(warning ...this might piss you off a bit...it did even me when I read it back but anyway)
...damn pills...so many of the damn things

this is likely gonna get many offside here with me and ...well there ya go.

I read so much about this drug and that drug and thats ok and I take a drug to stabilise my moods...

but it's the multiple meds that freak me out like "I take this and then I take that and this and another one it's just crazy!"

I don't know what kinda doctors are elsewhere...here in Aussie land it's damn hard to get so overprescribed like that...

I mean just think about it...ok...antidepressant...likely to give anxiety that was there anyway...so a benzo chuck that in the mix...and the anti-psychotic ..probly the most imortant of all but I still can't function I'm all over the place??

or I'm psychotic...take this antipsychotic.....still anxious as heck can't sleep take a benzo and whadda ya know depressed off my head take this anti-depressant!....gave me anxiety again and more take this then.

it never ends.

the bipolar mind needs more room to move .....

I'm just sayin part of adapting to bipolar is to not completely strangle the illness with overmedication....

...and I'm honest here my type of bipolar made me abuse them anyway because it wasn't ever enough!

(I don't think I worded this too well...it's just my experience alone and pay no attention if all the meds are working and like I said I do take medication just one but I still know why I made the fuss).....

because I wasted 14 years adapting and re-adapting and trusting and all the rest of it....and nobody forced me to take any of them....

I got worse ....the more pills they gave me

[hamster-bamster]

I take everything: an AP, an AD, a benzo for sleep, and a couple of mood stabilizers, one of which gives my formerly flawless skin acne, so I also need to use a face wash and a very expensive face cream Tazorac. If I do not use them EVERY SINGLE DAY, I get breakouts. If I am too tired at night to apply Tazorac, several days later I would get a zit. If I apply the cream faithfully, I am fine, thanks god. I am glad it works so well, but this "every single dayliness" blows my mind. Same thing with Lithium - recently I skipped a dose and a half to the tune of $400 in hypomanic spending. Same thing, need it every single day. No breaks for me.

I am not even sure it is related at all to what you wrote about pills, but thanks for letting me post on your thread anyway.

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I take everything: an AP, an AD, a benzo for sleep, and a couple of mood stabilizers, one of which gives my formerly flawless skin acne, so I also need to use a face wash and a very expensive face cream Tazorac. If I do not use them EVERY SINGLE DAY, I get breakouts. If I am too tired at night to apply Tazorac, several days later I would get a zit. If I apply the cream faithfully, I am fine, thanks god. I am glad it works so well, but this "every single dayliness" blows my mind. Same thing with Lithium - recently I skipped a dose and a half to the tune of $400 in hypomanic spending. Same thing, need it every single day. No breaks for me.

I am not even sure it is related at all to what you wrote about pills, but thanks for letting me post on your thread anyway.

hey no worries N...you no I'm a cracker I just rip these things out at a whim....!

I smell a thought I make a thread ...I feel a noise I write a book...I hear a vision I end up in a cop car...!

I aint right....it's a personal thing it's something a diplomatic approach is needed for and this thread is just a personal thing if it helps one in a million not take more pills than they need to then cool....I'm pleased you are ok....yep..

[rosesarered]

If you're feeling this worked up about your med regiment, I would strongly suggest you talk to your doc. You've been prescribed the meds you're on for a reason even if you don't know what the reason is. Keep asking why until you have it explained to you in a way that you understand.

Originally Posted by rosesarered

If you're feeling this worked up about your med regiment, I would strongly suggest you talk to your doc. You've been prescribed the meds you're on for a reason even if you don't know what the reason is. Keep asking why until you have it explained to you in a way that you understand.

I get flashbacks roses....musta' got one during the writing...I'm not worked up....not about my med right now because it's just one.

I will disagree with you about doctors prescribing for 'a reason'...every-time all the time whenever they feel like it's the only way just piling them up trying new drugs ignoring the side effects and watching me spiral into suicidal homicidal depression because I'm chemically malfunctioning worse than ever...

this I could get worked up about yes...yes I could probably do that.

...and I won't ask them about that.

(sorry I was a bit direct there....sorry)

[Seaswept]

I get irritated at times about having to take all these meds.

2 mood stabilizers, why do I need 2? When I ask the doc he says I need them to stay out of the hospital. I feel like its too much.

This is pretty funny- one of the side effects listed on the Lamictal printout is depression.

not that funny Sea girl....curious yes indeed ....nah I go with you ...

yes it is funny like funny weird....I took antidepressants several and the most serious side effects were suicide!

...and I said ..."well I'm seriously depressed! so I'm seriously up for the peak backward effects thanks doc and on one occassion I got a bit ....well

personal knife fight.....no weaning off in hospital straight onto another drug another personal knife fight and this went on for a bit and I got sick of bleeding alot.

couple years later I decided I could say no...

but that was hard

[BipolaRNurse]

My bipolar med regimen is a four-legged stool: AD for the depression, AP for the mania, benzo for anxiety/sleep, and mood stabilizer to pull it all together. Still not sure how I got here, but as long as my little handful of sanity keeps the crazy away I can't complain too much.

[Seaswept]

I'm glad you got through it and you're here today.

"They" say, especially in teenagers, anti-depressants can make you suicidal, because before you started them, you just laid around, too sad to do anything and then after, when the meds kick in you have enough energy to follow through.

Yeah and the Lamictal thing- ridiculous.

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

My bipolar med regimen is a four-legged stool: AD for the depression, AP for the mania, benzo for anxiety/sleep, and mood stabilizer to pull it all together. Still not sure how I got here, but as long as my little handful of sanity keeps the crazy away I can't complain too much.

