, right after I turned 18. I've been prescribed lithium and zyprexa. I am currently down to one lithium in the morning, one at night and 1/4 pill of zyprexa at night. My psychiatrist is wonderful and I am so pleased with my progress. He said that it is a possibility that I may be able to come off the meds overtime. However, everyone I've spoken to (sorry, got distracted by how colorful that smiley is, haha)...ahem...everyone I've spoken to who has friends who are bipolar says that they can never go off their medications because they keep having episodes or hallucinations.

I've only had one manic episode in my life which is how I got diagnosed. Most of my life I was depressed until I was prescribed zoloft which triggered my manic episode. I would have minor hallucinations growing up and up until I was diagnosed. I am worried because I don't want to take pills the rest of my life. I know it's part of being healthy, but I know that I am strong enough to deal with my issues once the doctor says I can go off my medications. If you have never seen A Beautiful Mind, it's a true story about a college professor who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and he ends up being able to control his hallucinations without the aid of medications. I want to be like that. I feel like since I only had one episode, and that I know that my hallucinations aren't real and that I am someone who is very aware of my feelings and know what is normal and what isn't, that I can be like A Beautiful Mind and be able to control my symptoms without the aid of meds.

Is this normal or logical? I think so. It makes sense to me. I've always felt normal even before I was diagnosed and more so now that I'm not depressed anymore.

Is there anyone who has been able to come off their meds and live a normal life?

[BlackPup]

the good news is that if you had your mania in response to antidepressants you are correct - you have a chance that you will be able to go off and stay off meds at some point (I think its called type 3 drug induced BP) BUT you are at a higher risk of developing BP I or II and needing to be on meds for the rest of your life, like most of us....

Hope you can be med free and live a "normal" life!!!

For me - I just want meds that work and stay working! I'm ok with the drugs everyday for the rest of my life as long as they do what they are meant to!

[Trippin2.0]

BP, happy, stable and med-free. I decided I could handle myself without drugs. It is possible.
But as Blackpup said, you're at risk of developing type 1 or 2, so please be careful and look after yourself

[BlackPup]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

BP, happy, stable and med-free. I decided I could handle myself without drugs. It is possible.

This is so exciting Trippin you are hope for us all!!! Glad its going well.

[Trippin2.0]

Thanks Blackpup I couldn't have done it without you guys tho

[SunAngel]

I just read somewhere that people with BP don't have to stay on their meds forever.

I forgot where I read it but it gave me hope. WAY TO GO TRIPPIN!!!

[SunAngel]

But I have to add that I think I will always need something to help me sleep.

[Me,Lately]

I am presently trying to get off my current medications, and I can definitely relate to how you are feeling DrSkipper. I DO NOT want to be on meds my whole life... But what I am realizing is that simply "wanting" to be OK without help from my meds is not enough for me.

I would suggest that if you want to get off your medications later, try to keep your dosages as low as possible and don't get on a ton of different prescriptions. I'm not an expert, but I know if I hadn't been on 5 different meds a year ago it wouldn't be this hard to taper them all off now.

[blossom12]

I wish you success with what you want to do.

When my brother, who is bipolar and untreated, says he doesn't want to be on meds for the rest of his life, I always said that I just cant go back to the way I was before properly treated. I just can't. If people can not have manias or depression without meds, that is great. I didn't know people could recover from bipolar.
If I sound bitter or jealous, I am sorry. Maybe I should not even post this.

Anyway, if you are under the care of a good doc and are carefully monitoring your moods and behaviors (and getting the input of people who you interact with on a regular basis who will notice if you are changing), why not give it a try.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by DrSkipper

If you have never seen A Beautiful Mind, it's a true story about a college professor who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and he ends up being able to control his hallucinations without the aid of medications. I want to be like that. I feel like since I only had one episode, and that I know that my hallucinations aren't real and that I am someone who is very aware of my feelings and know what is normal and what isn't, that I can be like A Beautiful Mind and be able to control my symptoms without the aid of meds.

DrSkipper, let me give you a gentle reality check: the film is a highly distorted story of John Nash, still alive, the genius inventor of Game Theory (he was more than a college professor, he was a Nobel Prize co-winner). He wrecked his family life not just for himself but others involved. Indeed he was able to keep his career, but there is more to life than that. Hardly a role model.

It seems that your dosages are so small, you are doing so well, you should be happy with the status quo. The topic of whether an AD-induced mania can be independent of the Bipolar disorder, ie occur in its absence, is controversial. Maybe the right course of action for you would be to be off drugs while seeing the p-doc regularly so that he or she give you a correct diagnosis and then you both will take it from there. Do remember that the Bipolar disorder is far easier to treat early in life. I wish I were dx-d many years ago! "far easier" = 1) fewer meds, lower dosages 2) higher effectiveness of treatment.

So it seems that you want, with a doctor's approval, go off the meds, see what happens, if there is a repeat of mania, go back to the meds ASAP, if there is no repeat, pray that it was purely Zoloft-induced.

At any rate, best!