Trying to understand going on and off meds

Before i start, this is just a fact finding, curious thread as I truly do not understand this in threads I see.

I am not trying to trigger anyone or cause any stress for anyone. Just looking for info to understand.

Why is it that folks go off meds without telling their doc? I remember the way I was when not on meds and there is no chance at all that I would ever just stop taking them cold without telling or asking my doc. I was way too scary and way too out of control for much of my life for not being diagnosed or understanding why I was the way I was.

For me, i cannot fathom doing this so I am trying to understand what would cause someone to stop taking their meds.

Thanks for any replies

I have very little experience with meds- I' dive tried to avoid them, dn't even finish my initial prescription, so I'm probably not a good model. But when a psychiatrist told me the lithium was "working", and I hadn't even taken any, well let's just say I had reason to wonder about his wisdom.

I would urge anyone thinking of going off meds against medical advice to seek out a provider who would work with you toward that goal, and not go entirely solo.

I quit once because i thought i was doing good enough and had thought i learned enough to be able to make it on my own. Big mistake, i wasnt doing good and i didnt learn enough.
Second time i quit my meds, my stress level was down and i weaned myself off my meds. Well it worked for about a year then m stress level went up, which i had no control over so, my mood and behaviors got bad again.
Now have been on meds for about 10+ years now. I have developed fears of running out of my meds now. I'm not a good person to be without meds and it scares me.

I would not want to stop my meds as I know how bad I am off them. I do understand that for some ppl they are able to and prefer to manage their BP med free but this is not for me. I think however that coming off meds without medical supervision is a really bad idea. If someone does want to go med free then I think they need medical supervision to achieve this (along with other things).

Cracked

I haven't personally been tempted to ditch my medications so far, and have been on something for around 12 years. My symptoms are just too severe and debilitating when they hit that I don't feel I have any real alternative, and I'm aware of how important medication is in treating bipolar in particular.

However, I understand it's pretty common for people with bipolar to be non-compliant, at least at times. Some possible reasons I can think of:

-The influence of mania/hypomania (the only instances I've believed I didn't need medication is during higher moods, either because I felt great or that I was 'gifted' and therefore the last thing I needed was medication)

-The cyclical nature of the illness. During naturally-occurring stable periods, people might think this means their bipolar is 'cured' or never really existed

-Not being aware of how neurochemical factors influence the illness, and how useful medication can be

-Intolerable side-effects or the 'trial and error' process of finding suitable medications taking too long (I can relate to the enormous frustration this can bring)

-Problems with uncooperative psychiatrists or ineffective treatment (This has been an issue for me too, as for around a year I was being 'treated' by psychiatrists with no improvement in my depression at all)

Hopefully someone with more direct experience of going on and off meds will be able to chime in. Ultimately I couldn't imagine successfully managing my bipolar long-term without them, but I can see how people might want to try or could feel pushed into doing so x

l'ennui wrote:-The influence of mania/hypomania (the only instances I've believed I didn't need medication is during higher moods, either because I felt great or that I was 'gifted' and therefore the last thing I needed was medication)

-The cyclical nature of the illness. During naturally-occurring stable periods, people might think this means their bipolar is 'cured' or never really existed

-Not being aware of how neurochemical factors influence the illness, and how useful medication can be

-Intolerable side-effects or the 'trial and error' process of finding suitable medications taking too long (I can relate to the enormous frustration this can bring)

-Problems with uncooperative psychiatrists or ineffective treatment (This has been an issue for me too, as for around a year I was being 'treated' by psychiatrists with no improvement in my depression at all)

x

Now that I see this laid out and the other replies, some of it does make sense in the fact that yea I could picture myself during a manic state of the past thinking I don't need meds.

Not sure on the stable moods, at least til now. I never had them before meds so I know the meds are helping. So for me, yea stable = good = meds

Thankfully I have never had any side effects of any meds I am taking or took. I also have wonderful docs so in that I know I am lucky. I do hear of some stories of really bad experiences with docs. it amazes me how many I hear verses the good ones.

I'm not going off my meds, but sometimes I miss some aspects of hypomania. My boyfriend and friends joke about who I used to be, how much fun I was, how much energy I used to have, and of course how hypersexual I was. They are only kidding with me, though, because they also saw the bad side of it and know I don't want to go back there. Still, when they talk about it, I do feel a sort of longing like if I could just tone down my meds enough to let me feel some of it...but that will never happen, and tempting mania in any form is a really scary thought. I'm just saying that I do sometimes romanticize the good parts of what it used to be like and have a fleeting thought that I could be stable and also like that. Yeah, right!

I don't seem to be able to be nicely hypo anymore. It hasn't really happened since I started rapid-cycling in 2011 and went to a psychiatrist. Very rarely I get *hours* of this nice hypo feeling, but sooner rather than later they turn into "coked up to the gills" type of feeling, or the "cooking -- no, e-mailing -- no, watching videos -- no, cleaning -- ooh shiny" feeling. I don't think dropping meds is going to make me nice and energetic, I think it's going to turn me into absolute trainwreck.

Hi. I am one of those who tries occasionally to reduce and then drop my meds. I am very "high functioning" generally speaking - maybe low grade BP would be a better description but the words in quotes are from the medical people. Therefore when things are going relatively well for a long while I tend to think that maybe I will be better off the meds as well. I truly despise taking any medication and I honestly believe that it could be harming me in the long run (i.e. Parkinson's or dementia later on)? The medications I am taking are are fairly new and don't really have much on how they might affect one who has been a long term user. Okay, that said, another factor is also that I feel the drugs kind of mute the real me. I feel a bit stifled by them and just want to be myself whatever that may truly look like as I am not sure anymore since I have been on some form of medication for many years.
Just wanted to add that I always wean off and always tell my doc I am doing it. I don't do it very often but when I have that is how it's been done

jill15 wrote:Hi. I am one of those who tries occasionally to reduce and then drop my meds. I am very "high functioning" generally speaking - maybe low grade BP would be a better description but the words in quotes are from the medical people. Therefore when things are going relatively well for a long while I tend to think that maybe I will be better off the meds as well. I truly despise taking any medication and I honestly believe that it could be harming me in the long run (i.e. Parkinson's or dementia later on)? The medications I am taking are are fairly new and don't really have much on how they might affect one who has been a long term user. Okay, that said, another factor is also that I feel the drugs kind of mute the real me. I feel a bit stifled by them and just want to be myself whatever that may truly look like as I am not sure anymore since I have been on some form of medication for many years.
Just wanted to add that I always wean off and always tell my doc I am doing it. I don't do it very often but when I have that is how it's been done

Thank you. This makes sense. I feel like I am not 'fully' me at times but then i remember what that was off meds and well I stay the course. lol I do understand about the long term effects. That always has bothered me, not just the ones I take now for BP, etc...but any I have taken in the past for any medical issues. Sucks that you don't really know until that happens. Wish they could be more truthful (the prescription companies forget their name) that is. Even the side effects they tell you about sound scary and I am sure we are not getting all info, only what they disclose (totally my feelings here).