Have you ever considered stopping everything? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

Loubiegirl24 · 04-30-2008, 12:42 PM

Hello,
I am new to being BP, and was just diagnosed about 2 months ago after some Cymbalta I had been put on made me have a manic episode and a nervous breakdown. I was hospitalized, but my doctor admitted me under another condition, autonomic neuropathy, that I have. That was over easter weekend, and every since then I haven't felt like myself.

It has been an endless barrage of doctor's appointments, medications, and feeling horrible guilt over what happened during my episode. Basically the only thing I did was spend just TONS of money (mostly on designer shoes, which I have an unnatural obsession with) and drink Red Bull like it was life juice.

But since being on all these meds (Lithium, Seroquel, Adderall, Prednisone, Aspirin, and was on Zyprexa and Celexa for a while) I have gained like 20 pounds, which is just absolutely devastating to me, because I have battled with an ED most of my life. I spoke with my doctor but she just told me to start eating better and exercising, but exercise is SO hard when your entire body aches, and then she tripled my seroquel and lithium dosages.

I am this close to just putting an end to ALL my medicines (besides the adderall, <3 it) and trying to go back to who I was. I feel like if I don't just stop it all then it will get out of control and take over my life.
No more psych meds, no more doctors, just ME.

Has anyone else ever done this/wanted to do this? Does it work?

katlin09 · 04-30-2008, 05:15 PM

If you truly are BiPolar, then no, chucking all your meds and pdoc won't work. Instead of getting rid of your meds, it sounds like maybe a new pdoc is in order, someone who's a little more in tune to you and your situation. Have you thought of changing docs?

seaturtle · 04-30-2008, 06:05 PM

Oh, yes. Not because of weight gain, because I seem to lose on everything I take. But because I am sick of meds, and I get in moods where I'm sure the meds are causing all my difficulties, and that I am really fine without them.

Ahem. Good idea, but not a good outcome. I ended up a mess.

A friend had a terrible time with her weight. She switched to something called Lamenda, apparently a drug used for Alzheimer's with an off-label for bp. It's really worked for her, and she has lost eight pounds in three weeks without trying. Maybe your doc could help out there?

I think it's really important to emphasize to your pdoc that the weight gain from the meds is making you want to just drop everything.

I'd ask for med changes and persist at that. And please, don't just drop your meds without a doctor's consent. It could result in danger to your health and maybe life.

Hang in there and keep us posted,

Seaturtle

seaturtle · 04-30-2008, 06:07 PM

Hi again,.

Forgot to ask you why you're on prednisone. I had to take that for just a week once, and I gained an incredible amount of weight from that alone.
Any possibility of getting off that one?

Italia 43 · 05-01-2008, 05:26 AM

i am bipolar, and i stopped seroqual almost 2 years ago.. now im on nothing for bipolar.. i had stopped the seroquel cold turkey.. in which i was on it for 6yrs.. doing this caused me major issues.. ask your doctor if he or she reccommeds you stop it.. Thats what i did wrong.. Never stop it in your own, you could get a nervous breakdown.. goodluck and many blessings..