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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
As is usual for most, I have been on and off a whole list of meds since I was diagnosed BP II two years ago. Most of the drugs seem to help for the first 8 weeks or so, and then I have another episode. I've ended up staying on a lot of drugs that I don't think are working just b/c "we can only do one experiment at a time" (has anyone else heard this?) (ie. if we're upping the dose on one thing, we don't want to change anything else in the mix until we know what will happen). I'd really like to try getting off some of this stuff, but I've not been in the greatest shape recently--some rapid cycling, mixed episodes, suicidal ideas, etc. My feeling is that this proves the drugs aren't working, so why shouldn't I start clean? My therapist is of the opinion you shouldn't go off any drugs when you are in a bad way. I just don't want to do what I did last year and wait until the fall to mention it. Last yr my pdoc and therapist informed me of the general medical practice to never take anyone with mood disorders off drugs in winter. Is this true?
Someone on the bd recently suggested I try to do a drug holiday. That appeals to me--I don't want to chuck meds entirely, in fact, if I found one that worked I would be very pro-medication. Right now I just want to clean out my medicine cabinet a little. I don't have any room left in there for the bandaids and such. Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated...
Posted by fallsfall on August 19, 2003, at 7:36:26
In reply to Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
Changing only one thing at a time is a good practice because then you can tell what the effects of each individual med change are. I hadn't heard of not going off meds in the winter - unless they are worried about SAD. I might question that.
I agree that you shouldn't go off meds when you aren't doing well - unless you have a pretty strong belief that the meds are making you worse. You could exchange one med for a new one in hopes of finding something that will work better.
I'm going to start removing meds in a couple of weeks. Lithium is first because I've been on it the longest and it can cause tiredness. It'll take a month to go off that. If, as I decrease, it is clear that I need the lithium, then I go back to full dose. Then Prozac - probably a month again - and if I have adverse effects I go back on. etc. This will take a long time...
Sounds like this Psycho-Babble will be interesting in the near future with med reductions!
Posted by Sebastian on August 19, 2003, at 18:18:48
In reply to Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
Many, I love them, getting ready for a permanent one, I hope...
Posted by Sebastian on August 20, 2003, at 11:52:58
In reply to Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
A lot of times when I have only taken a drug for a short time (less than a year usualy) if it is not working I will just stop taking it, usualy with doctor aproval or not. Never had a problem with it? Except for Zyprexa which I have been taking for 5 years, when I just stoped taking that I didn't asjust well at all, so now I'm decresing slowely. But with all other drugs I have just stoped taking them, sometines all of them at once. Try it see if you feel bad, if you do just start taking it again. Probably wouldn't hurt to talk with you doctor about it.
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on August 20, 2003, at 15:08:00
In reply to Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
Every year or so, I begin to wonder if the way I feel (weird, to be general) is related to the medications I've been on. I lose my perspective on how I "normally" feel, so I stop taking everything, all the way down to coffee, for several months. Usually, this results in me feeling crappy for the first week or so, then pretty good, and then (about 3 months later) I gradually begin to feel like my naturally lousy self, reassuring me that underneath it all, I do indeed feel off. I then wait until I just feel too bad to go on, and consult my dr, and the cycle renews (feel good for a while, falls off, quit, better, gradually worse, consult dr, feels good, falls off, etc...). If only I could always be either 2 weeks into a new drug, or two weeks off of one :)
Posted by Sebastian on August 20, 2003, at 19:40:35
In reply to Re: Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by Eddie Sylvano on August 20, 2003, at 15:08:00
My sentaments exactly!
Posted by stjames on August 23, 2003, at 2:12:52
In reply to Re: Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday? » Eddie Sylvano, posted by Sebastian on August 20, 2003, at 19:40:35
I would suspect starting and stopping meds makes the end result worse. Also meds, esp AD's, have been known to quit working if you start and stop them, then restart.
Posted by Dr...Not! on August 23, 2003, at 22:18:00
In reply to Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by allisonf on August 19, 2003, at 4:16:31
I had one by mistake, and ended up with panic attacks and a weekend in the local hospital's Psychiatric Ward! Some meds have very dangerous symptoms when you stop them cold-turkey, so don't stop anything without your supervising doctor's approval. You can help your body to a "vacation" just by increasing the amount of water you drink, start walking outside everyday, cut back and eliminate caffeine and sugar. That helped me.
Posted by allisonf on August 24, 2003, at 10:38:12
In reply to Re: Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by Dr...Not! on August 23, 2003, at 22:18:00
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I just saw my pdoc yesterday and have decided to postpone the drug vacation for a little while longer, only b/c I really have been going thru a hard time lately. I do think the idea is a good one...that I would like to try maybe when I'm a bit more stable and have the energy to do all the things you are saying like going off them slowly, drinking water, exercising, stopping the coffee. If I did it now, I know it would only be out of frustration b/c none of the drugs so far have worked very well. As if by taking a drug holiday I would be saying "ha! now I'll really show those drugs!" So, instead, I've started on what feels like some outrageous amount of Geodon (twice what I used to take). But maybe this time it will really work...
Posted by Sebastian on August 27, 2003, at 18:15:18
In reply to Re: Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by Dr...Not! on August 23, 2003, at 22:18:00
Mine just ended, I saw my doctor today. A piece of it will stay.
Sebastian
Posted by polly53 on August 28, 2003, at 13:57:51
In reply to Re: Anyone Taken a Drug Holiday?, posted by Sebastian on August 27, 2003, at 18:15:18
I havt to say I did just that I went off my Geodon and Effxor I just was going crazy and could not take it anymore, I did not sleep or eat and my mind was just way out of line I thought about sucide all the time. It took me a while to get them out of my system but I have to say I feel somewhat better than I did. I still have bad days but nothing like I was. I will never go off my lithium though I tried that and that did not work out at all. I hope everything works out for you.
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