[still_crazy]

I'm down to 2 daily meds myself, abilify @ 20 and lamictal @ 200. I'm thankful. Of course, I also do the vitamin thing (high dose antioxidants, b vitamins, etc.), and I think that helps, too. I seem to get more mileage out of the combination, plus I don't have EPS, TD, akathisia, crushing dysphoria, etc.

when does one say "whoa there, that's quite enough, thanks" ? I read somewhere that "poly-pharmacy" has become a big thing in psychiatry over the last couple decades. Looking at records from patients discharged from hospitals decades ago, even severely sick people would be given 1 or 2 drugs. Now, its 3-5+, on a regular basis.

Of course, other things have changed, too. "Atypicals" are popular, and the massive doses of tranquilizers/antipsychotics have given way to more moderate doses. Probably a good thing....unless it means 5 meds instead of 2, stuff like that.

so...for your own problems, your own life...when do you say "ENOUGH!" ?

[raspberrytorte]

I'm at enough right now!

There was a point when I was on 3 moodstabilizers, 3 antipsychotics and a benzo, plus a prn benzo. It was too much. Part of the reason I was on so many, especially the antipsychotics was because I was transitioning off one while another was increased. Also, the third (the original) was at full dose and not able to ward off my mania well enough.

A medication showed itself as clearly too much when after side effects required it, I went off of it and it was realized that it was clearly not doing anything anyway. Lithium was one of those meds for me. I was slowly weaned off and my quality of life actually improved, while remaining stable. I did go off one of the three antipsychotics fairly quickly. Then a second antipsychotic caused terrible akathisia. I'll admit that going off that one was difficult with both withdrawals and mood instability, but by increasing the last remaining antipsychotic did the trick. So now I'm only on 2 moodstabilizers, 1 antipsychotic and a benzo, plus a prn benzo.

My cocktail is still a lot, but I'll admit I'm not sure which other med could be removed. Definitely NOT my Tegretol XR and Seroquel XR (I have good reasons why not). Maybe my small dose of Lamictal could be removed. Maybe. Frankly, I'm not really that sure how much that helps prevent my depression, but at one time it did make a difference in helping to end one. I've still become depressed on it, but it has been my Seroquel XR that has ended the depressions I've had since then. Would it have done so so well without the Lamictal in place?

The regular benzo I take (Klonopin) seems to be here to stay. Both my psychiatrist and neurologist warn me of dangerous withdrawal side effects if we try to get me off that. But honestly, I don't think it prevents anxiety. I've had plenty of anxiety on that dose. Instead, it's been my prn benzo (Ativan) that has saved the day. I had been taking Ativan daily of years, too, but I have almost gotten that back done to 0.

I'm on 3 meds right now. Cut out benzos and sleeping pills with cannabis. It's via prescription, so you could in theory count that as a 4th med.

I think it's less about how many meds you are on and more about how you feel. If you need many meds to feel good, that's okay.

[FearlesslyTheIdiot]

Looking at the signatures of some of our members here, I sometimes shudder.. I can't fathom being on more than I am right now, and generally feel sorry for people whose doctors feel like it is okay for them to be on 6+ meds. I don't understand it. Doesn't mean it is wrong or bad, but I don't see the reason or the justification. I am on 3, because I have 3 issues.. Lexapro eliminates my social anxiety, lifts me up a bit depression-wise, trileptal is a mood stablizer, and adderall is for ADHD and helps me focus through the day. That's all I think and hope I'll ever need.

[SparkySmart]

I'm down to two meds also (Geodon 20 and Lamictal 200). Polypharmacy was necessary in the short term but risky for maintenance (waaay too many side effects), and I did a lot of very gradual tapering on my own*. In my case, multiple drugs just created confusion, because it was impossible to know which ones were causing problems.

I thought my pdoc might dismiss me from his practice when I saw him last week because I had been noncompliant/nonadherent, and he had advised me not to deviate from his recommendations without his knowledge and consent. To my surprise, however, he was delighted that I was looking so calm and balanced! Also, I decided to stop therapy and join a health club, so my weight and blood pressure are both down. One unexpected benefit was that my pdoc said he now had a "baseline" on me to use for comparison in the future; he had only seen me in crisis prior to this, when hospitalization was necessary.

I told my pdoc that I know my own body, and I feel like I know when I'm overmedicated. For myself, I believe that high doses of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics and antidepressants are reasonable for acute episodes, and I trust him to make those decisions, but otherwise I would rather take fewer drugs, and in the smallest dosages possible, so that my mind and vision are clear and I don't have a tremor or brain fog. Based on my history (acute episodes followed by extended periods of extremely high functioning), I suspect that the time will come when I'll need the high doses again (temporarily), but hopefully this won't happen soon. For now I'm doing great!

