I'm getting older and it's made me wonder...
If I was in a coma, or had a serious injury and could not take my lithium...
What would happen?

Does anyone know how the medical field would handle that?
I'm figuring a liquid lithium?

And if I was REALLY older and near the end - would I go off my lithium and end my days on earth in a happy/spiritual high, or a cocoon depression or keep taking the pills?

I swear I'm not depressed - I actually wonder about these things. Besides, I work in a funeral home so this is almost shop talk for me!

Thanks for anyone old enough and on lithium to brave this topic, it's definitely not a subject everyone can relate to!
Ruth
:angel:

Ruth,
It's me Mudhound. I wonder about things like that too.
I would guess that the sprinkles form would work too.

Good Question!

Hi Ruth

I think it's completely normal to think about 'the end' when you have something like BP, as I'm sure we've all been in suicidal states and have therefore 'looked death in the face!'

I don't know for definite but I assume there must be someway of administering drugs whatever the condition of the patient (although I suppose if you're in a coma the mood swings wouldn't affect you?). And similarly if you were near the end, I guess they'd just keep you on everything you'd been on for so long rather than risk plunging you into depression on top of everything else.

Like I say I don't know for sure but I guess that's what they'd do. Maybe you could call or write to your doc and find out for definite, just to satisfy your curiosity.

Hope you're well

Picali

[QUOTE=Ruth 3:11]..

And if I was REALLY older and near the end - would I go off my lithium and end my days on earth in a happy/spiritual high, or a cocoon depression or keep taking the pills?

Pehaps,this becomes a true spiritual question. I'm sure we all would like to know the exact time of are death,however,we know from the Bible,only are Creator gives us life and death. Then, if our needs are,at that time we feel close to the end,we should have faith in God to deliever us from earth in a true happy/spiritual high without Lithium. This is truly a "normal" way to die,
Right ? :angel:

Eyes

Thanks to old friends and new for even attempting to open this can of worms with me!
(Mudhound, where have you been and how is your family?)

I guess that I would hate to die in a psychotic mania - while I suppose a catonic depression might be a blessing.
I tend to be very tuned in to my spiritual side. BL (before lithium!) my manias tended towards the religious/spiritual/metaphysical/connected type. The imprint they left on me has never gone away although the memory is considerably less intense than the experience.
I don't think I have ever feared death because I am unable to see it as an end thanks to the doorway that being bipolar opened. And Picoli is right, I've been as close to death as you can get with 2 suicide attempts before age 25 and a loss of two weeks due to catatonia. That deep pit of depression was near bottomless.

But I do remain a bit scared of dying while psychotic and have fiercely resisted any doctors thru the years who have wanted to switch me off of lithium.

Thanks again for talking a bit about medication and death - I appreciate the chance to get some of these thoughts out in the open...
:angel:

Hi Ruth

What is it with doctors wanting to take people off meds that they're doing well on? Stick to your guns - I don't know if it's possible for you to make a 'living will' that states very clearly that, in the event of your becoming incapacitated, you want to remain on your meds. I don't know how easy it is to do that, but it must be possible (you know how people who are terminal can request not to be resucitated etc?). Presumably it's a similar kind of thing. It would just put your mind at rest. I slept much easier once I'd sorted out life insurance and someone to take care of my son if anything should happen, it's just one less thing to worry about.

What a good idea, why didn't I think about that! Probably because I only thought about living wills in terms of PHYSICAL health -shame on me of all people!
Thanks!!!!!
:angel: