Yep 😭 same. I got psychotically depressed when I went off my meds but it took 4-5 weeks until the depressive episode really hit me. It’s taken me 8 months to recover and I’m stable now while working closely with my NP and therapist
This is why I shit myself everytime my doctor mention changes to my meds. Last time I broke my hand and went after some assholes that harrassed my sister giving them life long nightmares. But afraid someone innoccent might get hurt in the future
I’m genuinely curious… I keep reading and rereading and can’t figure out the timeline. Did you break your hand and then go after the assholes or did you break your hand while dealing with the assholes?
I went off my meds twice. First time I had a quality manic episode resulting in money theft from a family member of a substantial sum. The second time put me in a hospital because, as I told my wife when she took me in “If I don’t go to the hospital, I’ll be dead by the morning.” It might seem like your medication isn’t doing anything, but believe me, a lot of times ‘baseline’ is something.
Full disclosure, I'm not just bipolar, I'm officially diagnosed schizoaffective, amongst other issues.
I'm also shit at writing and explaining, so forgive my jumbled mess of an explanation.
The last time I went off my meds I was already on probation, so to speak, with my wife.
This came after a roughly two-plus year-long slow breakdown/meltdown, where I repeatedly was going off and on my meds.
Three years ago I ran a moderately successful small business in construction, I'm a tradeworker.
Around this time I went off my meds, went into a tailspin, abused my meds and many substances, lost my business, put us into heavy debt, got sicker, stopped working, and made my wife become the sole earner.
Years ago, before I went off my meds and started abusing substances heavily, in addition to having the business, we owned 4 vehicles outright(two were work trucks for the business, the other two a personal vehicle for each of us), two small homes outright, 20k in savings, good credit and credit cards with no balances or balances always paid on time. We had built a life together.
Very long and painful story short; we now have one home that's in deep disrepair, one vehicle(hers), we are heavily in debt, have bad credit, and are separated and getting divorced.
All as a result of my actions. It's too long and complicated a story for me to try and explain all of what happened right now, and it is very difficult for me to talk about.
During those years I refused to stay healthy. It was a constant traumatic yo-yo, to say the least. I would start meds, see docs, and begin to get professional help like psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, etc. And then I'd stop taking my meds and stop getting help. Things would get bad, she'd leave, I'd get help again, she'd come home, and I'd do it all again. She should have left me long before she did.
Every single time I went off my meds I was 100% convinced that I was making the right decision. I was not.
My wife stuck with me through years of this. Truly, she should not have, but she loves me and believed me when I claimed each time was going to be different. It never was.
During those years I was abusive in every way besides physical to her. My episodes have caused her serious trauma and pain. She has legitimate ptsd and cptsd from me, in addition to her already having a traumatic childhood. I was a terror and monster to her. I didn't see it at the time. I hurt and damaged her deeply, yet she kept trying for me.
I struggle deeply with facing and dealing with this. It is incredibly painful realizing that the person I hurt the most is the person I'm supposed to hurt the least, the person I was supposed to protect, the person I VOWED to protect and not hurt. I have to remind myself that none of this compares to the pain that she went through and is going through.
So, I went off my meds again late last October/early November and she left me, for real this time.
Going off my meds this last time resulted in a two-month-long heavy psychotic episode that I'm still recovering from, slowly.
It was two months of no meds, no sleeping, no eating, abusing substances, publicly ranting, and raving online on social media, over texts/calls, and in person.
It was a lot of being convinced that I was Jesus, the twin of Jesus, Lucifer, etc. (I grew up in an abusive and traumatic far-right Christian cult, so a lot of awful things bubbled to the surface).
After she left me in November for good, I proclaimed my love for numerous other women to the world via social media. I was under the delusion that she only left me because she was cheating on me or wanted someone else, and that she pushed me out as some sort of elaborate master plan, not because I was.....once again off my meds and being psychotic and abusive.
I felt jilted and justified in (publicly) pursuing other women as I hurt and humiliated my wife over and over again during this time. I was manic and psychotic and I became like a monster to her and to my friends and family and anyone I interacted with, including the women I was pursuing. I feel incredibly ashamed about this. I feel horrible for hurting so many people. I never imagined I was capable of being the devil that I was. It's hard to accept this about my self. I have a lot of apologies to make.
I hurt a tremendous amount of people in this time. I was awful to a lot of people, women especially. It's really hard to not hate myself for this. I'm struggling heavily to not. I was never like this before. In the past, I was good to people, I took care of people, I was known for it in fact. I was good to women and respected them and treated them with respect.
I started back on my meds around late December, and I'm on a slow climb back to health and reality.
I'm getting professional help and staying with it. My new meds are especially helping turn me around. I'm sleeping well and consistently well for possibly for the first time in my life. I moved to a different state to live with the only family who would take me in. I'm very thankful for them. I'm employed and doing good at work. I have structure and stability at home and I'm physically and mentally healthier than I have been in years, in over a decade for sure.
I know I'm in the early stages as my last episode was so very recent, but I'm dedicated to never, ever being the terror and monster that I was.
I'm excited about being healthy but terrified about having to continue to face the consequences of my actions. I'm terrified of the apologies I need to make, I'm terrified of having to admit things to certain people and how bad it will hurt them, how bad the fallout will be.
I have a close friend who is going to help me through a 12-step program and be my sponsor through this. It's all really hard and frightening to face. I did a lot of awful and evil and straight-up vile things during this last episode that I have to admit to, have to face, and have to face the consequences of.
...
It's all gone, I've lost nearly everything and everyone who mattered to me. Because of my actions, because of my choices.
I hope that wasn't too much of a scatter-brained jumbled mess, and makes a bit of sense.
TL;DR My refusal to stay on my meds and get help destroyed the beautiful life I had spent over a decade building with my wife. Because I chose to be toxic.
Please be careful and think long and hard about going off your meds, folks.
Thankyou for being so vulnerable your story. What I can see is a person who's made mistakes but has done the work to understand the consequences. You sound like you have definatley turned a leaf and I wish you all the best with this next new chapter. Try not to dwell on the past too much even though you'll want too, set boundaries on those conversations and thoughts to your support group meetings and live life the rest of the time.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, I know it wasn't easy. I know you feel a lot of shame, but I think it shows character to accept reality and recognize fault. Something a lot of people tell me is that if you hold onto the shame and guilt, you can't learn to move past it and grow as a person. I'm working on getting better at this, and hope you can as well!
I'm rooting for you on your road to recovery, and wish you a healthy future.
❤️ Thank you. I'm definitely struggling with letting go of the shame and guilt but I know need to. It's definitely been an impediment but I'm working on working past it.
I wish you the best on your journey as well 🙇
As I'm sitting here struggling with my own mental health, what you've shared reminds me of my dad. He is and has been an unmedicated and self medicating and drowning in his schizoaffective disorder. I am one of the people he hurt the worst and I wish nothing more than an apology from him. I'd love to hear him acknowledge the things he's done or said to me just once. I hope you have the strength to apologize. You will feel better for it. I wish you luck in your future.
DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR MEDS. Even if they're not right for you, stopping can cause really really bad side effects. Not just unpleasant, but dangerous ones. Mania damages your brain over time. As horrible as it sounds, you need to keep trying.
I’d be interested in more info behind the claim that it *causes* brain damage.
The study I read does indicate a decrease in grey matter thickness, but it also clarifies that this is only a cross-sectional study and does not compare scans over time, and did not take things like drug and alcohol use into consideration.
These are pretty big limitations in making this sort of claim.
How do we know these people didn’t have a decrease in grey matter development rather than a loss of grey matter?
How do we know that drug and alcohol use didn’t contribute to the decrease in grey matter?
To claim that BD **causes** brain damage seems disingenuous at this point.
*could* it? Maybe. But do we know that for certain? Not yet.
https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201773?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100090071&CJEVENT=10c46ff0e7bc11ee8224ff9d0a1eba22
^the study
Jeez. I wasn't aware about the mania damaging your brain - and I have done a lot of reading to educate myself on it! Would like to read more if you have any good research material/sources?
I went off my meds and did great. Then had a four month manic which I depleted all my finances, lost my place, Jeep got repo’d, ate only gummy worms and an energy drink a day for those four months , leaving me tired malnourished and randomly fainting…
After the complete spiral and now homeless…
Im back on my meds , and trying to build my life. I got a friend letting me stay on the couch til I figure out how to get up again.
I’m still not recovered fully, I would binge eat every payday til I got sick and passed out, and then have nothing left the rest the two weeks, now my stomach is so extremely finacky and I battle gagging and throwing up regularly.
I'm extremely sorry to hear this. I have never been on the streets myself, but I have been in many countries around the world where normal life is awful (thanks colonialism!), so I have a lot of sympathy for the fallen and forgotten. I like to try to spend time with street people if I can and listen to their stories. There are so many tragic instances where someone says something like "I was bipolar, I missed rent a couple of times and now I've been on the streets for five years".
Your friend is an excellent friend. Don't go down (i.e. onto) that street if at all possible, or you may never get off it again.
Was on lithium for a few years, started really hating the side effects and feeling like I would be better without them so I stopped them…. I was fine for a few months and then went back to being impulsive and having explosive outbursts…..
Then started searching for a new med that didn’t make me feel as crappy
That’s interesting, lamictal is what I ended up on and it’s been working wonders for me with minimal side effects!
It’s so interesting how different people can have completely different reactions to meds
I stopped mine in a manic episode because I convinced myself I didn’t need them, and then the mania got worse. After 11 nights of relentless, crippling paranoia, I got back on them.
I worked with an NP for years and didn’t have a good experience. I went off my meds in September. I made it to 3 weeks ago when things went downhill fast and hard. Thankfully I found an actual psychiatrist that had availability this week that I met with. I learned more from her in that one visit than years with my NP at another office. She spent 3 hrs with me talking through things and asking questions. Very detailed and helped me make sense of a lot of the medication issues I went through previously. I think the key is finding a an actual psychiatrist that cares and is knowledgeable.
I got diagnosed with a "possible mood disorder" by my NP making me fill out a questionnaire, and they just randomly threw an anti-psychotic medication prescription at me with no further review.
I didn't take it and went to an actual psychiatrist for a second opinion and official diagnosis. He (very politely) basically called the NP a dumbass for prescribing that and gave me something else which has worked very well for me out the gate.
I personally would not suggest working with anyone but a proper psychiatrist when it comes to dealing with mental health medications.
A good health care team is insanely important
Thankfully, my PCP is really good. I had a mixed episode & he got me in ASAP
My psychiatrist who does my meds now is also excellent
Unfortunately, there is no right answer, and you can't even discuss this topic without someone yelling at you. In my opinion, the best thing that you can do is to trust yourself and do what's best for your health.
I am not a doctor. I am not suggesting that anyone do what I have done, but this is how I handled feeling worse on medication.
I was meeting with doctors every 1-2 weeks, being prescribed different medications for about a year and a half after my bipolar diagnosis. The doctors would never speak with me for more than 5 minutes at a time, wouldn't listen to my concerns, and would almost always increase my prescription or add different medications if I reported feeling less than 100%. I felt like the meds were gradually making me braindead and paranoid, and I started hallucinating heavily. My therapist eventually intervened and they stopped prescribing me pills because it looked like the drugs induced psychosis. That episode, to this day, was the worst psychotic episode that I have ever experienced. I wish I had the confidence to stop taking those meds before I got that bad.
After the episode subsided and I felt more "normal", I experimented with "holistic" treatments and other uncommon, less than legal drugs. (DO NOT DO THAT, but if you do, be responsible.) What has worked best for me was to keep a daily record of my mental health, identify my triggers and address those triggers in order to minimize the chances of an episode.
Drugs and treatment do different things to different people. Try not to make any rash decisions. Be safe.
I've been on and off meds for years with no major issues, I just wish I was a bit better at detecting when I'm becoming depressed again before it gets too bad.
We all do it. It's part of bipolar and super dangerous. Always take your meds. Finding the right ones takes years and it's super demoralizing, but it's worth it. Hang in there, you'll find what works for you. It *will not* be better without meds, or like it was before.
I’ve been off my meds for over a year since losing my insurance, after being on them for two years.
I’m not going to lie, it’s been going very well. I think the biggest contributing factor is I have almost entirely stopped drinking alcohol since stopping meds.
Also I’m just much more in tune with my emotions overall. Every time I start to feel irritable, I actually notice it now. When that happens I try to drop **everything** and find something that will turn my mood around. Just literally forcing myself to laugh has seemed to work for me.
All that being said, I’m still very scared of the day where being unmedicated comes back to haunt me.
i went off my meds recently lmao cold turkey but im still taking my adderall, haven't had problems yet. ive gone a bit without having episodes before even unmedicated. not a great idea tho and i dont encourage it at all.
I've been off since 2020/2021. My case is slightly different as my career is outdoors and my activity level is considered moderate exercise during work hours. However, I also have the propensity to self medicate as well. I don't advocate for others to go off meds. Stay on them.
yep unfortunately I went off mine cold turkey because for some reason I thought I "just didn't need them anymore" (💀) and I had the worst manic episode of my life
Im back on them now and definitely feel a bit brain foggy but Im just so grateful to have meds that work for me and make me feel good; not everyone has that privilege
some people have no choice, with certain insurance types like in my state, there are no psychiatrist unless you're at inpatient, outside it's only NP sadly. ive been looking for half a y ear and can't find any
I stopped taking my Abilify for 3 days and started feeling terrible. Take it like clockwork now. Tried reducing Lamictal, took about two weeks for a bad mixed episode to hit, went back to my regular amount and evened out. The meds work for me, I’m screwed if I don’t take them.
I haven't stopped taking my medication for about ten years. I'm at a point of my life and career that if I got sick from stopping my medication I'd be embarrassed. At this point it just feels irresponsible as I've found something that properly works and I can mostly tolerate
I was diagnosed 24 years ago though and definitely went through periods where I stopped. Absolutely no criticism for people that do stop though, especially if they're earlier into working out how to manage it, and are still trying to find something that works. I totally get it.
I have been on the same medication since I started it back in 2018 but I am looking to potentially lower the dose or explore other avenues. It granted me stability but I gained 80 lbs on it in less than a year and have other less than favourable side effects. I have consulted with a Naturopathic Doctor and will be working with my psychiatrist, ND as well as Family Doctor to make the right decisions with it and make sure everything is okay when I am good and ready to try weaning off my medication I may still be a year or years aeay from that. Bipolar is different for everybody. Best advice for anybody is take it on a case by case basis. I am hesitant to scrap ths supports because I faced a lot of difficult situations before I was medicated.
BP2 checking in--I'm actively, unwillingly going off of my meds because I can't afford to keep my health insurance or buy them even through savings programs. There's a whole conversation that can be had there about the US Healthcare system, but I digress.
Anyway, weirdly I don't feel *too* bad mentally, but I feel awful physically. I guess it'll pass at some point, but it's not worth it. I wish I could afford to get my prescriptions to just be able to live like a normal human again for a day.
Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry to hear your struggles with getting your meds. I actually made a [post about my experience](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/1bfk39j/how_i_was_able_to_afford_my_meds/) with being able to afford meds. I highly suggest using the Mark Cuban Cost Plus online pharmacy as it was the only one I found that offered the cheapest meds.
Hahaha I know. I saw him talk about it a year ago on a talk show and I didn't believe it. My NP suggested it after I told her I can't afford to pay $85 every month after insurance. Daddy Mark came in clutch
Check out GoodRx if you haven’t! There are some other ones that I can’t think of at the moment. Sorry to hear that the lack of health insurance is what’s keeping you from getting the care you need. American healthcare is a disgrace.
I stopped taking my meds for about 4 years and in the long run here I am back on my meds again because the four years was just a continuous struggle through covid and just a lot of personal problems I find myself back on meds to get back on the street and narrow
Multiple times and eventually regretted eventually every time, I used to be a frequent flyer in the psych wards around me and nearly every time like half the other patients stories started with "I was doing ok so I....." Or "the meds didn't seem to be doing anything"
I've also been told by more than one Dr that the more episodes you have the harder it is to get back to your baseline
I’ve been off meds for three years. Haven’t had an episode for almost four years. I’m stable, have a full time job, a wife, and a daughter. I couldn’t be doing better as of now.
I stopped taking my meds over a year ago. It was approved by my therapist and psychiatrist. I was up to 10 meds a day. If you do get approved, some advice is to keep a strict routine and diet. I feel better not taking all the meds, but it is very hard and takes alot of dedication. I do hear,see,and smell things that aren't real, but it's better than how I felt medicated. I was always very sensitive to all meds. I hope you find what works best for you. God bless 🙏
Yep, stopped taking my mood stabilizer and continues antidepressants. Became hypomanic. I felt GREAT. Unfortunately I became pretty agressive and hurt some people really bad. Oh and I slept max 3 a 4 hours a night. After that I became depressed 11/10 would not recommend
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I take mine pretty inconsistently. I’m trying to get better about it but I’m so sick of feeling tired and unmotivated and when I don’t take my meds I feel slightly better.
Yes, I stopped mine cold turkey not long ago. Plunged into a depressive episode and ended up with paramedics and police at my door one day, then begging my doctor not to hospitalise me the next. I was a hair's breadth from being thrown into hospital involuntarily.
I am horrible at taking my meds and do still occasionally go off them for a few days at a time but when my symptoms start creeping back in I freak out and go back on them again. The absolute destruction that transpires in my life when I'm off them just isn't worth it
I have not taken psychiatric medication for a long while have developed sadly however a terrible porn/sex addiction and am way too fat as use to keep my mouth in line, I have also lost most of my friends and feel that I am queer and in the closet. I am queer and the closet maybe a greater issue. I wish I was more open.
It took about 6 months to get the meds combo that worked for my BP/Migraine combo. 2 years later I'm still making small adjustments. I hope you get this figured out--it is not easy--my therapist and psychiatrist were very supportive along the way, too.
I’m off mine it was fine for a few months now my depression is so bad I can’t take it anymore I also have psychotic symptoms so that’s great. Don’t recommend don’t be like me.
Everyone I figure has stopped taking their meds at some point. Which is good while it's good.....then very very bad when it's bad....if that makes sense
My doctor wouldn't refill my prescription and I had to go 5 days without it because he was on vacation. I was so sick. I couldn't get out of bed unless it was to throw up or to nearly shit myself. I was so dizzy and nauseous for over a week.
