Random question that popped into my head today

How do you know if the meds are working and its not just the ending of an episode? I really don't want to take meds forever, but I'm sure at least for now pdoc will say have to be. But anyway how do you know? I'm in no way feeling better other than I'm not mixed I'm more hypo, maybe, got the racing thoughts high sexual desire and stuff but later how will I know? Going to pose this question to my nurse too to see what he says.

Tig

I pondered this and pondered it for the longest time while I was medicated...

Its a question I posed to others as well, because I wasn't sure what my meds were supposed to be doing really and I wanted to know if they were working... I do know that a fast acting AP taken PRN has stopped mania / psychosis in its tracks for some people, so there's defintily that.Tranqing us during a crisis has been known to bring some relief and shown visible results...

Being unmedicated? My cycles and episodes are much the same as when I was medicated (with my first cocktail, not the second one from hell), the only main difference is that my head was quieter with meds. Eventually I honestly could NOT stand the silence...

Uhmmm so yeah, I'm bipolar on meds and I'm bipolar off meds, and bipolar is cyclical either way. The pendulum will swing whether I want it to or not, with or without meds.

So in my humble opinion, I think its the bipolar and not the meds, since the meds didn't prevent the episode, there's nothing suggesting it actually managed to end it.

From what I've learned, I think how meds are "supposed" to work, is that they are supposed to decrease the magnitude and hopefully the frequency of episodes.

I have been on and off my meds several times over the years. I can only give you my personal experience and that is that I am must worse when off meds. Everything seems to be exacerbated.

It's not as easy as drawing a line between functional and nonfunctional, but off meds, I absolutely abhorred my life and all of the extremes and dysfunction that came with me being unmedicated. With the help of a really good pdoc, I'm finding meds and exercise and meditation and socialization, and my life is becoming something I can live with.

Even 4 years ago, I could never imagine having a life I wanted to live. I guess meds aren't a necessity for everyone, but I know myself, I am much, much better with them. All the meditation and exercise in the world doesn't help me unless I'm feeling stable enough to do them.

Thanks I guess it just varies with what each person wants out of their life. I still haven't been able to ask my nurse, but I still plan to.

Tig

I'm not a fan of psych meds (even though I take 5 different ones every day) but I have to say that the mood swings are no longer as severe nor do they last as long as they used to. I do much better at life now---even though there have been costs in terms of memory issues and lost jobs (I got fired again today), I can deal with it and move on to the next thing. And yeah, it's hard to accept the need to take psych meds for the rest of my life, but I'm 55 and used to being on meds for high blood pressure and diabetes, so why make a big deal out of it.

Don't know. I've been off for years, had I been on a mood stabilizer would the stress from the last two years been easier to handle? Would I have fallen so far? Don't know.