Fun thread again.

How have medications impacted your life? Have they forced you to make any lifestyle changes? (e.g., eating habits, sleeping habits, etc.)

Seroquel XR has forced me to be mindful of what I eat and how often I eat. It's also forced me to keep a consistent sleeping schedule, which is something I've never had before.

My other medications have forced me to eat healthy because I tend to take them with meals and I'm mindful of caloric intake. It forces eating consistency, too.

Medications have saved my life, though. I don't know where I'd be without them. Some of my depressions have been so awful, and I don't know know if I would have been able to climb out of them without medications.

[Unrigged64072835]

My meds have mostly caused weight gain, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. Which means more meds...

But the Latuda has kept me stable for quite a few months now. So there's progress.

[Wander]

Bit of a mixed bag really. Many meds did nothing or had intolerable side-effects. Sodium Valpoate made me faint and Olanzapine made me put on weight fast. Benzodiazapines like Clonazepam have been a life saver in times of crisis but now I am addicted and am trying a very slow taper which will take many months and if I have another crisis I will have to up the dose again, and begin the cycle once more. Lithium has reduced my impulsivity and irritability so that I have only attempted suicide once since being on it (over 4 years now) where as prior to being on it I attempted at least five times in two years. It has calmed me down except when I am in a severe episode like manic or mixed. I seem to have more stable time too. Ritalin has helped me concentrate and stay on task. Abilify helps with mania and agitation so I take it when those show up. No side effects which is good.

[wildflowerchild25]

The combination of invega and emsam has given me my life back. I've been a stable, functioning adult for a year now. The invega has quelled all manic/mixed episodes for the three years I've been on it. And the emsam has solved my depression where no other antidepressant would touch it.

Downside? Invega has raised my prolactin to ridiculously high levels which has caused my period to stop and me to gain 70 pounds (of which I've managed to lose 14). It has caused me to slip into pre diabetes as well. But I'm hoping my low carb lifestyle change has rectified that. I'm willing to do anything to stay on this med.

Biggest hurdle now is that my insurance won't cover the invega and my pdoc will run out of samples in a few months. I'm hoping to switch to the pill version, which my insurance will cover. I hope it works as well.

[bizi]

good luck my dear.
bizi

[scatterbrained04]

Well the annoying impact is having to pay for them and take them.

That being said, I now go to bed earlier and sleep better. Severe depression doesn't seem to last as long either.

[rwwff]

Been on a testosterone blocker for almost a year, really shut down the blinding rage and hypersexuality; then figured out the rest of the puzzle, started depakote last month and things are settling in to a lifestyle I find acceptable.

Depakote really plays with my reward response though, ate like crazy once I started it, so now I have to weigh&track all food & exercise, and I want to drop back to pre-Dep weight before I see my pdoc again in March.

[Fuzzybear]

Not good all I can say

[BipolaRNurse]

I give meds a lot of credit for making me much easier to live with. I no longer have screaming fits or throw TV dinners against walls; my depressions are lighter and my mania less intense; I can even hold my tongue long enough to think before I blurt out something inappropriate. That's worth the hassle.

[Nammu]

They forced me to stay out of the hospital, to pay rent, buy groceries, ...in short forced me to a mostly normal life. Or certainly more normal than it would otherwise be.

[bizi]

medications are key to my sanity
bizi

[Naynay99]

I have a lot less $ because of all the $ I spend on giant copays for my medications, that I think help me somewhat.
And The Wellbutrin had this awful side effect of keeping me alive. So I suppose there is that.

[bizi]

let us hear from you.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

[gayleggg]

Medications have saved my life. I've had to adjust to different sleeping schedules through the years not to mention eating habits. But it has all been worth it.

[GGChar]

I'm scared to think of where I would be without my meds. I was drinking heavily to self-medicate which got me into a lot of trouble. Diagnosed bipolar2 and am taking a pretty good mix right now.

I hate being so dependent on them though. It seems like if I don't take everything when I'm supposed to then I start getting wonky. I love being hyper and despise being depressed. Life can be a joy and then it can close in. But without my medications I'd be a scared, anxious mess!

I sometimes wish I would be happy every day but then no one is.

[Sad Mermaid]

In the past various medications caused a huge weight gain, which is very painful to me. Currently, Lithium is causing kidney trouble - I am already down to 450 mg though, and may be able to go off of it completely via increasing Geodon.

My main medications now are Geodon and Ambien and they, knock on wood, cause no side effects at all. I am extremely, unbelievably grateful that there are pharmaceutical solutions.