Sign Up Today!

Comfort2 · 12-01-2004, 08:23 PM

I haven't taken my meds in about a week now and I am feeling great. Is this normal. Has anyone ever done this before? Could this mean I don't need them anymore? Or is just the calm before the storm? Any input would be great.

Thanks,
Debbie

downtrodden · 12-01-2004, 10:57 PM

I happen to be of an EXTREMELY drug-resistent ilke - just like my father...

When I asked the therapist IF my going off of all meds would upset the bureaucratic roller-coaster, I was told...

" Too bad they won't accept the reality that most bipolars WILL stop taking their meds within 6 weeks of the start of treatment... "

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Debbie... (Hello, bye-the-way)...

The "above" is from a reply I posted to plumloco (a thread still on the main page of Bi-Polar)...

Why DO Bi-Polars stop taking their meds ??? No two individuals are exactly alike, nor are their probable reactions TO the meds, or reasons for stopping...

I know that in my case, the side effects are overwhelming to the point that the treatment becomes worse than the original problem...

Most of the sage wisdom in these parts will say it is unwise to ever stop one's medications ~ as that allows the balance to swing and build back to where we are more likely to go manic or depressive... And then, there you are facing an uncertain set of circumstances...

I hold my own opinions...

All of life involves "risk" taking, and there ain't none of us gettin' out of it alive...

It's tough to be totally confidant in yourself as a bi-polar (judgement wise) ~ yet IF you trust yourself ENOUGH to know when you need to tweak it a bit ~ well, that's where I live these days... Topomax, Klonopin, Xanax, Depakote, Lithium Carbonate, Zoloft and Ambien stand packed and ready to go in a "kit"... I hesitate to use them because of the major effects they induce with me ~ literally messing-up my cognitive and bodily processes for DAYS with even a single use... If I do go to use them, then I usually fragment the dose - which still yields problems... Unlike what the idiots that prescribe but have never taken the stuff say, it IS possible to REACT to these things (if you're wired that way) in a matter of hours instead of weeks...

I've often thought that two issues are too often at play...

1) A "one-size-fits-all" approach by some pdocs...

2) A "cover-your-as*" approach, in which NO ONE in the medical hierarchy wants the potential liability of UNDER-medicating a Bi-Polar - and the possible outcomes...

Better to have us wearing adult diapers, shuffling a bit, unsteady to the point of unsafe driving a vehicle ~ than risk the unknown...

My DOCUMENTED reactions led to the treatment "plan" which I'm now on...

It gives me the option to intervene as needed, unless I show an inability to do so...

I think this society in general tends to reach for a magic pill way too quickly...

The trick is trusting in yourself, that you'll KNOW if and when you need the stuff !!!

Good luck !!! Learn yourself... And make sure "they" listen !!!

Ruth6:11 · 12-02-2004, 05:07 AM

And then there is yours truly who says "Take your meds"!
Most bipolars (and particularly Type I) have periods of being completely fine. But the disease itself is defined as periods of highs and lows so basically you know they're coming. Some meds become LESS effective if you go off them and go back on.
Being fine today does not mean that you'll never be manic again - or depressed.

Would you tell a diabetic to go off their meds? Our disease is physicological - it's not mind over matter - makes sense to me to do what we have to do to be the best we can be...

(You say tomato and I say to"mah"to - it's ok when we disagree!)

downtrodden · 12-02-2004, 05:41 AM

Ruth ~ You do KNOW that I agree with you in principle !!!

I just can't tolerate the meds physiologically, myself ~ so I'm guessing I'm not alone out there...

I WISH I COULD !!!

I'm also guessing that I am not alone in that plight...

Yes, we can always agree to disagree ~ and that is not an unhealthy state of affairs ~ since as individuals we sort of "debate" within ourselves on making decisions...

One major point I'll agree with (in extension) ~ As one has extreme departures with this illness, the pathways of neural transmission get more and more burned-in (neural connections do grow with any experience, even if there are synaptic gaps at each linkage)... IF the meds can prevent extreme departures and lessen their frequency, then the severity of the illness's occurences should be kept more at bay... Being off of meds does increase the risk of frequency AND severity !!!

I don't present the other side now to be a Devil's Advocate ~ but to acknowledge the validity of your statements !!!

I felt kind of bad when I re-read what my earlier posting said, as I do NOT advocate stopping the medications for those who they clearly benefit and do NOT reduce to a plasmic embarrassment...

Thanks for responding, Ruth... I had tried to acknowledge you and yours in the "sage wisdom" line...

Comfort2 · 12-02-2004, 06:33 AM

Ruth and DT,

Thanks for your replies. You two are both so knowledgable. Thats why I love this board so much. And even though I guess I really know subconsiously, what I am SUPPOSE to do and not doing it can be dangerous, but having some one as wise as the two of you shedding light on what I really know already helps kind of keep me on track.

Thanks again
Debbie

downtrodden · 12-02-2004, 06:55 AM

Thanks, Debs !!!

As an early-retired edumacator (and Popeye fan), I can't resist an opportunity to continue on my (self-delusionally enlightening) quest...

There are 2 major branches of Philosophy, Materialist and non-Materialist.
The materialists say ~ all you see is all there is. The non-materialists (or Meta-physicists) pose that IDEAS are valid, and perfection exists ONLY in that realm (paving the way for belief in deities and such)...

One of the Materialists (Hegel) posed a doctrine in which he stated " Thesis - Antithesis - Synthesis " (in my opinion, about the only worthwhile contribution Hegel made - which is why his Reading {England} University Disciple gave me a "D" on a paper where I showed Hegel's self-contradictions)... Nothing wrong with my arguments - he clearly stated he'd NEVER tolerate such a smart-as*ed paper (especially since my points were valid). I guess that, since his materialist leanings precluded a belief in God, he'd chosen to believe in Hegel - and I'd insulted his idol !!!

Proceeding forward... Hegel's idea was, that if someone states an opinion - then it motivates OPPOSING thought in someone else... The original thought is the THESIS, and the opposing thought is the ANTI-THESIS. As the two sets of arguments are weighed, debated and sorted through ~ hopefully a SYNTHESIS of the stronger points of the two result in a leap forward for human thought !!!

Thesis - Antithesis - Synthesis

If and when Ruth and I (or anyone else) debate opposing sides ~ it will hopefully result in an airing and processing of the strengths and weaknesses of our views...

If Hegel was right, then the end result should be greater than the assemblage of the component arguments...

PS (edit) ~ And that's about all the good things you'll hear me state about Hegel... I'm still ****** about that " D " !!! (and that was 32 years ago)...

PPS (further edit) ~ One of my favorite quotes goes... " Everybody's GOT TO believe in SOMETHING ~ I believe I'll have another beer !!! "

Yet another states ~ " I much rather have a full-bottle-in-front-of-me, than a full-frontal-lobotomy !!! "

Sign Up Today!

Join Our Newsletter

Whoops,

Thank You