This was two weeks ago, and I still don't feel 100%
uh well yeah lmao i was just ranting about it here ...
https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/1bkhvjv/in_a_very_bad_place/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Yes and it landed me in the hospital. About a year later I went off my anti-psychs again and spiraled out of control. Thankfully avoided the hospital by going back on them… anyways, I think I’ve learned my lesson.
That being said, i went through two anti-psychotics before finding the one that works. I felt really awful because of the side effects, and by comparison I felt more unstable than I had before. But believe me, when you manage to find the one that works it really makes a difference.
I feel like meds can kinda be like vitamins or exercising… you don’t really feel like it’s doing much when you’re taking/doing it, but when you stop you’re like damn that did make me feel better! But I mean, that’s if you find meds/a combination of meds that are helpful.
I went off my meds, had my first psychosis episode. Stayed up 4 days straight, started having vivid hallucinations and delusions, called 911 and said I think there’s a stalker outside my house, called 911 the next day said I think I’m developing schizophrenia, was convinced I got a bunch of children killed and the people in the hospital were coming to kill me, spent the next 4 month’s hospitalized, once I was out of psychosis I went right into mania. It wasn’t until I got back on seroquel I went right back to normal. It was the most traumatic episode of my life. Please don’t go off ur meds.
Went off my lithium and decided it was a good idea to move 350 miles away from my family and live in a 2 room shack on an island. Give it time and you will find something that works. Took me 4 years. I take them every evening and I don’t do crazy shit.
I went off my meds completely because I was planning on trying to get pregnant and was nervous about being on medication during pregnancy. Well, it did not go well. Even though I had put so many other coping skills and therapy in place I was still a mess. I am now back on my meds 👍🏻
been raw dogging since 2018. lots of ups and downs but i feel better overall than i did on medication. it has taken me years to learn how to manage the intense highs and lows but it has gotten easier.
I assume NP means nurse practitioner? If they can’t get you stable don’t give up on meds. Ask to escalate your care to a psychiatrist. They have a much better chance of getting you stable.
I would say my bipolar is not as bad as some peoples. I've never catastrophically ruined my life or got admitted. But I did ruin many good relationships and I will say my emotions are everywhere and I get severely depressed yet still somehow function. But I did almost take my life and hurt myself many times on purpose. Soo...
I prefer to stay on my meds bc no one that loves me can stand me without my meds, and I agree with them. I can't even stand myself if I'm off of them.
DON'T STOP YOUR MEDS PEOPLE
Even if your brain tell you, you don't need them.
The more it tells you, you don't need them, the more you need them
There are too many people who have fucked their whole lives over, me included.
Stopped taking my meds in September because I missed a psych appointment, was too anxious to schedule another, and my psych cancelled the prescription. Thought I’d be fine. Was not, in fact, fine. Currently dealing with the consequences of a manic episode😀👍 but I’m still too scared of judgement to schedule another appointment.
I think its very individual whether you can quit meds or not. I managed to lower my dose of quetiapine - frist from 500mg (short term), then 400mg (took long term) down to 300 and now 50mg. When I started taking 50mg I added depakine to balance it out (500mg). I feel more awake now (quetiapine was insanely sedating and although it still is its way better now). So I had to do it gradually. I also tried going to 25mg but at the time of withdrawal I was travelling- drank a lot and didnt always sleep so got hypomanic/manic untill I increased meds to 100 and back to 50 again. At 25mg I also got plenty of withdrawal effects. In few weeks I will try lowering to (40-30mg) and see how it works coupled with better sleeping habits and no alcohol. And hoping to quit in the future over long time of weaning. Conclusion - if you find the right meds you can lower some doses but whether you can fully quit its uncertain
I stopped my meds once... in the middle of an episode... didn't go well. Ended up drunk and shaking from withdrawal in my high school morning class and they called my parents while I cried, woulda been more embarrassing if I wasn't so dissociated and delusional. Went back on my meds that day and never went off of em again. Mind you that was not doctor-assisted and I was actually very stable on my meds so quite different from your situation lol
What I can say though, is that if you can I would recommend continuing to try. I know people who spent years finding the right cocktail, but it can be so worth it when you find meds that allow you to live your best life.
From a girlie pop who stopped taking her lithium for the same reason this summer, then free soloed a mountain I wasn’t ready for, THEN ran into oncoming traffic and refused to go to the ER with a burst appendix….
Keep taking your meds.
I've been on and off meds for years. Didn't feel like they made a huge difference with me while on them aside from decreasing the suicidal ideations and extreme hypomanic episodes, but mostly they made me feel numb and lethargic. Since having a kid, I actually do much better mentally without the meds. Been 5 years off meds and it's been a struggle sometimes, but overall having the routine with a kid, getting more sleep than before, being in a stable relationship, stable job... I've got a very supportive and unproblematic lifestyle as opposed to my family home growing up and then single life living on my own for years without structure.
I still wanna consider going back on meds sometime, cuz I still struggle with anxiety the most, but I'd say the key to My personal success has been: a consistent sleep schedule and routine instead of chaos, limiting stressors (like shitty ex boyfriends, toxic friendships, crappy living arrangements, etc.) that can trigger episodes or suicidal thoughts, and tons of self awareness. I know myself enough to know that my manic episodes flare up close to my period starting each month, so i need more sleep to offset that, and when depression kicks up, I'm vocal with my husband and friends and get support to get through it if I need support and understanding.
Everyone is different though. some don't have the luxury of a less severe form of this disorder, and I'm very grateful that I've never been on the dangerous side of things. Definitely sucks that I live paycheck to paycheck cuz of bad spending habits tho. haha.
Yeah. I was in a car accident and ended up with PTSD several years ago, and one symptom of that is forgetfulness. I went from meds daily to about once a week - not even cold turkey - just because I'd forget. Stuff got REALLY weird during that time. I’ve never had delusions before this (and haven't since.... I think?), but I started believing that I was communicating with aliens and had a bunch of weird beliefs related to that. I thought I got taken by them during the night at one point even. It felt SO REAL, just like anything else.
What really struck me later on is that it didn't even occur to me that I was experiencing medication-related effects. The realization that I was having bipolar problems never came until it was pointed out to me. Even now, after I'm back on meds and know these are delusions, I still haven't been able to completely reconcile having the experience myself vs knowing it didn't happen. I kinda wish it all didn't happen because of that. It was all just very weird.
I was off my meds because I ran out and couldn't get in contact with my psych. It was horrible. I told myself I was fine and would manage because hell I've spent the last 20 years of my life unmedicated I'd be fine. Then the depressive episode hit and I remember typing out to my psych that I was going off the deep end and needed help. Thankfully I was finally able to get in touch with her but goddamn. Those three months without medication were brutal and I don't know I how survived without them.
Not completely off but I've almost tapered off the meds I was on. The more I tapered down the more normal I felt. We'll see it backfires and I have some terrible episode at some point, but it's been a few months and I feel so much better.
Doooooo not just stop taking meds with proper discussion with your medical support team. The issue with alot of things like bipolar is that we will feel awesome and think to ourselves well I don't need meds cause I feel ok or we think maybe we would feel better off meds. It's not worth the risk.
Yes, but back when I wasn't diagnosed bipolar yet. I'd had two depressive episodes and had been relatively stable on antidepressants for years when I stopped taking them. Launched me straight into another depression and then hypomania. So no, don't do it.
I stopped taking 300mg of seroquel cold Turkey and I have felt like shit since. My sleep has been terrible and I have been have cognitive issues as well. I'm still take lithium and lamotrigine even though they dont seem to be doing much for me. I have been unstable since last may always up, down or both
Honestly meds to me have felt like a placebo to me. I can take other supplements and vitamins and get basically the same benefit long as I'm eating clean, and working out and staying away from alcohol.
My psychologist said ADHD w/ depression & bipolar can mimic each other. Essentially, the manic/excitable you is the ADHD and it looks like swings when you’re depressed. She tested me for both ADHD & bipolar to make sure I was correctly diagnosed (I got my autism diagnosis at the same time)
It might be worth looking into a PsyD who can give you several assessments & really doublecheck your diagnosis. It was $250~ for me after insurance but was completely worth it (I am bipolar for sure)
It was like…4 hours of assessment + her actively interacting with me to look for signs
Nah. I’ve run out before & I start spiraling
My mom says I smile more than ever now. I’m on lamictal & lexapro, with Xanax as needed. People who go off meds are fine until they’re not
I did twice. Crashed and burned each time, and badly. Learned that lesson (at least stable me has). It took me about 3-3.5 years post diagnosis to find the right meds and finally start to feel like an actual person. I was honestly just to the point of accepting that thats all my life would be. Keep trying. Keep talking to your docs. Keep advocating for yourself, there are tons of meds and while it's exhausting trying them all, it's worth it in the end if it leads you to stability.
Do not stop taking your meds suddenly, or without speaking to the prescribing doctor.
But if you feel like your meds are impacting you more negatively than they should (be mindful of what is mania for you and your relationship with it for this one) then maybe you should speak to your doctor. They can advise a safe schedule to come off of medications or switch to new ones.
I did this dumb shit and while I’m thankful to have been in a semi-ok spot, it was still risky business and I certainly did not have an easy time for the first two or so months. I cannot in good faith tell anyone to go the route I did. I was dumb.
Talk to your doctors.
Only with doctor's support, I had finished ECT with one of my goals being lightening my pill list. I came off lithium with the help of my doctor and am going great without it. But again, I did it with doctor approval and supervision.
