Please help me - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

Lizzers4u · 01-19-2004, 11:28 PM

Well, this is my frist time back in a while. I don't quite know why I am back. If you were to ask anyone they'd say I'm doing fine. But lately something has been nagging at my conscious. I went off my pills all by myself. I know it sounds like a horrible idea, but they just dulled everything. I'd much rather feel alive than just drifting throuhg. Now that school has started agian I get worried. I feel like I am still manic most of the days of the week. I like it though. I can make it through the day and get everything done. Usually I can stay on track. Sometimes it feels like I'm getting a little out of control. Other times I feel terribly down. Not just a normal blue day, but the "not wanting to get out of bed or move" days. I know that feeling far to well. It scars me. I dont want anything to wrong agian. I couldnt take that. I dont know. I just get so confused and no one seems to understand. Does anyone have some advice?

u2fran · 01-20-2004, 04:24 AM

Hi Lizzers4u. My advice might not be so good, but if I quit taking any of my meds, I would let my doctor know. Lithium is the only medicine I want to use to stabilize my manic, depressive. or mixed moods. If I quit lithium, I'd most likely become very manic, and possibly have a manic depressive episode. In my opinion I think you should at least take a stabilizer, and let your doctor know that you stopped your meds. I've read about people, here on the board, who say mood stabilizers, like lithium have kept them stable for years. I know alot of certian meds make things dull, and I won't take stuff like that, since I went through alot of meds over the years. What ever you do hang in there, you sound like you're doing alright.

Ruth6:11 · 01-20-2004, 06:31 AM

If you had a friend who had been diagnosed with diabetes, and they told you that they had stopped taking their insulin medication, what would you tell them to do??

Our chemical imbalance is just as much a disease as diabetes and we NEED our medication just as much.

I do understand the dull feeling. It took me 4 months to reach down to the pits I hadn't been to in years in order to cry when my dad died.
But withOUT my meds I have a rollercoaster life, bad relationships, shaky friendships, bad job performance, and in my case psychotic breaks with reality during mania.

Dull or Disaster?
I chose Dull. I still feel things, I laugh, I enjoy ice cream, I just don't go off the rail....
Do I miss it? Sometimes, just not more than leading a depression and mania free life....

thickman · 01-20-2004, 09:24 AM

I say talk to the doctor... You may need the pills still...

bok · 01-20-2004, 01:29 PM

Well guess what...i did the same thing. I was on meds for a bit over 6 months this time...and I had to get off them...gained 30 lbs, had no clothes to wear...broke from all the copays and meds...more depressed that i had to rely on meds to get me through the days and nights...deeper depressions, bigger flipouts...ect....so i wanted to go back to just me without meds for a while...its working out great...its been 4 weeks...just a bit of anziety to work through...but knowing that i have no pills to count on to get me through....im not looking for anything for help...yea a glass of wine is good sometimes for that!!

I was also in the emergency room with stomach pains, they recomended i go off the meds to see if thats the sideeffects...my doc said he did not mind if i tried to go off....i actually told him i went off and his oppinion did not actually matter...glad he agreed with me

So untill i hit the bottom of the pits again ( cross fingers thats a thing of the past..lol) then I wont be medicine queen!

I say you do what you want for your own self...meds work differently with everyone!