[raspberrytorte]

I'm on six medications. I feel like a walking pharmacy. Does anyone else feel this way?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I sometimes think I should rattle when I walk but it works so I go with it.

I'm on four psych meds and even that feels like too much.

[sarahsweets]

13 meds here and I hate it

I used to be on a lot more psych meds than I am now. Three more. So, now it's not so bad. I guess I regard myself as being only on four, but I take five, not including Propranolol and Synthroid, which some people count as psych meds. But numbers don't mean one pill per med. I take six Tegretol XR pills per day alone.

What got WAY out of hand, in my view, were supplements, at one point. I eventually eliminated all but one or two. I don't miss the ones I eliminated.

[Aurelius710]

I'm on six medications. I feel like a walking pharmacy. Does anyone else feel this way?

All the time. I'm currently on six meds too (for all my ailments) plus three OTC supplements and one about to go away that's functioning as a PRN. I wouldn't mind being a walking pharmacy if I didn't potentially have to fork over $70+ a month for medicine as a poor college student. Thems the breaks, huh?

[Blueberrybook]

Just look at my signature...

I already responded, but thought I'd tell a story about medication taking.

Before I ever started bipolar meds, I barely even took a Tylenol. I remember during one of my early psych hospitalizations having to take a number of meds, some large pills. At the nurse's station, she gave me the cup of pills with just a mini cup of water. I was still unused to taking so much that I would only swallow one pill at a time. She'd laugh because I kept asking her to refill that little cup. I was afraid I'd choke or gag up more than one (or max two small) pills at time.

Time passed and my daily pill piles grew larger and larger. I eventually learned how to knock down several at a time. I know I can swallow at least 8 to 10 pills in one gulp now.

Last week I had to get two root canals. I was nervous! I asked the assistant if I could take an Ativan before the procedure started. She asked and it was OK. Ativan pills are generally small, but I had some big pills in the same bag that she spotted. She said "Wow! You take a lot of big pills!" I looked and thought they didn't look that big to me anymore. I'd actually even taken bigger.

It's a hassle sometimes to fill pill boxes, but really as for the taking of them, a pile goes down with equal ease nowadays than a single small birth control pill did 15 years ago.

[Unrigged64072835]

I have five meds now, plus three supplements. I also have a couple of PRNs. Not to mention the OTC stuff.

[piano97]

I'm very concerned some of you are on either way too high doses, way too many meds, or way too many meds at low doses.

My biggest concern is an acceptance of this, without having had done other interventions, such as heavy daily doses of exercise, nutrition, CBT, etc for long periods of time. This means not exercising for one day, not eating well for one day, isolating for one day, are not optional. Taking pills in lieu of those things is dangerous imo.

IMO, medically, when I see a list of meds like some of the above, there's no way to cleanly assess what is happening clinically.

Medications are needed sometimes, but exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, daily structure, sleep hygiene, CBT, etc are needed ALL the time and in all cases.

[BipolaRNurse]

I'm on seven meds for psych reasons, four for my blood pressure, and several supplements for various conditions (Vitamin D3, fish oil, aspirin). Some of them I take twice a day. I've learned to swallow the whole fistful in one gulp. I wish I could get along on less, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards at this time.

[Guiness187055]

I am on three blood pressure meds, one cholestorol med, and 5 psych meds.

Originally Posted by piano97

I'm very concerned some of you are on either way too high doses, way too many meds, or way too many meds at low doses.

IMO, medically, when I see a list of meds like some of the above, there's no way to cleanly assess what is happening clinically.

I think you make some valid points and proper clinical assessments of medication efficacy is necessary. I know also that in my case, it was possible to eventually be taken off two of three antipsychotics I used to take simultaneously. It was nice to chop my list down. Attempting to do so showed which meds did/didn't/could/couldn't do what. Some side effects disappeared. Those that didn't were clearly from X med and could be managed from there.

I think big med lists are often just works in progress. I think going off some meds cold turkey is dangerous. So some people will be on high doses of some and low doses of other meds, but perhaps that is soon to change. Transitions. Disrupting a calm situation prematurely for the sake of "cutting" doses/meds can also be unwise. Some meds are very hard to get off of. And there are other factors. I agree that piling on meds with no good strategy is bad.

Originally Posted by piano97

My biggest concern is an acceptance of this, without having had done other interventions, such as heavy daily doses of exercise, nutrition, CBT, etc for long periods of time. This means not exercising for one day, not eating well for one day, isolating for one day, are not optional. Taking pills in lieu of those things is dangerous imo.