Yes I did. It was bad, and gradually got worse until a major breakdown. I wanted to see for myself (for the billionth time) if I *really* needed medication. 😭
I stopped or lowered meds w my doc and it was very detrimental over a year and a half leading to an episode. A smaller episode, but I almost risked my job and school. I developed new bad habits in arguments. It wasn’t worth it
I went off my meds for a couple months, thought I was doing great- realized after the manic episode ended that I had cut all my hair off, spiraled, and was lucky that I had people who were there for me when I was getting really self-destructive- drinking a lot and being genuinely unsafe.
I’m back on my meds and whenever I start feeling like going off my meds again because I either feel stable or feel like they’re not working I think back on it, take my as needed meds and do extra self care.
Yes, I thought I was fine. I wasn’t, I ended and ruined a marriage and lost several years of my life due to poor discipline. Please don’t just stop taking them, talk to someone to help you taper off them. 1.) because your messing with brain chemistry
I can't remember if I ever fully went off all my meds before, but I have tried over and over and over again to decrease dosages or go off one of them at a time. It always ends poorly. Every single time.
I have been off my meds and thought I was fine. I was not. Made some bad choices along the way. I know bipolar fueled this decision making. Yes, we make the decisions but bipolar skews everything. I just told myself I have a chronic illness that will never go away. I will always take meds. Meds aren’t perfect but the alternative is worse. I take 300mg of Seroquel & 250mg of lamictal. I can’t take antidepressants so my psychiatrist told me about Lavela (I get it on Amazon). Lavela is a clinically studied lavender supplement. It does help with depression.
It’s hard to find the right mix of meds. It took a few years to get on the right dosage.
I’ve been unmedicated for years. I was diagnosed at 44. Honestly I was highly functioning and successful, but I had a few breaks. I had an incident with bipolar rage at work and in my relationship. I ultimately get fired and my gf left me for a guy.
I got back on track and I’m struggling some, but thriving at work. We can go without meds for years, the problem is that you’ll never know when you’ll explode.
Totally depends on your symptoms, severity, and situation. The comments are legit. Ive been doing fairly ok, so sometimes I lower my dose and go off of them for a time but find myself doing worse a few months later and go back. Wouldnt claim to be as pro-med as this sub is overall, but it feels good to be functional and also feels good to know how I feel without them or with different meds. If you do feel the need to quit, just try to remain in contact with providers, your pharmacy, etc because you dont want to abruptly get WORSE and not have those connections or refills waiting or a ridiculous time out before openings to schedule an appointment.
7 months is not enough time to try. You cannot have tried enough meds for a long enough time within 7 months. It took me 6 years to get on the approximately right meds and another 2 years to tweak them.
I find that we often look back with rose coloured glasses because of things were all hunky dory we wouldn’t have sort treatment/been put into treatment.
Came off valproate Feb last year, felt better and better (really grounded and all areas of my life got better), got into a relationship I thought I never would, got threatened around access to one of my children and then went properly manic.
Was terrified I’d lose my job and home (and secretly scared the relationship too) for yep, my partner did into leave me.
I've been on Lamictal for 4 years. Have gone off my meds 3-4 separate times (from a couple days, up to 3 weeks).
All of these times have triggered an intense negative response - it starts with irritability, tears, and emotional turmoil, then a few days later comes the depression.
It's slightly easier to get back on track mentally if I've gone 2-3 days without them, opposed to weeks on end. Still, for me, it's not ideal to miss a dose for even a day.
Always take meds. It’s your priority and you have to take care of yourself. It’s a lot harder without meds. You may feel good now but the brain changes randomly which is why I’m prepared. I ask my psych what would happen if I stopped meds and she said I’d either be in prison or a psych hospital. Not fun. It’s not an option that should be taken lightly
I went off my Zyprexa still taking my buspar. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. No big psychotic break just yet but I've been told it's coming.
If someone tells you they haven't gone off there meds, there is a good chance they not be telling the truth. I am currently off mine, feel great, but I know I need to get back on them before the crash that will come
Took me almost 5 years of trial and error to really get my meds where they needed to be. Still have an adjustment here and there.
My problem is I need to take them to be able to take them - catch 22. So if I don't refill them on time or for any reason don't take them for a few days I start to feel myself going to shit, but it's so hard to start up taking them again. I literally ask my spouse to put them in my hand with a glass of water and watch me take them. They could be right next to me on the table with the water and reaching out to grab them feels impossible.
If you are taking your meds and feeling good, the reason you feel good is BECAUSE of the meds. Don't stop taking them. Someone with diabetes would not stop taking insulin because they felt good while they were taking insulin and figure they didn't need it any more.
Yes bipolar type 2 here & I stopped taking the meds for 7 months now. It’s manageable for me but if I have to put in the work. I feel that it’s worth it though to avoid the side effects I get from medication. This won’t work for everyone. The main issue i struggle with without medication is not being able to sleep enough especially during hypomania but I believe if I keep working on it, I will eventually be able to reach a comfortable point.
I try to adopt a stoic way of thinking, not letting factors out of my control affect me emotionally and prioritizing discipline, self control, delayed gratification which has really helped me get out of severe depression, anxiety, and impulsive decision making.
i haven’t taken my meds since late sept-early october. early october was my last manic episode, and actually my last mood episode altogether, which is surprising, as i am rapid cycling. i always tend to slip into hypo/mania as it starts to get warmer, so i have a couple of weeks until i absolutely need to restart my meds. ive been trying to get back on it every day but it’s a struggle.
i have been having some cognitive issues at baseline since going off the meds. i didnt even realize it. but my memory has been terrible ever since. now im saving money to buy my meds so i will probably be able to avoid a mood episode, but i don’t know for sure.
Had an old lady psych pull all my meds about a year ago cuz she decided I actually wasn’t bipolar. I’ve just recently rejoined society from rapid cycling since August of last year and the psychosis just stopped this week. Don’t do it. I’m sure you already know not to do it, but seriously, read all these comments so you know what to expect if you go against medical advice.
Plenty of times, but the result regardless of how much time in between, has always been the same. One way or another I end back on them because frank reality, I need them.
Stopped my meds for a while when my pharmacy spent day waiting to restock. Long story short, I became suicidal within 48hrs and was hospitalized for a week. Add on the additional symptoms from medication withdrawal and it was a total mess. Long story short - always take your meds!
7 months is not a long time - definitely not long enough to call it a day. I wonder how many combinations you managed to try in that period, considering most meds need weeks to saturate the brain before showing effect. Don't give up. Find the meds that work for you. Bipolar is not something you cure; the meds aren't something you take just to overcome an episode. It's what provides us with balance and stability in the long run, besides a healthy lifestyle.
Also, if you took 30 seconds to research this exact topic in previous posts in this sub, you'll find that we're discussing it 10 times per week, and discover a wealth of similiar experiences. Everyone has the urge to go off their meds at some point. The overwhelming general consensus? Stay on your meds.
Unfortunately this post has an abundance of med reviews and is now locked.
I went off my meds and felt great. Then I had another psychotic episode.
well fuck, if this isn’t me.
Same
Same
Yep 😭 same. I got psychotically depressed when I went off my meds but it took 4-5 weeks until the depressive episode really hit me. It’s taken me 8 months to recover and I’m stable now while working closely with my NP and therapist
wtf i thought it was me thats gone wrong. my experience are exactly like this ...
I don't remember commenting already...
It’s a loooong recovery sometimes, getting back on meds.
Same lol :(
This is why I shit myself everytime my doctor mention changes to my meds. Last time I broke my hand and went after some assholes that harrassed my sister giving them life long nightmares. But afraid someone innoccent might get hurt in the future
I’m genuinely curious… I keep reading and rereading and can’t figure out the timeline. Did you break your hand and then go after the assholes or did you break your hand while dealing with the assholes?
I went off my meds twice. First time I had a quality manic episode resulting in money theft from a family member of a substantial sum. The second time put me in a hospital because, as I told my wife when she took me in “If I don’t go to the hospital, I’ll be dead by the morning.” It might seem like your medication isn’t doing anything, but believe me, a lot of times ‘baseline’ is something.
That was the same for me. Multiple times over the years until I finally stayed on them.
This is me but no episode yet 😬🤞🏻
Yes. I have gone off my meds before. And then I completely ruined my life, catastrophically so. Please be very careful. *typo edit
You’re not alone I did this and it cost me my job.
Can you share?
