[Tangerine87]

I've been given lamictal for depression. My doc says I have symptoms of a mood disorder but she didn't say I have bipolar. She said I can't take anti depressants because in the past I've gone crazy/ manic. I'm really scared to take it. Why do people stop mood stabilizers?

[wiretwister]

it has worked for me pretty well , for depression ... there are as many reasons people stop meds as there are people ...

[Keegan2015]

Lamictal didn't work very well for me but I also can't remember if I was actually taking it as prescribed (manic me is not very good with med compliance).

Lithium has been working for me quite well so far.

[Keegan2015]

Oh and do answer your question about why people STOP taking mood stabilizers ... there are obviously a number of reasons but I think the two most common ones are probably:

1) The mood stabilizers work effectively and after a while a person begins doubting their original diagnosis and believes that they don't actually need the MS to stay functional and healthy.

2) Mood Stabilizers have side effects (just like virtually every other medication) and people stop taking them because they don't feel that the side effects are worth the benefits that the medication offers.

[Miss Laura]

I too go manic on antidepressants so I have to ride the depression out which is sometimes hard. I take Depakote for a mood stabliser been on it 6 years seems to work for me.

I go off the mood stabliser cause I feel I don't need it any more, I'm better, I'm cured even

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[MikeDelta]

I am on lithium, supposedly it helps with the depression. I dont really notice it but i dont have major side effects other than being tired. I also do notice that it keeps my mood more stable, im about the same everyday since ive started it. But then again i am being compliant right now,I have a bad tendency to stop meds because i think they dont work hah So take my opinion now before i change my mind.

[MusicLover82]

I have done well with mood stabilizers for 13 years now. Sometimes my psychiatrist has to change them, but not that frequently. I'm on Lithium, Latuda, Trileptal, Risperdal, and Xanax for Bipolar 2 and OCD.

I can't imagine stopping my medication because they make me able to function and keep a great job! I would never try to stop them without a doctor's supervision.

[pirilin]

I'm on both. Lamotrigine helps prevent depression. However once you're in the black hole, good luck. Lithium can get you out. It did for me. Also eliminates sui (luv that word) ideation. Stops mania better. Pick your poison.

[pirilin]

As to why people stop the meds, they think either they're cured (like if this was a cold)
or think the med or meds are not doing any good.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Lamictal made me terribly dysphoric every time I titrated up. It was a mess and I quit it asap after making a complete a$+ of myself and telling off anyone I crossed paths with.

I started lithium in IP and was on it for a few months and it helped with stability but gave me daily diarrhea. Not even huge doses of OTC meds helped. Sorry just being honest lol. And unfortunately I had to quit taking it because I got toxicity along with a horrible tremor.

My current stabilizer, trileptal (600mg bid) worked so well at first but lately has pooped out on me. I haven't decided if I should increase the dose or drop it all together. Hope I helped some!!

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[zijax]

Lamictal makes me fat. It doesn't work for mania. I was not stable on it. I am coming off of it an starting tri-leptal. Meds work @ 6 months then stop and I have to switch. I stopped meds many times because I thought my dx was not real or I had gotten well. After coming off meds I would self-medicate with alcohol, klonipin, opiates. I would like to stop meds now. I hate it and I don't think they work for me. Praying trileptal and latuda will work. I can't take AD's because I get manic.

[gina_re]

I freakin love trileptal. It was the first med that made me feel "normal" for years. Lamictal....the jury is still out on that..

[gayleggg]

I haven't stopped taking mood stablizers but we keep having to change them when they don't work any longer. Right now I'm on Saphris and it is working very well plus the added effect of fixing my insomnia.

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by Tangerine87

Why do people stop mood stabilizers?

I think some people stop mood stabilizers because they don't like the side effects of them... weight gain, dimmed thinking, etc. Another reason for stopping them is the general rejection of "needing" the medication - it's hard to accept that you'll need a medication for the rest of your life, and that's how most pdocs prescribe mood stabilizers.

[raspberrytorte]

Lamictal as worked very well for me. I've been on it going on five years now. No side effects, though I'm starting to notice some cognition issues on 400mg (like spelling issues and unable to remember words to describe certain things. Not good when you're a writer!).