[BigRicky]

It seems the hospital nor the internet has much to say on the topic of people who want maximum performance out of their bodies. Was wondering if there could be room for some discussion here? The subject goes 11 months without incident and suffers a manic episode in the 12th month, always between the months of January - March. He'd like to avoid the embarrassing manic episodes he's suffered the past five years by staying on one medication until another alternative is presented. He's currently on both abilify and lithium and is getting awful headaches every few days. Any advice on which drug to ask the psychiatrist to drop?

[kaliope]

hi bigricky
gosh this is so hard to answer as different meds affect so many people so many different ways. it could be both meds together are keeping you as stable as you are and dropping one could increase the cycles.the only way to find out is to drop one, flip a coin, unless it is listed in the side effects of one and not the other, and see how you do. there are so many bp meds out there you could also try others until you find something that works without the headaches. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome

Originally Posted by BigRicky

It seems the hospital nor the internet has much to say on the topic of people who want maximum performance out of their bodies. Was wondering if there could be room for some discussion here? The subject goes 11 months without incident and suffers a manic episode in the 12th month, always between the months of January - March. He'd like to avoid the embarrassing manic episodes he's suffered the past five years by staying on one medication until another alternative is presented. He's currently on both abilify and lithium and is getting awful headaches every few days. Any advice on which drug to ask the psychiatrist to drop?

Hello BigRicky: The responses of members here on PC, to this scenario, may be interesting. However, this is not a question any of us can, or should be addressing specifically. This is a discussion which needs to occur between patient & psychiatrist.

[kim_johnson]

If I were you I'd talk to your psychiatrist...

Could it be an option for you to be referred to see a psychiatrist who specializes in sports medicine? Alternatively... I bet the army / navy / airforce etc care a lot about human performance... I don't know whether it might be possible to follow up on things in this way...

Tell your psychiatrist about your concerns and see what he has to say / recommend. The crucial thing, really, is his justification for his opinion.

This doesn't address your question, but I thought you might find the article interesting, especially if you plan to play college sports.

https://sports.vice.com/article/the-...e-our-athletes

[CANDC]

Hello BigRicky, welcome to Psych Central (PC).

I am all for talking to your psychiatrist. Sometimes they can switch you to other meds that might be better. Leave it to the professionals.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by BigRicky

It seems the hospital nor the internet has much to say on the topic of people who want maximum performance out of their bodies. Was wondering if there could be room for some discussion here? The subject goes 11 months without incident and suffers a manic episode in the 12th month, always between the months of January - March. He'd like to avoid the embarrassing manic episodes he's suffered the past five years by staying on one medication until another alternative is presented. He's currently on both abilify and lithium and is getting awful headaches every few days. Any advice on which drug to ask the psychiatrist to drop?

Not a fan of suggesting to any doctor how to treat patients, as telling which to stop implies. However, could there be more going on with this athlete where headaches are concerned? There's a chance it is not a medication side effect.

Sent from my LGMS323 using Tapatalk

[tradika]

I agree with everyone else here. Ask the doctor. The other thing I'd mention about athletes on lithium is that person has to make sure they get lots of hydration. They can't afford to get dehydrated!!!