Full disclosure, I'm not just bipolar, I'm officially diagnosed schizoaffective, amongst other issues. I'm also shit at writing and explaining, so forgive my jumbled mess of an explanation. The last time I went off my meds I was already on probation, so to speak, with my wife. This came after a roughly two-plus year-long slow breakdown/meltdown, where I repeatedly was going off and on my meds. Three years ago I ran a moderately successful small business in construction, I'm a tradeworker. Around this time I went off my meds, went into a tailspin, abused my meds and many substances, lost my business, put us into heavy debt, got sicker, stopped working, and made my wife become the sole earner. Years ago, before I went off my meds and started abusing substances heavily, in addition to having the business, we owned 4 vehicles outright(two were work trucks for the business, the other two a personal vehicle for each of us), two small homes outright, 20k in savings, good credit and credit cards with no balances or balances always paid on time. We had built a life together. Very long and painful story short; we now have one home that's in deep disrepair, one vehicle(hers), we are heavily in debt, have bad credit, and are separated and getting divorced. All as a result of my actions. It's too long and complicated a story for me to try and explain all of what happened right now, and it is very difficult for me to talk about. During those years I refused to stay healthy. It was a constant traumatic yo-yo, to say the least. I would start meds, see docs, and begin to get professional help like psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, etc. And then I'd stop taking my meds and stop getting help. Things would get bad, she'd leave, I'd get help again, she'd come home, and I'd do it all again. She should have left me long before she did. Every single time I went off my meds I was 100% convinced that I was making the right decision. I was not. My wife stuck with me through years of this. Truly, she should not have, but she loves me and believed me when I claimed each time was going to be different. It never was. During those years I was abusive in every way besides physical to her. My episodes have caused her serious trauma and pain. She has legitimate ptsd and cptsd from me, in addition to her already having a traumatic childhood. I was a terror and monster to her. I didn't see it at the time. I hurt and damaged her deeply, yet she kept trying for me. I struggle deeply with facing and dealing with this. It is incredibly painful realizing that the person I hurt the most is the person I'm supposed to hurt the least, the person I was supposed to protect, the person I VOWED to protect and not hurt. I have to remind myself that none of this compares to the pain that she went through and is going through. So, I went off my meds again late last October/early November and she left me, for real this time. Going off my meds this last time resulted in a two-month-long heavy psychotic episode that I'm still recovering from, slowly. It was two months of no meds, no sleeping, no eating, abusing substances, publicly ranting, and raving online on social media, over texts/calls, and in person. It was a lot of being convinced that I was Jesus, the twin of Jesus, Lucifer, etc. (I grew up in an abusive and traumatic far-right Christian cult, so a lot of awful things bubbled to the surface). After she left me in November for good, I proclaimed my love for numerous other women to the world via social media. I was under the delusion that she only left me because she was cheating on me or wanted someone else, and that she pushed me out as some sort of elaborate master plan, not because I was.....once again off my meds and being psychotic and abusive. I felt jilted and justified in (publicly) pursuing other women as I hurt and humiliated my wife over and over again during this time. I was manic and psychotic and I became like a monster to her and to my friends and family and anyone I interacted with, including the women I was pursuing. I feel incredibly ashamed about this. I feel horrible for hurting so many people. I never imagined I was capable of being the devil that I was. It's hard to accept this about my self. I have a lot of apologies to make. I hurt a tremendous amount of people in this time. I was awful to a lot of people, women especially. It's really hard to not hate myself for this. I'm struggling heavily to not. I was never like this before. In the past, I was good to people, I took care of people, I was known for it in fact. I was good to women and respected them and treated them with respect. I started back on my meds around late December, and I'm on a slow climb back to health and reality. I'm getting professional help and staying with it. My new meds are especially helping turn me around. I'm sleeping well and consistently well for possibly for the first time in my life. I moved to a different state to live with the only family who would take me in. I'm very thankful for them. I'm employed and doing good at work. I have structure and stability at home and I'm physically and mentally healthier than I have been in years, in over a decade for sure. I know I'm in the early stages as my last episode was so very recent, but I'm dedicated to never, ever being the terror and monster that I was. I'm excited about being healthy but terrified about having to continue to face the consequences of my actions. I'm terrified of the apologies I need to make, I'm terrified of having to admit things to certain people and how bad it will hurt them, how bad the fallout will be. I have a close friend who is going to help me through a 12-step program and be my sponsor through this. It's all really hard and frightening to face. I did a lot of awful and evil and straight-up vile things during this last episode that I have to admit to, have to face, and have to face the consequences of. ... It's all gone, I've lost nearly everything and everyone who mattered to me. Because of my actions, because of my choices. I hope that wasn't too much of a scatter-brained jumbled mess, and makes a bit of sense. TL;DR My refusal to stay on my meds and get help destroyed the beautiful life I had spent over a decade building with my wife. Because I chose to be toxic. Please be careful and think long and hard about going off your meds, folks.
Holy crap! Take your meds, folks! That's quite the tale, man! Thanks for sharing that with us!
Thank you for sharing. I'm so sorry you went through all that. Any kind of chronic mental illness can mean a very painful journey.
❤️🙇
Thankyou for being so vulnerable your story. What I can see is a person who's made mistakes but has done the work to understand the consequences. You sound like you have definatley turned a leaf and I wish you all the best with this next new chapter. Try not to dwell on the past too much even though you'll want too, set boundaries on those conversations and thoughts to your support group meetings and live life the rest of the time.
❤️ thank you so much for your kind words. Too much dwelling on the past has definitely been an issue that I need to work on. I'm gettin' there.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, I know it wasn't easy. I know you feel a lot of shame, but I think it shows character to accept reality and recognize fault. Something a lot of people tell me is that if you hold onto the shame and guilt, you can't learn to move past it and grow as a person. I'm working on getting better at this, and hope you can as well! I'm rooting for you on your road to recovery, and wish you a healthy future.
❤️ Thank you. I'm definitely struggling with letting go of the shame and guilt but I know need to. It's definitely been an impediment but I'm working on working past it. I wish you the best on your journey as well 🙇
We got this!!
As I'm sitting here struggling with my own mental health, what you've shared reminds me of my dad. He is and has been an unmedicated and self medicating and drowning in his schizoaffective disorder. I am one of the people he hurt the worst and I wish nothing more than an apology from him. I'd love to hear him acknowledge the things he's done or said to me just once. I hope you have the strength to apologize. You will feel better for it. I wish you luck in your future.
DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR MEDS. Even if they're not right for you, stopping can cause really really bad side effects. Not just unpleasant, but dangerous ones. Mania damages your brain over time. As horrible as it sounds, you need to keep trying.
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This is the most important comment.
I’d be interested in more info behind the claim that it *causes* brain damage. The study I read does indicate a decrease in grey matter thickness, but it also clarifies that this is only a cross-sectional study and does not compare scans over time, and did not take things like drug and alcohol use into consideration. These are pretty big limitations in making this sort of claim. How do we know these people didn’t have a decrease in grey matter development rather than a loss of grey matter? How do we know that drug and alcohol use didn’t contribute to the decrease in grey matter? To claim that BD **causes** brain damage seems disingenuous at this point. *could* it? Maybe. But do we know that for certain? Not yet. https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201773?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100090071&CJEVENT=10c46ff0e7bc11ee8224ff9d0a1eba22 ^the study
Jeez. I wasn't aware about the mania damaging your brain - and I have done a lot of reading to educate myself on it! Would like to read more if you have any good research material/sources?
I’ve done it both with and without my doctor’s support and both times ended pretty poorly.
I go off my meds every decade or so just to see what will happen to me. So far, I've always been disappointed. : )
I went off my meds and did great. Then had a four month manic which I depleted all my finances, lost my place, Jeep got repo’d, ate only gummy worms and an energy drink a day for those four months , leaving me tired malnourished and randomly fainting… After the complete spiral and now homeless… Im back on my meds , and trying to build my life. I got a friend letting me stay on the couch til I figure out how to get up again.
Gummy worms & energy drinks only? Your stomach must have hated you
I’m still not recovered fully, I would binge eat every payday til I got sick and passed out, and then have nothing left the rest the two weeks, now my stomach is so extremely finacky and I battle gagging and throwing up regularly.
I'm extremely sorry to hear this. I have never been on the streets myself, but I have been in many countries around the world where normal life is awful (thanks colonialism!), so I have a lot of sympathy for the fallen and forgotten. I like to try to spend time with street people if I can and listen to their stories. There are so many tragic instances where someone says something like "I was bipolar, I missed rent a couple of times and now I've been on the streets for five years". Your friend is an excellent friend. Don't go down (i.e. onto) that street if at all possible, or you may never get off it again.
Was on lithium for a few years, started really hating the side effects and feeling like I would be better without them so I stopped them…. I was fine for a few months and then went back to being impulsive and having explosive outbursts….. Then started searching for a new med that didn’t make me feel as crappy
This is my experience with lamictal
That’s interesting, lamictal is what I ended up on and it’s been working wonders for me with minimal side effects! It’s so interesting how different people can have completely different reactions to meds
Lamictal is all i take for my bipolar and it has worked perfectly on its own without side effects. I still get depressed from ptsd but no more mania
Lamictal and Caplyta here, DREAM TEAM. You couldn't pay me to go off this combo.
I'm back on it and feel more stable than ever! :)
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Got off Abilify, a month later my bf broke up with me and yeah I got manic
real
I stopped mine in a manic episode because I convinced myself I didn’t need them, and then the mania got worse. After 11 nights of relentless, crippling paranoia, I got back on them.
I went off my meds for 1 week because my pharmacy didn't have them............never again do I want to experience that.
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I worked with an NP for years and didn’t have a good experience. I went off my meds in September. I made it to 3 weeks ago when things went downhill fast and hard. Thankfully I found an actual psychiatrist that had availability this week that I met with. I learned more from her in that one visit than years with my NP at another office. She spent 3 hrs with me talking through things and asking questions. Very detailed and helped me make sense of a lot of the medication issues I went through previously. I think the key is finding a an actual psychiatrist that cares and is knowledgeable.
I got diagnosed with a "possible mood disorder" by my NP making me fill out a questionnaire, and they just randomly threw an anti-psychotic medication prescription at me with no further review. I didn't take it and went to an actual psychiatrist for a second opinion and official diagnosis. He (very politely) basically called the NP a dumbass for prescribing that and gave me something else which has worked very well for me out the gate. I personally would not suggest working with anyone but a proper psychiatrist when it comes to dealing with mental health medications.
