Stopping all meds

I'm going to starting Seroquel tonight at 150mg I'll do that for 4 days then bump it up to 300mg while decreasing risperidone every 4 days until off.

As someone who has been to about 10 different pdocs and tried about 50 different med combinations over the past 25 years, I feel your pain, I really do. I got so sick of it about 5 years ago (I was on Lithium, Depakote and Klonopin) that I feel like you... I felt like the meds weren't working and they were poisoning me. I was sick of the blood work, sick of begging for help only to be told to hang in there. Ugh.

So, I went off all my meds and now that I look back I got manic. The first month was great, euphoric, free from "the man" (i.e. doctors) and free from the poison (meds). Then I started getting paranoid, then I started feeling guilty over the crazy **** I was doing since I was manic, then I started worrying like crazy until finally I called the hospital and they got me in that night.

Well, what a twist of fate. Since my pdoc (a quack, I believe) was on vacation, I got this wonderful clinical nurse specialist (practitioner). She listened to me, I told her everything, and she asked the magic question, "Do you want to just start over?" I said yes and I've been getting better ever since. We tried all new meds and had to do some adjusting until a lightbulb went off and now I feel better than ever.

Life is still a nightmare for me, on or off the meds, and the meds won't cure me. They just help smooth things out and let me think more rationally about the nightmarish things that happen around me. I'll always be too sensitive to the world and I'll always be affected.

I hope you have good luck on the Seroquel ... I took it years ago and I will say I slept wonderfully.

Thanks BipolarArtist and ~Christina. I had a good sobbing at the NP's office...ugh. I think she was very aware of how frustrated I was with not feeling better. We're changing the AP for now when I get back I see her Thursday. Then I think she plans to change the mood stabilizer from DepakoteER to Lithium. We'll see.

Hi there DelusionsDaily,
First off, sorry for jumping into your posts. I'm very new here and just recently diagnosed with BP. I start new meds tomorrow which I am scared about. Valproic acid is being added to my wellbutrin and Ativan. Now, I don't know at all, however, I just wanted to pipe in regarding the risperidone. Even though, I have yet started any type of ween off of any med, I can tell you that my profession is in the health care sector and I know what the effects are from not properly weening off of risperidone. The clients I support are all on this and it is my job to ensure a successful taper. I feel humbled having to now deal with my own issues because the issue i am suffering is pretty close to my line of work. This is why, I am on short term disibility, if I can't take care of myself, I can't properly assist he clients I look after. Anyways, long story short, please, do not just stop risperidone without a long taper. Your PDoc will also recommend this. Take it slow. My heart goes out to you. I know it's tough. I'm about to experience my own run at this and I'm scared to death, however, It will get better. I promise. I have not been on that med, but I do give it out and assist people everyday who take it and it will get better. Hang in there. What I tell people at work is look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Even if you need to fake it, just smile. It sometimes makes it better for the moment.

I honestly think there is nothing wrong with falling apart during an appointment it does show just how much of a hot mess you are at the time.

I am tapering properly via NP's direction. The original post was a moment of frustration. All meds are going to be tapered via my NP's directions.

Is it possible that you're not giving things enough time? You are changing / adding / dropping / changing doses / adding doses all over the place. It take a while for things to improve especially with so many changes

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Sorry to bump this back up but it looks like Seroquel is turning out to be my savior. I'm almost tapered completely of risperidone. Yay! No even a "minor" episode this weekend while away.

I'm glad you are feeling better. An awesome med my pdoc put me on is called geodon...it's an ap. I don't have psychotic features so it helps my ad and mood stabilizer work better together. It has done wonders for me. I understand how frustrated things can get with the med merry go round. I'd been feeling really helpless for months then my pdoc finally changed my ad to cymbalta. I've fantasized about going off all my meds and starting over but then I have good days and realize I'm doing my part with my med combo. I really hope you continue to feel good.