I absolutely know you are right about the importance of diet, exercise, other healthy living, and therapy for people with bipolar. I strive for all these and know I do better when I meet these goals. However, meeting these goals all of the time is not possible for many (if not most) of us. It's not a matter of choice (being optional). It's natural not to be perfect at times. Plus, we can't ensure our life situations will be great and manageable all of the time. Many need medications to help. Sometimes episodes come on even when we think we've put forth 100% effort and everything is otherwise peachy keen. It would be dangerous and unfair to be blamed or blame oneself for sickness because of lack of "perfection". [/QUOTE]

[downandlonely]

I don't have the time to wait for things like exercise to work. I need my medication to function. I tried exercising an hour every day one summer (running outside in the sun) and was very depressed because the medication wasn't working. For clinical depression, none of those natural methods work. Also I don't think any of those suggestions help with mania. I have heard intensive exercise can actually make mania worse.

[pirilin]

Hi Rasps,
How's my grandaughter doing?.

I got rid of your favorite Tylenol and I can't be happier.
I truly enjoy being my crazy self now.
I still buy the prescription to keep the shrinkette happy.
She's providing me with other perks, hehe.

I'm not taking any psych meds regularily now.
A little bit of Kpins here, a little bit of Addys there.
All in good fun.
Most days I forget. The only constant I have is muscular pain.
I take Arnica for that. Works for me.

And I sleep in episodes. Of about two or three hours.
Then two or three hours awake, and then sleep again.
However, I sleep more than six hours a day. Specially after a meal.
It's good to be retired.

Luv 'ya!!!.

Cheers.

[~Christina]

I take

Latuda , Lamictal , doxipin Tenex for ptsd nitemares and Xanax as needed.

I’m fine with my amounts they all work ( for )

[MissDenim]

I take 6 different medications daily and some of them I have to take two of them. All of them are psych meds and I feel they are too much. I can barely swallow them all when I take them at night.

[piano97]

I think some are misunderstanding my points and I didn't articulate properly.

Re: sudden onset, I've woke up with unexpected mood shifts before with no apparent stimuli. Very unsettling when it happens. Has freaked me the **** out before. But I've never woke up in a full blown episode without precursors. Clinically, that is not possible. There are always prodromal symptoms, the key is recognizing it and using behavioral modifcation to 'tweak' things vs. constant reliance on medications.

It is correct that eating well isn't going to interrupt a manic episode and 'heal it'. LOL.
Medication is needed at that point. I'm recently coming out of a rough patch, and largely thanks to medication. But it's a temporary band-aid in the grand scheme.

The key is stopping it and interrupting the pathway BEFORE it escalates. And behavioral work CAN do that. The best and safest interventions are non-pharm, and as maintenance, not reactive. Can still be effective if doing it reactively, if a line hasn't been crossed. Which is why forcing it daily is so important. And not for a week, or a month. Permanent. Once it's 'forced' for awhile, it's habit. Autopilot. Meds are ok sometimes. Which I'm doing right now and for forseeable future, but also for foreseeable future, my job is to work my *** off on behavioral stuff so my body can get into and maintain homeostasis as good as possible without pills or as little as possible. They shorten your life span and QOL.

[sarahsweets]

Originally Posted by piano97

I'm very concerned some of you are on either way too high doses, way too many meds, or way too many meds at low doses.

My biggest concern is an acceptance of this, without having had done other interventions, such as heavy daily doses of exercise, nutrition, CBT, etc for long periods of time. This means not exercising for one day, not eating well for one day, isolating for one day, are not optional. Taking pills in lieu of those things is dangerous imo.

IMO, medically, when I see a list of meds like some of the above, there's no way to cleanly assess what is happening clinically.

Medications are needed sometimes, but exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, daily structure, sleep hygiene, CBT, etc are needed ALL the time and in all cases.

If you have other issued unrelated to psychiatric medication then you will be on more meds.

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

I'm on six medications. I feel like a walking pharmacy. Does anyone else feel this way?

"Only" six? If only I took so few..... and yeah, I feel like a walking pharmacy! You hit the nail on the head.

[~Christina]

I think it’s hard for anyone to swallow X amounts of pills a day.

But your family and friends deserve the best of you possible.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I take lamictal, Latuda, haldol, vistaril, celexa and Ativan prn. I also take birth control, vitamin d and levothyroxine. Oh and melatonin prn

[TheSeaCat]

I sometimes feel like I am a walking pharmacy as well, I take two psych meds; one med for side effects caused by Seroquel. I am on Birth Control, a gummy Multivitamin, a hair, skin and nails gummy. I am also on a beta blocker for my heart rate and blood pressure, I also take a gummy Melatonin to augment my Seroquel.

So that makes 8 meds unless I am sick and put on something else.

[Tucson]

I had to make this post in order for me to check the list of meds that I am on. It looks to be five. Five too many.