Is it Possible to take Meds every other Day?

Considering the 1/2 life, the amount of time some drugs stay in your system, would Bipolar symptoms be chilled by medicating every other day?

It would make your levels go up and down and would make it harder to control your symptoms. I've had a few times that I've taken one dose one day and another the other but that was because lithium and I have a strange relationship and it prevented toxicities.

A lot of drugs have a pretty short half life, often only hours, so that would also be a factor. I was just looking at this for the Seroquel that I was trying to see how long until it is out of my blood. Pretty much it is gone every day around 14 hours after you take it. And that was the extended release version.

I don't know. Probably depends on the med? I have to take mine every day or I get really sick. I didn't take my seroquel two days in a row and was really sick both days.

Depending on the meds. There're meds you can take talk to your pdoc. There're 2 shots that are every 3-4 wks that's suppose to deal with mania and prozac half-life is 2 days for depression. Tell pdoc it's hard to take meds 1x a day is there any options for you. Some of us are lucky enough to only take one or two meds.

I would think it would creat a roller coaster of med levels. There are shots if you don't want the pills and I would suggest you talk to your doc about the effect of every other day.

Sounds risky. I wouldn't try it unless your pdoc approves it. I feel like it would have you too unstable.

OMG...with my memory issues and time loss, I'd be missing dosages and over dosing easily!

You guys are right. I just start having phobias about my health.
I worry about everything. Like my meds are going to give me diabetes. Or liver failure. And more.

I understand, ocean. In particular I'm worried about the diabetes thing.

The more you read online about these meds, the more paranoid you get about them i.e the side effects, and the potential risks. Be careful.

The diabetes risk sucks and is scary, but I think being unmedicated and unstable is worse and scarier. Just my two cents.

When I took meds , My Pdoc was okay with my going every other day or every 3rd day( once I was stable) . It was something that I wanted to do and it worked out well for me, But everyone is different and half lifes differ and how a person body metabolizes meds differently ..

But worth a discussion with your Pdoc.

I'm currently on 10 mg of Paxil and 10 mg of Valium. That's it.

I was more unstable when I was on a bunch of meds dealing with crappy side effects. Therapy and meditation help me a lot.
Everyone is different.

NGAS: No, take it as prescribed...durr. Who makes you a pharmasist?

Sheesh

I will ask my p-doc this question. I have never heard of it being all right.

If it was okay to take them every other day that's the way they would prescribe it. I feel sick when I miss meds and I'm not even on very much.

Yes, everyone is different which is why I said "just my two cents"...

I was only hoping to have less medicine in my system.
I am taking pills as prescribed.

Even without reading pill reviews,sometimes I get very scared. Paranoid too.

See if you can go down to 75 effexor/ 50 seroquel, then 37.5 effexor / 25 seroquel. Are you in therapy? Try to slowly back off the benzo's See if you can get those lowered first before starting on the BP meds.

Tell your pdoc about your concerns...and your T

Well if I skip even one dose of my meds my brain seriously gets messed up and it will either make me very manic or very depressed. Done it on both mood swings and both were horrible. I just felt sick and agitated. It is ot adviced to do so unless your doctor thinks you are stable enough.

I've had this experience too. I once ran out of Trileptal and didn't refill the prescription in time, leading to a missed dose. I felt absolutely horrible. I don't understand how people can just stop their meds.

One day last year I just decided I wasn't going to take my meds. No reason, just felt like taking a day off. BAD idea. I experienced the entire bipolar spectrum the next day and into the one after that. I was up, down, irritable, weepy, impulsive...wacky as hell. Never again.