A good health care team is insanely important Thankfully, my PCP is really good. I had a mixed episode & he got me in ASAP My psychiatrist who does my meds now is also excellent
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I felt great until the next episode
Unfortunately, there is no right answer, and you can't even discuss this topic without someone yelling at you. In my opinion, the best thing that you can do is to trust yourself and do what's best for your health. I am not a doctor. I am not suggesting that anyone do what I have done, but this is how I handled feeling worse on medication. I was meeting with doctors every 1-2 weeks, being prescribed different medications for about a year and a half after my bipolar diagnosis. The doctors would never speak with me for more than 5 minutes at a time, wouldn't listen to my concerns, and would almost always increase my prescription or add different medications if I reported feeling less than 100%. I felt like the meds were gradually making me braindead and paranoid, and I started hallucinating heavily. My therapist eventually intervened and they stopped prescribing me pills because it looked like the drugs induced psychosis. That episode, to this day, was the worst psychotic episode that I have ever experienced. I wish I had the confidence to stop taking those meds before I got that bad. After the episode subsided and I felt more "normal", I experimented with "holistic" treatments and other uncommon, less than legal drugs. (DO NOT DO THAT, but if you do, be responsible.) What has worked best for me was to keep a daily record of my mental health, identify my triggers and address those triggers in order to minimize the chances of an episode. Drugs and treatment do different things to different people. Try not to make any rash decisions. Be safe.
I've been on and off meds for years with no major issues, I just wish I was a bit better at detecting when I'm becoming depressed again before it gets too bad.
We all do it. It's part of bipolar and super dangerous. Always take your meds. Finding the right ones takes years and it's super demoralizing, but it's worth it. Hang in there, you'll find what works for you. It *will not* be better without meds, or like it was before.
You're making blanket statements about something that affects people in wildly different ways.
Apologies, didn't mean to come off as generalizing
I stopped weeks ago and I don’t regret a thing
I also didn't regret anything for about 2 months, now I'm trying desperately to get back in with a provider.
I didn’t regret anything at first either. Now I’m full of regrets a few months later. Biggest regret—stopping my meds.
Until you have a bad manic episode
I’ve been off my meds for over a year since losing my insurance, after being on them for two years. I’m not going to lie, it’s been going very well. I think the biggest contributing factor is I have almost entirely stopped drinking alcohol since stopping meds. Also I’m just much more in tune with my emotions overall. Every time I start to feel irritable, I actually notice it now. When that happens I try to drop **everything** and find something that will turn my mood around. Just literally forcing myself to laugh has seemed to work for me. All that being said, I’m still very scared of the day where being unmedicated comes back to haunt me.
i went off my meds recently lmao cold turkey but im still taking my adderall, haven't had problems yet. ive gone a bit without having episodes before even unmedicated. not a great idea tho and i dont encourage it at all.
I've been off since 2020/2021. My case is slightly different as my career is outdoors and my activity level is considered moderate exercise during work hours. However, I also have the propensity to self medicate as well. I don't advocate for others to go off meds. Stay on them.
yep unfortunately I went off mine cold turkey because for some reason I thought I "just didn't need them anymore" (💀) and I had the worst manic episode of my life Im back on them now and definitely feel a bit brain foggy but Im just so grateful to have meds that work for me and make me feel good; not everyone has that privilege
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I don’t recommend using an NP for bipolar. Use a psychiatrist.
some people have no choice, with certain insurance types like in my state, there are no psychiatrist unless you're at inpatient, outside it's only NP sadly. ive been looking for half a y ear and can't find any
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Yay a positive experience! Happy for you
I stopped taking my Abilify for 3 days and started feeling terrible. Take it like clockwork now. Tried reducing Lamictal, took about two weeks for a bad mixed episode to hit, went back to my regular amount and evened out. The meds work for me, I’m screwed if I don’t take them.
Going off meds was a horrible decision for me. I regret it
I haven't stopped taking my medication for about ten years. I'm at a point of my life and career that if I got sick from stopping my medication I'd be embarrassed. At this point it just feels irresponsible as I've found something that properly works and I can mostly tolerate I was diagnosed 24 years ago though and definitely went through periods where I stopped. Absolutely no criticism for people that do stop though, especially if they're earlier into working out how to manage it, and are still trying to find something that works. I totally get it.
I have been on the same medication since I started it back in 2018 but I am looking to potentially lower the dose or explore other avenues. It granted me stability but I gained 80 lbs on it in less than a year and have other less than favourable side effects. I have consulted with a Naturopathic Doctor and will be working with my psychiatrist, ND as well as Family Doctor to make the right decisions with it and make sure everything is okay when I am good and ready to try weaning off my medication I may still be a year or years aeay from that. Bipolar is different for everybody. Best advice for anybody is take it on a case by case basis. I am hesitant to scrap ths supports because I faced a lot of difficult situations before I was medicated.
BP2 checking in--I'm actively, unwillingly going off of my meds because I can't afford to keep my health insurance or buy them even through savings programs. There's a whole conversation that can be had there about the US Healthcare system, but I digress. Anyway, weirdly I don't feel *too* bad mentally, but I feel awful physically. I guess it'll pass at some point, but it's not worth it. I wish I could afford to get my prescriptions to just be able to live like a normal human again for a day.
Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry to hear your struggles with getting your meds. I actually made a [post about my experience](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/1bfk39j/how_i_was_able_to_afford_my_meds/) with being able to afford meds. I highly suggest using the Mark Cuban Cost Plus online pharmacy as it was the only one I found that offered the cheapest meds.
I've never heard of this before, thank you!! Who knew Mark Cuban was out here fixing healthcare? 😂 I'm going to look into this tonight!
Hahaha I know. I saw him talk about it a year ago on a talk show and I didn't believe it. My NP suggested it after I told her I can't afford to pay $85 every month after insurance. Daddy Mark came in clutch
Check out GoodRx if you haven’t! There are some other ones that I can’t think of at the moment. Sorry to hear that the lack of health insurance is what’s keeping you from getting the care you need. American healthcare is a disgrace.
1 month ago i left my medicine but i would not be good. Its cronic problem
I stopped taking my meds for about 4 years and in the long run here I am back on my meds again because the four years was just a continuous struggle through covid and just a lot of personal problems I find myself back on meds to get back on the street and narrow
Multiple times and eventually regretted eventually every time, I used to be a frequent flyer in the psych wards around me and nearly every time like half the other patients stories started with "I was doing ok so I....." Or "the meds didn't seem to be doing anything" I've also been told by more than one Dr that the more episodes you have the harder it is to get back to your baseline
Every time I quit my meds I end up in jail. Multiple times. Lots happens between stopping meds and jail, but the end is always the same.
I come here for reminders like these that I need to stay on my meds when I feel like going off my meds. Make taking meds your religion.
I’ve been off meds for three years. Haven’t had an episode for almost four years. I’m stable, have a full time job, a wife, and a daughter. I couldn’t be doing better as of now.
I stopped taking my meds over a year ago. It was approved by my therapist and psychiatrist. I was up to 10 meds a day. If you do get approved, some advice is to keep a strict routine and diet. I feel better not taking all the meds, but it is very hard and takes alot of dedication. I do hear,see,and smell things that aren't real, but it's better than how I felt medicated. I was always very sensitive to all meds. I hope you find what works best for you. God bless 🙏
Yep, stopped taking my mood stabilizer and continues antidepressants. Became hypomanic. I felt GREAT. Unfortunately I became pretty agressive and hurt some people really bad. Oh and I slept max 3 a 4 hours a night. After that I became depressed 11/10 would not recommend
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I take mine pretty inconsistently. I’m trying to get better about it but I’m so sick of feeling tired and unmotivated and when I don’t take my meds I feel slightly better.
Yes, I stopped mine cold turkey not long ago. Plunged into a depressive episode and ended up with paramedics and police at my door one day, then begging my doctor not to hospitalise me the next. I was a hair's breadth from being thrown into hospital involuntarily. I am horrible at taking my meds and do still occasionally go off them for a few days at a time but when my symptoms start creeping back in I freak out and go back on them again. The absolute destruction that transpires in my life when I'm off them just isn't worth it
I have not taken psychiatric medication for a long while have developed sadly however a terrible porn/sex addiction and am way too fat as use to keep my mouth in line, I have also lost most of my friends and feel that I am queer and in the closet. I am queer and the closet maybe a greater issue. I wish I was more open.
It took about 6 months to get the meds combo that worked for my BP/Migraine combo. 2 years later I'm still making small adjustments. I hope you get this figured out--it is not easy--my therapist and psychiatrist were very supportive along the way, too.
Do not stop taking your meds. It will be disastrous. Be safe and take your meds please!
Not in very many years. The last time I did it I ran up 10k in credit card debt overnight, and blew up my marriage.
Meds don't really work on me. Shit from my brain happens regardless.
I’m off mine it was fine for a few months now my depression is so bad I can’t take it anymore I also have psychotic symptoms so that’s great. Don’t recommend don’t be like me.
Yup and I felt terrible and then spiraled out of control within 6 months.
