[TwoSidedPanda]

Hi, first time poster.
Having never had exposure to people similar to me in this way, I wanted to know if this is typical or atypical behaviour.

I hoard, no other way to word it, medication. Not to collect it, it just sort of happens. I have a box of what my husband describes as " medications of depressions past."

I cycle through my moods like they're seasons. By the time I get the energy and where with all to talk to my doctor about it I'm usually at the end. This is a new revolarion I have come to know about myself. I've now sort of figured this out. However past me would seek out my doctor get a prescription for a pill of sorts. Take a weeks worth, feel better before I was supposed to and never open that bottle again. I would be great for a 3 - 6 months and then rinse and repeat.
I am now the awkward owner of 8 different bottles of several brand and off brand anti d's.

Not only do I not know how to safely dispose of them (as my current intake of lithium is all the specialist will allow for now) I wasn't sure if this behaviour was typical for bipolar 2.
Advice would be sort of cool.

[CANDC]

Hi twosidedpanda. welcome to Psych Central. Sorry you are having difficulty letting go of old meds. Call the pharmacy and ask how you need to dispose of old prescriptions. In US police stations have a drop box we can use. You may want to rip off your name off the prescription

[Skeezyks]

Hello Panda: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

There is a past thread in the Bipolar forum on this topic. Here's a link should you wish to take a look:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/bipo...l-hoarder.html

I don't know, of course, if you're here simply seeking advice with regard to this particular concern or if you plan to hang in here with us. However, should you be planning to continue on (we hope you do)... may I suggest you introduce yourself over on PC's New Member Introductions forum? Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/new-...introductions/

There's a lot of support that can be available here on PC. The more you post, & reply to other members' posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are the chat rooms where you'll be able to interact with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) So please keep posting!

P.S. I myself have hoarded pills in the past. It did not turn out well. I would encourage you to call around & find out how to dispose of the extra med's you have.

[~Christina]

I have tons of old psych meds I keep them as I often at some point need to go back on something.

Most all police stations have a drop off box inside for prescription meds.

Welcome to PC

In Canada we can take them to a pharmacy to be disposed of. I too am guilty of hording meds, but I know exactly why. They are a back up plan for me just in case, if you follow me. I had my husband get rid of them when I was hospitalized a few months ago. It really isn't healthy to hang on to them or at least its not in my case.

[raspberrytorte]

I had three months worth of lamictal saved up, but my husband got rid of them when I started trileptal. I'm so mad. It took forever to save up those three bottles! Now if I'm in between doctors again I'm blaming him if I go through lamictal withdrawal.

[wildflowerchild25]

I switched meds In The summer and ended up switching between tons of meds and had soooo many old scripts. My therapist at my program made me give them to her when I was feeling particularly suicidal. Now I just have emsam, which is a patch so I can’t easily od on it. I should get rid of that too as it interacts with another med I’m on so I can’t take it anyway. Point is you’re not alone.

[bioChE]

I’m not one to OD, so that’s not a concern for me. That being said, last weekend I went through my boxes of old meds just to clean them out. I had 76 bottles of previous meds. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth. They filled up two entire grocery bags when I disposed of them.

I did hang onto a good amount of Haldol and Risperdal. In the past, those two meds have been the only thing that have pulled me out of a psychosis. Although I don’t take them at present, I know if I went into a psychosis again they would at least knock me down enough to get to a hospital.

[Guiness187055]

I keep important ones that I might need in a pinch. Mainly zyprexa and xanax

[99fairies]

A few months ago I tried to OD. I had tons of extra meds. After that my DH threw away all my old meds. He also locked up my sleeping meds which is mainly what I used to OD on.

For those who are stockpiling meds to take in the future if needed, whether to OD or as treatment, I hope that you aren't keeping them past their expiry dates. After that date, their strength is no longer guaranteed to be what it says on the label. Depending on the drug, that may mean that it is weaker or stronger that you expect it to be and so it likely won't have whatever your desired effect is.

Any out of date meds I have ever had, I took to the pharmacy to be destroyed. Please don't just throw them away or flush them down the toilet and contaminate the environment.

All the best,

*Willow*

[bioChE]

Originally Posted by WeepingWillow23

For those who are stockpiling meds to take in the future if needed, whether to OD or as treatment, I hope that you aren't keeping them past their expiry dates. After that date, their strength is no longer guaranteed to be what it says on the label. Depending on the drug, that may mean that it is weaker or stronger that you expect it to be and so it likely won't have whatever your desired effect is.


Any out of date meds I have ever had, I took to the pharmacy to be destroyed. Please don't just throw them away or flush them down the toilet and contaminate the environment.


All the best,


*Willow*

Which mess are you referring to when you say they could be stronger over time? All meds will lose potency over a long enough time period, but they’re certainly not going to create more of the active ingredient.

The only thing I can think of that could possibly follow your scenario would be a time release me that might change its time release activity....but even that is a tenuous prospect. And I don’t think someone trying to OD would care.

[emgreen]

I throw my old meds away. Most expire after a year, & I tried to OD about a decade ago. For me, hoarding isn't a good idea given my history & my dark thoughts during my depressive periods. Like Guiness, the only exception is my benzos, which I might need in a pinch. BTW, it's virtually impossible to OD on benzos...You just sleep for a few days & piss yourself.

[tsrc78]

I hoarded Ambien I was prescribed after my first two hospital visits, but I had the courage to get rid of them when I was falling into a depressive episode and I didn’t want the temptation. I still hoard some Ativan I was given last summer at an ER visit (not psych related). I have taken Klonopin regularly forever and it doesn’t have as much of any effect on me anymore. Since I doubt anyone would ever prescribe me two benzos, I try to save the Ativan for when my anxiety is really bad and I need to calm down quickly.

At my pharmacy they have a huge bin where you can deposit old prescriptions. If you don’t have that, you can just turn them in to the pharmacist and the meds will be disposed of properly.

I do want to say that I encourage you to continue to take your meds regularly, even if you feel you are feeling better. I spent years of not taking my meds regularly (usually about 3 times in a week), only when I felt “symptoms”. I really feel like my yo-yo moods from this contributed to my illness getting worse over time. And I don’t want that to happen to you! Take care of yourself.