RN....thats amazing...and I guess thats what this whole thread is about...I just can't belive there are people...(as yourself)...out here there who have had the .....lets call it dedication or accuracy or even just incredible translation of your issues to the medical people.

surely I must do something wrong I cannot believe it no-one wants to spend that much time with me or I won't let them likely

[cocoabeans]

I like the pills for sleep.

Other drugs? F 'em.

I know why my doctor prescribed the drugs. I think it is rude to think we don't take 'em because we don't understand. Oh and like the basis of our good ol' doctor's knowledge cannot be questioned! Trust the experts right down to your expertly dug out grave. I'd rather be put on an ice float. Sail the seas!

Or something like that...

What are we on about?

[~Christina]

Ack meds .. Im on meds for Bipolar and Fibromyagia ... When I sit down and look at the amount of pills I take daily. I get furious and tend to curse Alot !

Is there another option? Dunno but I plan to find out...

[BipolaRNurse]

Don't feel bad, Christina. I take more meds than some of the residents at the assisted-living facility where I work! Not only meds for my BP, but blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes.

I have to laugh a bit when I think about myself in about 20 years when I'll probably need assisted living myself........nobody will want to take care of me, what with diagnoses of bipolar disorder, alcoholism, anxiety, diabetes, neuropathy and fibromyalgia.

[polar_bear1]

Originally Posted by Seaswept

I'm glad you got through it and you're here today.

"They" say, especially in teenagers, anti-depressants can make you suicidal, because before you started them, you just laid around, too sad to do anything and then after, when the meds kick in you have enough energy to follow through.

Yeah and the Lamictal thing- ridiculous.

Hi, curious- how has Lamictal worked for you? I´m bipolar1, took it 6yrs ago, quit when I got pregnant. Can´t remember the side effects.
Want to share yours? Thanks.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by polar_bear1

Hi, curious- how has Lamictal worked for you? I´m bipolar1, took it 6yrs ago, quit when I got pregnant. Can´t remember the side effects.
Want to share yours? Thanks.

There is an incredibly long thread on Lamictal or Lamotrigine, do not remember. Check is out. It is a popular med. You will hear lots of opinions.

still not sure what I'm on about here but the pictures got my attention I think it's just a personal thing..... yep

spooky druggy head dude though yikes pillman tablet guy wtf?

[hamster-bamster]

I take pills together with supplements. Not a lot of supplements - vit D3, lutein for my eyes, and fish oil. But still. Yeah, and Melatonin for sleep. So it makes me look at the whole pill taking exercise more as an overall wellness routine.

[Seaswept]

Originally Posted by polar_bear1

Hi, curious- how has Lamictal worked for you? I´m bipolar1, took it 6yrs ago, quit when I got pregnant. Can´t remember the side effects.
Want to share yours? Thanks.

When I first started it, I was getting headaches so my doc switched to "brand name only" Lamictal. I really liked it because there were very few side effects.
Later on, I did give the generic a 2nd try for financial reasons $8 as apposed to $50.... and went manic.

This Doctor agreed that there can be a difference between the generic and brand name. Put me back on brand name. Oye.

My doctor closed his private practice so I had to start with a new doctor who insisted I take the generic to save me $ and said there was absolutely no scientific evidence between the 2. Even after I told him what happened, he flat out said NO.
He is a control freaken bastard ...but that's another story.

Well, I went manic...again.
So he upped the dose of the Lamictal and added Lithium.

Needless to say, I am currently trying to get in to see a new Doc.

This is MY story. Everyone's chemical make-up is different.

All in all Lamictal is a very good drug.

Best wishes to you

[rosesarered]

Originally Posted by dubblemonkey

I will disagree with you about doctors prescribing for 'a reason'...every-time all the time whenever they feel like it's the only way just piling them up trying new drugs ignoring the side effects and watching me spiral into suicidal homicidal depression because I'm chemically malfunctioning worse than ever...

If that's how you really feel about your doctor find another one. You act like you're
just a the whim of people who don't care. If you don't like something speak up!
If no one listens, go somewhere where they will. Its your body and your choice
to take or not take meds.

Originally Posted by rosesarered

If that's how you really feel about your doctor find another one. You act like you're
just a the whim of people who don't care. If you don't like something speak up!
If no one listens, go somewhere where they will. Its your body and your choice
to take or not take meds.

...wow! you make it sound nice and easy. silly me choosing to walk into the clinic with the big sign out front saying "we won't listen and we will make some serious medical errors of judgement with all our clients"

...when at another clinic just over the street they had a sign to "we care heaps and will listen to you when you complain about side effects"...

the thing is roses...if I was ever well enough to effectively intervene in my treatment on my own behalf ...then I likely would not have been there getting it.

I've had some rotten experiences over the years within the medical world and some of us are not particularly good at communicating about mental health issues...(eg: I did try to express myself when I was really struggling and now if I put a foot in the door at the medical centre they call the police)...you make it sound so straight forward when it just really isn't....be nice if it was!

[LiteraryLark]

hm, mental pillness, sounds like a cheesy book cover

...yep it does hey.

definitely not a bestseller

could do a whole series like
: rental illness (getting sick when you hire a car?)
: mental spillness (can't get a cup of coffee to the mouth without dropping it!)

Originally Posted by dubblemonkey

...yep it does hey.

definitely not a bestseller

could do a whole series like
: rental illness (getting sick when you hire a car?)
: mental spillness (can't get a cup of coffee to the mouth without dropping it!)

hahahahahahahahaha and hahaha

...hehehehe heeeeeehehe