*Please note that I don't recommend altering meds without close medical supervision. Withdrawal symptoms are agonizing and possibly dangerous.

[Moreta]

i'm on 4 and I have a PRN benzo if needed. I'm on like 11 or 12 meds all together, cause I have a lot of other issues. My meds work and I don't have many side effects from them, so I'm happy with the combo.

[Tucson]

Any meds at all is too many. I think maybe anything more than two or three meds is too many for me. So this means I am taking much too much meds every day.

[Guiness187055]

No such thing it takes what it takes to keep one stable. Whether that be one pill or one hundred and one pills.

It depends on how much you like your pharmacist

[Trippin2.0]

My boundary is taking meds for meds.

The minute a pdoc RXs a medication to combat a side effect, that’s my hard bold line in the sand.

I currently take 2 (AD + MS) and a very rare PRN (Benzo)...

[Zigy]

I'm on Lamictal and Zyprexa and Temazepam for sleep and I'm not doing well. I may need something else to lift me out of this pit of depression I'm in.

[Guiness187055]

Originally Posted by Zigy

I'm on Lamictal and Zyprexa and Temazepam for sleep and I'm not doing well. I may need something else to lift me out of this pit of depression I'm in.

Have you tried wellbutrin?

[pirilin]

Anything over 100 of the same pill is too much.

[Unrigged64072835]

I'm on 3 psych meds: Latuda, Viibryd and Neurontin. I'm pretty much on a low dose except for the Neurontin. Working on two years without IP.

I know there's usually a lot meds when I'm in IP because they want to stabilize me fast. Then my pnurse and I lower the doses until I'm more functional. I have side effects with Latuda but it's a balance between physical and mental health anyway.

[~Christina]

I take 3 and a prn.

I have in the past taken a med to combat side effects to another med, never again.

[Tucson]

I understand that I need to take whatever is necessary to be stable. However, I would be much happier taking only a couple meds. I even take a med for the side effects of another med. Where does this end?

[HALLIEBETH87]

I'm not happy with how many I take,but the ****ed
Up
Thing they work together.

[tecomsin]

I also draw the line at taking medications for side effects of medications that can be reversed or improved by lowering the dose or finding another med.

And generally skeptical of the need poly-pharmacy beyond 2 or 3 medications for mental illnesses.

I also take thyroid medication and prescription headache medication if those are bothering me.

And Vitamin D and the occasional B12.

[Wonderfalls]

It's easy to scorn people who take many drugs if you are stable on just a couple. I take Latuda as my mood stabilizer. To treat the akathisia it gives me I take propranolol. People talk about how they object to taking another drug to control the side effects of the first one, but Latuda is the only antipsychotic I've tried which is perfect otherwise. Then I take Wellbutrin for depression and it works beautifully. I take a low dose of Seroquel with Lunesta because that's absolutely the only way I can sleep. And then Xanax prn (which I really haven't needed much). On top of that is Lamictal and that's the one I'd like to ditch. My pdoc, however, really didn't want to because he liked the extra mood stabilization. It doesn't seem worth it to argue about it.

So that means it's poly-pharmacy to the max, but also everything is perfectly balanced for me. When I talked to a trial pdoc he said he wouldn't change anything. And the the pdoc I have now has also said he wouldn't mess with what works.I don't have any side effects and I'm not depressed or manic.

[still_crazy]

I'm not against people who take multiple meds. I Just....well, when I have "issues" with it, its more with the prescriber.

I have a prn (gabapentin). I think I"m just blessed that psychosocial factors have gotten better, plus this vitamin thing seems to boost the psych drugs.

some people need their side effect pills, especially with tranquilizers (old and new...). The only 'atypical' I can tolerate at a full dose w/o anything for adverse effects is Abilify, and even then I try to keep the dose below the 30 max (dysphoria).

[BipolaRNurse]

I'm on 6 plus now I have Ambien for sleep. It's a lot of meds, especially since I take Vitamin D, fish oil, and thyroid medication to help with the depressive side of things. But it's what works, and neither my pdoc nor I want to mess with the formula. Someday I'd like to see if we can reduce the number of meds I take just because it is so many, but honestly that's more of an ego thing...I hate to think I need so much psych medication.

[still_crazy]

i just had a bad time w/ serious polypharmacy, so I try to avoid it. i wonder sometimes....should I just take 600mgs seroquel and call it a day? I'm on 2 daily meds plus the prn now, but I was on 3, with 2 of them being "mood stabilizers" (trileptal and lamictal). In a way, being "severely Bipolar I" has made my routine easier, because of what I am -not- being prescribed (uppers, downers, antidepressants). Kinda cuts down on potential treatments, lol.

[Victoria'smom]

I've been on 4 plus a Prn. I'm much more stable 2 plus a prn.