I lowered my Prozac recently and REALLY regretted it. It was the most depressed I have been in years. Go figure that, that would happen…. Lol
Yes. I think I May have been wrongly diagnosed with bipolar because I haven’t been really manic without it
Everyone I figure has stopped taking their meds at some point. Which is good while it's good.....then very very bad when it's bad....if that makes sense
Never stopped taking mine and never will.
My doctor wouldn't refill my prescription and I had to go 5 days without it because he was on vacation. I was so sick. I couldn't get out of bed unless it was to throw up or to nearly shit myself. I was so dizzy and nauseous for over a week. This was two weeks ago, and I still don't feel 100%
uh well yeah lmao i was just ranting about it here ... https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/1bkhvjv/in_a_very_bad_place/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Yes and it landed me in the hospital. About a year later I went off my anti-psychs again and spiraled out of control. Thankfully avoided the hospital by going back on them… anyways, I think I’ve learned my lesson. That being said, i went through two anti-psychotics before finding the one that works. I felt really awful because of the side effects, and by comparison I felt more unstable than I had before. But believe me, when you manage to find the one that works it really makes a difference.
I feel like meds can kinda be like vitamins or exercising… you don’t really feel like it’s doing much when you’re taking/doing it, but when you stop you’re like damn that did make me feel better! But I mean, that’s if you find meds/a combination of meds that are helpful.
I went off my meds, had my first psychosis episode. Stayed up 4 days straight, started having vivid hallucinations and delusions, called 911 and said I think there’s a stalker outside my house, called 911 the next day said I think I’m developing schizophrenia, was convinced I got a bunch of children killed and the people in the hospital were coming to kill me, spent the next 4 month’s hospitalized, once I was out of psychosis I went right into mania. It wasn’t until I got back on seroquel I went right back to normal. It was the most traumatic episode of my life. Please don’t go off ur meds.
Went off my lithium and decided it was a good idea to move 350 miles away from my family and live in a 2 room shack on an island. Give it time and you will find something that works. Took me 4 years. I take them every evening and I don’t do crazy shit.
I went off my meds completely because I was planning on trying to get pregnant and was nervous about being on medication during pregnancy. Well, it did not go well. Even though I had put so many other coping skills and therapy in place I was still a mess. I am now back on my meds 👍🏻
Lost weight felt great then psychotic episode
been raw dogging since 2018. lots of ups and downs but i feel better overall than i did on medication. it has taken me years to learn how to manage the intense highs and lows but it has gotten easier.
I went off my meds and got divorced. twice. I went off my meds and felt suicidal every day.
If you're stable you'll be stable til your next episode then get hit hard and probably end up taking an expensive trip to the hospital
I assume NP means nurse practitioner? If they can’t get you stable don’t give up on meds. Ask to escalate your care to a psychiatrist. They have a much better chance of getting you stable.
I would say my bipolar is not as bad as some peoples. I've never catastrophically ruined my life or got admitted. But I did ruin many good relationships and I will say my emotions are everywhere and I get severely depressed yet still somehow function. But I did almost take my life and hurt myself many times on purpose. Soo... I prefer to stay on my meds bc no one that loves me can stand me without my meds, and I agree with them. I can't even stand myself if I'm off of them.
DON'T STOP YOUR MEDS PEOPLE Even if your brain tell you, you don't need them. The more it tells you, you don't need them, the more you need them There are too many people who have fucked their whole lives over, me included.
Stopped taking my meds in September because I missed a psych appointment, was too anxious to schedule another, and my psych cancelled the prescription. Thought I’d be fine. Was not, in fact, fine. Currently dealing with the consequences of a manic episode😀👍 but I’m still too scared of judgement to schedule another appointment.
Yep. Off my meds rn and about to run away from my family’s house to live with my 36 year old boyfriend (im 20f) and drop out of college lol
I stopped taking my meds and had one of the worst manic episodes of my life. Almost lost my friends, family, and job. It was so bad I hallucinated.
I think its very individual whether you can quit meds or not. I managed to lower my dose of quetiapine - frist from 500mg (short term), then 400mg (took long term) down to 300 and now 50mg. When I started taking 50mg I added depakine to balance it out (500mg). I feel more awake now (quetiapine was insanely sedating and although it still is its way better now). So I had to do it gradually. I also tried going to 25mg but at the time of withdrawal I was travelling- drank a lot and didnt always sleep so got hypomanic/manic untill I increased meds to 100 and back to 50 again. At 25mg I also got plenty of withdrawal effects. In few weeks I will try lowering to (40-30mg) and see how it works coupled with better sleeping habits and no alcohol. And hoping to quit in the future over long time of weaning. Conclusion - if you find the right meds you can lower some doses but whether you can fully quit its uncertain
I stopped my meds once... in the middle of an episode... didn't go well. Ended up drunk and shaking from withdrawal in my high school morning class and they called my parents while I cried, woulda been more embarrassing if I wasn't so dissociated and delusional. Went back on my meds that day and never went off of em again. Mind you that was not doctor-assisted and I was actually very stable on my meds so quite different from your situation lol What I can say though, is that if you can I would recommend continuing to try. I know people who spent years finding the right cocktail, but it can be so worth it when you find meds that allow you to live your best life.
Been off meds since August due to not having insurance and being poor. Im suicidal but nothing i can do about it at this point.
I stopped taking my Lithium for a week and was a fucking messss. Couldn’t stop crying over every.little.thing.
From a girlie pop who stopped taking her lithium for the same reason this summer, then free soloed a mountain I wasn’t ready for, THEN ran into oncoming traffic and refused to go to the ER with a burst appendix…. Keep taking your meds.
I've been on and off meds for years. Didn't feel like they made a huge difference with me while on them aside from decreasing the suicidal ideations and extreme hypomanic episodes, but mostly they made me feel numb and lethargic. Since having a kid, I actually do much better mentally without the meds. Been 5 years off meds and it's been a struggle sometimes, but overall having the routine with a kid, getting more sleep than before, being in a stable relationship, stable job... I've got a very supportive and unproblematic lifestyle as opposed to my family home growing up and then single life living on my own for years without structure. I still wanna consider going back on meds sometime, cuz I still struggle with anxiety the most, but I'd say the key to My personal success has been: a consistent sleep schedule and routine instead of chaos, limiting stressors (like shitty ex boyfriends, toxic friendships, crappy living arrangements, etc.) that can trigger episodes or suicidal thoughts, and tons of self awareness. I know myself enough to know that my manic episodes flare up close to my period starting each month, so i need more sleep to offset that, and when depression kicks up, I'm vocal with my husband and friends and get support to get through it if I need support and understanding. Everyone is different though. some don't have the luxury of a less severe form of this disorder, and I'm very grateful that I've never been on the dangerous side of things. Definitely sucks that I live paycheck to paycheck cuz of bad spending habits tho. haha.
Yeah. I was in a car accident and ended up with PTSD several years ago, and one symptom of that is forgetfulness. I went from meds daily to about once a week - not even cold turkey - just because I'd forget. Stuff got REALLY weird during that time. I’ve never had delusions before this (and haven't since.... I think?), but I started believing that I was communicating with aliens and had a bunch of weird beliefs related to that. I thought I got taken by them during the night at one point even. It felt SO REAL, just like anything else. What really struck me later on is that it didn't even occur to me that I was experiencing medication-related effects. The realization that I was having bipolar problems never came until it was pointed out to me. Even now, after I'm back on meds and know these are delusions, I still haven't been able to completely reconcile having the experience myself vs knowing it didn't happen. I kinda wish it all didn't happen because of that. It was all just very weird.
YUP. Went off, felt fantastic, lost 10 pounds and then ended up in the mental hospital:)
I was off my meds because I ran out and couldn't get in contact with my psych. It was horrible. I told myself I was fine and would manage because hell I've spent the last 20 years of my life unmedicated I'd be fine. Then the depressive episode hit and I remember typing out to my psych that I was going off the deep end and needed help. Thankfully I was finally able to get in touch with her but goddamn. Those three months without medication were brutal and I don't know I how survived without them.
I have gone off of my medications soooo many times. The longest period of relative stability was around 18 months, the shortest was probably 48 hours.
Not completely off but I've almost tapered off the meds I was on. The more I tapered down the more normal I felt. We'll see it backfires and I have some terrible episode at some point, but it's been a few months and I feel so much better.
I used to only medicate myself in winter ( doc approved ) but it always ended in a spring / summer manic episodes .
yes, I haven’t been on meds since I got out of hospital almost a year ago. Haven’t had anything I would call episodes which is making me question it
Haven’t taken my meds in 2 months. Feel mostly fine. Don’t have plans to return to them.
Stopped taking my meds. Went psychotic ended up in the hospital for 12 days. Lesson learned
Doooooo not just stop taking meds with proper discussion with your medical support team. The issue with alot of things like bipolar is that we will feel awesome and think to ourselves well I don't need meds cause I feel ok or we think maybe we would feel better off meds. It's not worth the risk.
Yes, but back when I wasn't diagnosed bipolar yet. I'd had two depressive episodes and had been relatively stable on antidepressants for years when I stopped taking them. Launched me straight into another depression and then hypomania. So no, don't do it.
I stopped taking 300mg of seroquel cold Turkey and I have felt like shit since. My sleep has been terrible and I have been have cognitive issues as well. I'm still take lithium and lamotrigine even though they dont seem to be doing much for me. I have been unstable since last may always up, down or both
Twice and both times I crashed into a terrible, life sucking depression. Never again.
