[HALLIEBETH87]

My old Pdoc, a few weeks before my last visit with her (I have a new Pdoc for many good reasons!) said I should consider ECT. Now don't get me wrong...I totally understand ECT is helpful for many people and I love that for them. But, for me, it felt like she was giving up on me! I had hated lithium for months and it was doing no noticeable good for me anyhow but she wouldn't let me stop taking it.

I go to my new Pdoc and tell him all my concerns and he says I can def. stop taking it and started me on Trileptal. I have done a lot better since then. Now Im not saying Im perfect or fixed but Im doing better than before.

For me, when she said that, it felt as if she was giving up on me. I wouldn't choose to do ECT unless I was at the end. Even at that point, I had hope things would get better. I was taking my meds and seeing my T and never missed my weekly appointment with her. So it hurt my feelings that she made it sound as if I had no other hope.

Im thankful and encouraged I decided to see a new Pdoc (my old one made poor decisions, in my opinion.) Im glad he listened and took notice of my hope to feel better. Im glad Im on a new med that is helping (again, Im still down a bit and irritable) and I am happy I am not long taking the poison-lithium!

Im thankful. And Im encouraged. And Im working to be better.

[gayleggg]

I'm so glad that you got a second opinion. I can understand how you were feeling let down. I know that ect is good for a lot of people but I think it has to be really thought through before just accepting it. I keep thinking that my pdoc will suggest it at some point, but so far he keeps trying other methods which are currently working.

I hope you continue to get better with the new pdoc and a new med regimen.

[Moogieotter]

Hallie,

I have been following your story. I am glad things are looking up for you. New Pdoc and New Meds have been good to you - I love it!

moogs

[RisuNeko]

I had a similar experience with my last experience regarding lithium. He wouldn't let me stop taking it even though it was giving me brain fog and wasn't helping me at all and gave me insipid diabetes. So I stopped it on my own while I was looking for a new psychiatrist. My old psychiatrist had pretty much given up on me and said he had tried everything he could think of. That's why I'm on so many meds right now. He just kept throwing med after med at me and stacking them up. My new psychiatrist is trying to trim them down a bit, which I'm happy about.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Originally Posted by RisuNeko

I had a similar experience with my last experience regarding lithium. He wouldn't let me stop taking it even though it was giving me brain fog and wasn't helping me at all and gave me insipid diabetes. So I stopped it on my own while I was looking for a new psychiatrist. My old psychiatrist had pretty much given up on me and said he had tried everything he could think of. That's why I'm on so many meds right now. He just kept throwing med after med at me and stacking them up. My new psychiatrist is trying to trim them down a bit, which I'm happy about.

That has been my experience with meds. Every time I go through something or am in hospital IP...they just add a med. So I got to where I was on 4 meds plus 2 PRNS. Now I am on 4 meds and hopefully down to 3 next month.

Originally Posted by RisuNeko

I had a similar experience with my last experience regarding lithium. He wouldn't let me stop taking it even though it was giving me brain fog and wasn't helping me at all and gave me insipid diabetes. So I stopped it on my own while I was looking for a new psychiatrist. My old psychiatrist had pretty much given up on me and said he had tried everything he could think of. That's why I'm on so many meds right now. He just kept throwing med after med at me and stacking them up. My new psychiatrist is trying to trim them down a bit, which I'm happy about.

You are on a ton of meds. i think that tapering off some would be good.

[venusss]

Originally Posted by RisuNeko

I had a similar experience with my last experience regarding lithium. He wouldn't let me stop taking it even though it was giving me brain fog and wasn't helping me at all and gave me insipid diabetes. So I stopped it on my own while I was looking for a new psychiatrist. My old psychiatrist had pretty much given up on me and said he had tried everything he could think of. That's why I'm on so many meds right now. He just kept throwing med after med at me and stacking them up. My new psychiatrist is trying to trim them down a bit, which I'm happy about.

I been wondering about it too, why are on you on so many things, especially multilple hardcore drugs to target one symptom.

[BipolaRNurse]

Your psych med list is even longer than mine. Maybe your new pdoc will consider eliminating a couple. I wonder sometimes what would happen if I chucked one or two of mine....but then I remember how awful it was when I tried to cut out Celexa, and how nice things are now on my current regimen. As a doctor friend put it, I'm on five meds because four were not enough. I would like to get off one of the anti-psychotics though, I've already got fine tremors and have read that long-term use of multiple APs can cause other problems as well. But I won't do it without medical supervision.

My psychiatrist won't put me on more than one anti-psychotic. ^

[Gray Rider]

hallie hope you're doing okay? i wish you well

sounds like you have a good plan

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by ValentinaVVV

My psychiatrist won't put me on more than one anti-psychotic. ^

Mine didn't want to, but it became necessary when I had a mixed episode last spring and then continued to struggle with anxiety and depression off and on for the rest of the year. Zyprexa works and always has worked for me, and I'm not on huge amounts of either it or the Geodon. But I would like to see if I can do without the Geodon at least. Even the generic version is more expensive than the generic Zyprexa, and having no insurance means paying for all my meds out of pocket.

BPnurse, Geodon and zyprexa have been my saving grace in episodes. Luckily I come off the zyprexa when I am out of the episode but stay on the geodon all the time.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I want to be off Zyprexa because of this craaaaaaaaaaazy hunger I have. I have to wait and talk to the Dr next month.