What am I getting myself into?

Well I guess I just can't leave.

Despite alarms I still managed to forget my meds. Again. this time until far enough in the day that I really couldn't take them.

I'm on 10 (not 5) mg Abilify and 75mg Zoloft. Haven't taken anything else in weeks. What am I getting myelf into by deciding to just stop? I can't get a hold of a pdoc because my insurance is di**ing around.

i think it wont matter much if you forgot to take meds for day, these meds, they take weeks to affect your mood, i think it will take them same time to reverse all that effect... this is true for ssri at least...

But I keep forgetting. I don't want to find out what happens when you go on and off meds. Either on or off is how I need to be, and since they're doing jack **** all and I keep forgetting to take them, I'm not going to anymore.

The half life of abilify is I think 72 hours so its not out of you system until then. Do you work? Put the pills by your keys so you can't leave the house without taking them or put them by your toothbrush so you take them when you brush your teeth. Also for abilify a long acting injectable form was just approved. I know it's a new med for you but it's a good one. You should give it a fair shot. Do you have one of those mtwtf pill cases? In some cases you can actually take a double dose of meds if you forget but I would ask the pdoc on that one. Why not start a new thread in the medication section how do you remember to take your meds. You know what I'll start it for you just go check it out.

I forget sometimes too, though not so much anymore. I have a daily reminder in my Outlook and keep the pill box thing where I know I will run into it/see it. I've also put post-its up around the apartment to remind me. I'm very forgetful, so I get it can be hard. Just try to come up with whatever may work for you. The alarms don't seem to be working, is there anything else you can try?

You wrote in a post recently that you don't seem to want to take the meds anymore (or maybe that was just a momentary thing). Maybe you're unconsciously forgetting because -a part of you- really doesn't want to take them?

What other kinds of reminders can you use?

Why is everyone of the opinion I need to take my meds?

This is how I feel about them right now:

http://forums.psychcentral.com/bipol...-bullcrap.html

I would not dare to say that I understand how you feel, but I saw my wife have a breakdown, get on meds , get off meds, feel good for a while and now she is heading full steam towards the next breakdown. When she was on meds the dosage and type was not right and she acted and felt like a zombie, it was heartbreaking to watch, those meds are tough and I don't envy anyone having to take them but the alternative might be really dangerous for you. I was married for 15 years and saw ONE full episode and it scared the crap out of me, without getting into too much detail, my wife, kids and I are lucky to be alive. Good luck-- you obviously know that something is not right otherwise you would not have posted here. Take care!!

I would not dare to say that I understand how you feel, but I saw my wife have a breakdown, get on meds , get off meds, feel good for a while and now she is heading full steam towards the next breakdown. When she was on meds the dosage and type was not right and she acted and felt like a zombie, it was heartbreaking to watch, those meds are tough and I don't envy anyone having to take them but the alternative might be really dangerous for you. I was married for 15 years and saw ONE full episode and it scared the crap out of me, without getting into too much detail, my wife, kids and I are lucky to be alive. Good luck-- you obviously know that something is not right otherwise you would not have posted here. Take care!!

My full blown manic episodes involve just sewing and cleaning for hours and me thinking I'm superhuman and don't need sleep. get both extremes while on meds anyway.

I guess I misread your post, I thought you were concerned about forgetting to take your meds and that not taking them was negatively affecting you, so I offered some suggestions.

But if you don't want to take them anymore, up to you, I don't have an opinion either way.

Sorry. My response was uncalled for. You gave some very good suggestions, by the way.

I can't take anything for my ultradian cycling/mixed state except Klonopin, which, if I dose too high, makes me seriously irritable, disoriented and unable to drive. I've been on plenty of meds to know how miserable they can make you feel. Meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, walking... Read everything you can about people who've gotten stabilized with alternative treatments, though some of what's on the Internet is BS or somebody trying to make a buck. If you live alone, maybe the best thing. No one to stress you or mess with you. My friend lived alone for 30 years and did fine until a heart attack ended his life two weeks ago. But he swore he'd never get married again. One smart dude.