[MusicLover82]

What are the worst symptoms you've experienced before from accidentally skipping one dose of your meds?

I skipped my lunchtime dose of mood stabilizers on accident today (Trileptal 600 mg and Lithium 600 mg). First I crashed into a mild anxiety/mild depression. Then late this evening, I perked up into a cheery hypomanic state with some racing thoughts. Then when I was taking my evening meds, I realized "Oh, crap! I forgot my lunchtime meds today. No wonder I have been cycling."

I'm curious to see what has happened to you from skipping one dose. Thanks!

[~Christina]

Personally I never have noticed if I missed a dose here or there.

The half life of most meds keep a person covered for a forgotten dose occasionally.

Maybe I'm just lucky?

[MusicLover82]

P.S. My cycling and anxiety would have been FAR worse if I had missed my bedtime dose of meds, because those include Abilify and Risperdal as well as my mood stabilizers. I would have been probably really obsessive and freaking out. Thankfully, I don't think I've ever missed an evening dose of meds. I don't think I'd be able to sleep without them.

The only thing I've ever noticed was brain zaps when I'd miss a dose of Paxil. Mild but noticeable. I think it was most noticeable on the second day.

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Personally I never have noticed if I missed a dose here or there.

The half life of most meds keep a person covered for a forgotten dose occasionally.

Maybe I'm just lucky?

Sounds like it. I will even notice if I am just a couple hours late taking my meds. Are you on a small amount of meds, or are your dosages similar to mine?

You take benzos daily....you will notice a difference if you're used to daily benzos and miss them. (((Hugs)))

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

You take benzos daily....you will notice a difference if you're used to daily benzos and miss them. (((Hugs)))

Definitely. If I miss a dose of Xanax XR, I will notice within a couple hours usually. I'd love to wean off of it eventually, but my pdoc says I'm not ready yet.

Originally Posted by MusicLover82

Definitely. If I miss a dose of Xanax XR, I will notice within a couple hours usually. I'd love to wean off of it eventually, but my pdoc says I'm not ready yet.

My mom is prescribed Ativan twice a day. She doesn't always take it twice but needs it at least once. The anxiety is just too much otherwise. Might it be anxiety you are feeling? The full return of the anxiety or is it a withdrawal type thing?

[~Christina]

I use to take lithium and Triliptal but quit them for a variety of reasons.

I take Valium and prior to that Xanax and klonopin.... If I skipped a couple days worth I will get all kinds of agitated and then I remember Ooooo I might want to take one so I don't risk having a seizure .

I have been on all kinds of meds over the years quit cold turkey most APs and AAPs not a single hiccup. My Pdoc has been fine with me dropping meds. He's not a pill monster and is happy I advocate for myself, we decide on meds together.

Quitting lithium cold turkey ? I hit day 4 or 5 .... It was hellish so hellish , I felt horrible for almost 2 weeks, took my brain about 3 months to revert back to functioning sans lithium. I quit the junk because I had gone toxic once and felt another episode starting, I like my kidneys and thyroid and decided lithium had to go .

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I use to take lithium and Triliptal but quit them for a variety of reasons.

I take Valium and prior to that Xanax and klonopin.... If I skipped a couple days worth I will get all kinds of agitated and then I remember Ooooo I might want to take one so I don't risk having a seizure .

I have been on all kinds of meds over the years quit cold turkey most APs and AAPs not a single hiccup. My Pdoc has been fine with me dropping meds. He's not a pill monster and is happy I advocate for myself, we decide on meds together.

Quitting lithium cold turkey ? I hit day 4 or 5 .... It was hellish so hellish , I felt horrible for almost 2 weeks, took my brain about 3 months to revert back to functioning sans lithium. I quit the junk because I had gone toxic once and felt another episode starting, I like my kidneys and thyroid and decided lithium had to go .

I do really well on meds and I like the way I feel on them (WAY more stable) and the fact that I'm able to work an almost full-time job is a necessity for me. If I had to get off Lithium, I think my pdoc would just replace it with another stabilizer or AP.

[~Christina]

If you have found a good cocktail grab hold and don't let go !

It's really can be hard to balance the good and bad when it comes to meds.

One more of the joys of having Bipolar. Lol

[mtnannie]

Lamictal - I take in the morning and if I forget it I feel like I'm hypomanic until I remember to take it.

Latuda - I take it once a day too. I take it for hallucinations. It doesn't take very long at all before I start seeing things. Maybe a couple of hours. I was going to talk to my pdoc about that because it scares me.

I used to take benzos and glad I got off them. Like many people here have said, it is awful when you forget a pill, and that is just the beginning of withdrawal. Yuckkkk,

[Wander]

I have missed Lithium doses and noticed nothing, same with Zyprexa but if i go more than a day without Clonazepam the withdrawals begin. Ritalin is easy to miss to. I just notice a lack of concentration and distractibility. As Christina said, most meds have long half lives so we can miss a day and be ok.

[scatterbrained04]

Weird sensations in the head, headache, anxiety/panic, or difficulty sleeping. Depends on which med I miss. I find anticonvulsants like Lamictal or Trileptal mess me up the most if I miss. Missing my gabapentin is the one that messes with my sleep.

[wildflowerchild25]

When I was on Effexor I would notice right away if I missed a dose because I would feel awful. Worst withdrawal out of all the meds I've been on. Brain zaps, nausea, dizziness...it was bad. It took me a long time to come off of that med. other meds I haven't noticed much.

I'm having trouble being consistent with the emsam now. I notice after a week or so of messing up that I will have a depressed/anxious day or two, and then I will resolve to be more consistent and remember to put the patch on like I'm supposed to.

[BipolaRNurse]

I've missed my nighttime meds a couple of times, and the next day I experienced the entire bipolar spectrum. Up, down, laughing, crying, racing thoughts, depression---the works. Needless to say, I seldom fail to take my meds anymore.

[Wanderlust90]

I've never really experienced symptoms from a single missed dose of anything except pristiq, in which I became really anxious & teary. 4 days without lithium & I was agitated & hallucinating.

[Unrigged64072835]

I've missed my morning meds before. Not much happened except I get a little light-headed. I don't try to miss them though.

[Nammu]

If I miss my night time meds I don't sleep and that causes all kinds of hell but it doesn't cause bipolar symptoms until I stop taking meds for weeks. I think any symptoms are side effects of withdrawal, your bodies way of saying, HEY, something is missing, something is different.

[pirilin]

The one I fear the most of what you're taking is the Xanax. Instant withdrawal.
I came down voluntarily from 2 mg to .25mg. At night.
I also take Vistaril and Propanolol at night. 600 Lithium, plus a multiple vitamin.
The smallest pill by far, is the Xanax. So when I open the pill box in the dark,
is the easiest to miss. That night I won't sleep. .I'm addicted to .25mg of the ****.!!!.