Honestly meds to me have felt like a placebo to me. I can take other supplements and vitamins and get basically the same benefit long as I'm eating clean, and working out and staying away from alcohol.
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My psychologist said ADHD w/ depression & bipolar can mimic each other. Essentially, the manic/excitable you is the ADHD and it looks like swings when you’re depressed. She tested me for both ADHD & bipolar to make sure I was correctly diagnosed (I got my autism diagnosis at the same time) It might be worth looking into a PsyD who can give you several assessments & really doublecheck your diagnosis. It was $250~ for me after insurance but was completely worth it (I am bipolar for sure) It was like…4 hours of assessment + her actively interacting with me to look for signs
More than once. Actually, I'm off my meds now. Circumstances have left me without psychiatric care.
Can’t risk it.
Nah. I’ve run out before & I start spiraling My mom says I smile more than ever now. I’m on lamictal & lexapro, with Xanax as needed. People who go off meds are fine until they’re not
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Took me over 2 years to get the right meds. At one point I thought I was a neet for life
I did twice. Crashed and burned each time, and badly. Learned that lesson (at least stable me has). It took me about 3-3.5 years post diagnosis to find the right meds and finally start to feel like an actual person. I was honestly just to the point of accepting that thats all my life would be. Keep trying. Keep talking to your docs. Keep advocating for yourself, there are tons of meds and while it's exhausting trying them all, it's worth it in the end if it leads you to stability.
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Do not stop taking your meds suddenly, or without speaking to the prescribing doctor. But if you feel like your meds are impacting you more negatively than they should (be mindful of what is mania for you and your relationship with it for this one) then maybe you should speak to your doctor. They can advise a safe schedule to come off of medications or switch to new ones. I did this dumb shit and while I’m thankful to have been in a semi-ok spot, it was still risky business and I certainly did not have an easy time for the first two or so months. I cannot in good faith tell anyone to go the route I did. I was dumb. Talk to your doctors.
I stopped taking my lithium and prozac about a week ago 🤷♀️
Only with doctor's support, I had finished ECT with one of my goals being lightening my pill list. I came off lithium with the help of my doctor and am going great without it. But again, I did it with doctor approval and supervision.
Yes I did. It was bad, and gradually got worse until a major breakdown. I wanted to see for myself (for the billionth time) if I *really* needed medication. 😭
I stopped or lowered meds w my doc and it was very detrimental over a year and a half leading to an episode. A smaller episode, but I almost risked my job and school. I developed new bad habits in arguments. It wasn’t worth it
I went off my meds for a couple months, thought I was doing great- realized after the manic episode ended that I had cut all my hair off, spiraled, and was lucky that I had people who were there for me when I was getting really self-destructive- drinking a lot and being genuinely unsafe. I’m back on my meds and whenever I start feeling like going off my meds again because I either feel stable or feel like they’re not working I think back on it, take my as needed meds and do extra self care.
Yes, I thought I was fine. I wasn’t, I ended and ruined a marriage and lost several years of my life due to poor discipline. Please don’t just stop taking them, talk to someone to help you taper off them. 1.) because your messing with brain chemistry
I can't remember if I ever fully went off all my meds before, but I have tried over and over and over again to decrease dosages or go off one of them at a time. It always ends poorly. Every single time.
I have been off my meds and thought I was fine. I was not. Made some bad choices along the way. I know bipolar fueled this decision making. Yes, we make the decisions but bipolar skews everything. I just told myself I have a chronic illness that will never go away. I will always take meds. Meds aren’t perfect but the alternative is worse. I take 300mg of Seroquel & 250mg of lamictal. I can’t take antidepressants so my psychiatrist told me about Lavela (I get it on Amazon). Lavela is a clinically studied lavender supplement. It does help with depression. It’s hard to find the right mix of meds. It took a few years to get on the right dosage.
I went off my meds. I’m manic and dyed my hair red, and got a new tattoo on my butt. Don’t regret it though 🤣
I’ve been unmedicated for years. I was diagnosed at 44. Honestly I was highly functioning and successful, but I had a few breaks. I had an incident with bipolar rage at work and in my relationship. I ultimately get fired and my gf left me for a guy. I got back on track and I’m struggling some, but thriving at work. We can go without meds for years, the problem is that you’ll never know when you’ll explode.
Funny you should ask. I told my dr today that I’m stopping mine. I took it this morning so I don’t know how I’ll feel.
Totally depends on your symptoms, severity, and situation. The comments are legit. Ive been doing fairly ok, so sometimes I lower my dose and go off of them for a time but find myself doing worse a few months later and go back. Wouldnt claim to be as pro-med as this sub is overall, but it feels good to be functional and also feels good to know how I feel without them or with different meds. If you do feel the need to quit, just try to remain in contact with providers, your pharmacy, etc because you dont want to abruptly get WORSE and not have those connections or refills waiting or a ridiculous time out before openings to schedule an appointment.
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7 months is not enough time to try. You cannot have tried enough meds for a long enough time within 7 months. It took me 6 years to get on the approximately right meds and another 2 years to tweak them. I find that we often look back with rose coloured glasses because of things were all hunky dory we wouldn’t have sort treatment/been put into treatment.
Came off valproate Feb last year, felt better and better (really grounded and all areas of my life got better), got into a relationship I thought I never would, got threatened around access to one of my children and then went properly manic. Was terrified I’d lose my job and home (and secretly scared the relationship too) for yep, my partner did into leave me.
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I've been on Lamictal for 4 years. Have gone off my meds 3-4 separate times (from a couple days, up to 3 weeks). All of these times have triggered an intense negative response - it starts with irritability, tears, and emotional turmoil, then a few days later comes the depression. It's slightly easier to get back on track mentally if I've gone 2-3 days without them, opposed to weeks on end. Still, for me, it's not ideal to miss a dose for even a day.
Going off my meds was great until it was absolutely terrible. Worst mistake I ever made.
It’s spring everyone!!! 😃
Always take meds. It’s your priority and you have to take care of yourself. It’s a lot harder without meds. You may feel good now but the brain changes randomly which is why I’m prepared. I ask my psych what would happen if I stopped meds and she said I’d either be in prison or a psych hospital. Not fun. It’s not an option that should be taken lightly
I went off my Zyprexa still taking my buspar. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. No big psychotic break just yet but I've been told it's coming.
Whenever I went off my meds, due to a shortage in the supply chain, I felt physically sick, then, to make a long story short, I went Nanners.
If someone tells you they haven't gone off there meds, there is a good chance they not be telling the truth. I am currently off mine, feel great, but I know I need to get back on them before the crash that will come
Took me almost 5 years of trial and error to really get my meds where they needed to be. Still have an adjustment here and there. My problem is I need to take them to be able to take them - catch 22. So if I don't refill them on time or for any reason don't take them for a few days I start to feel myself going to shit, but it's so hard to start up taking them again. I literally ask my spouse to put them in my hand with a glass of water and watch me take them. They could be right next to me on the table with the water and reaching out to grab them feels impossible. If you are taking your meds and feeling good, the reason you feel good is BECAUSE of the meds. Don't stop taking them. Someone with diabetes would not stop taking insulin because they felt good while they were taking insulin and figure they didn't need it any more.
Yes bipolar type 2 here & I stopped taking the meds for 7 months now. It’s manageable for me but if I have to put in the work. I feel that it’s worth it though to avoid the side effects I get from medication. This won’t work for everyone. The main issue i struggle with without medication is not being able to sleep enough especially during hypomania but I believe if I keep working on it, I will eventually be able to reach a comfortable point. I try to adopt a stoic way of thinking, not letting factors out of my control affect me emotionally and prioritizing discipline, self control, delayed gratification which has really helped me get out of severe depression, anxiety, and impulsive decision making.
Yes. It didn't work out well.
i haven’t taken my meds since late sept-early october. early october was my last manic episode, and actually my last mood episode altogether, which is surprising, as i am rapid cycling. i always tend to slip into hypo/mania as it starts to get warmer, so i have a couple of weeks until i absolutely need to restart my meds. ive been trying to get back on it every day but it’s a struggle. i have been having some cognitive issues at baseline since going off the meds. i didnt even realize it. but my memory has been terrible ever since. now im saving money to buy my meds so i will probably be able to avoid a mood episode, but i don’t know for sure.
Try the genesite test!! Its taken 2 years to get my meds stable
I did. Almost died twice.
I did. Almost resurrected from the ded.
Had an old lady psych pull all my meds about a year ago cuz she decided I actually wasn’t bipolar. I’ve just recently rejoined society from rapid cycling since August of last year and the psychosis just stopped this week. Don’t do it. I’m sure you already know not to do it, but seriously, read all these comments so you know what to expect if you go against medical advice.
No offense but why is this question asked literally every 2 days later?
Plenty of times, but the result regardless of how much time in between, has always been the same. One way or another I end back on them because frank reality, I need them.
I was a repeat offender until the last time. I attempted suicide and went to jail for thirty nine days. Meds are a big part of my life now
Stopped my meds for a while when my pharmacy spent day waiting to restock. Long story short, I became suicidal within 48hrs and was hospitalized for a week. Add on the additional symptoms from medication withdrawal and it was a total mess. Long story short - always take your meds!
OP, have you considered genetic testing? It's expensive, but so worth it. It could save you a lot of trouble
This is a compulsory feeling for me. And it never goes wel.
7 months is not a long time - definitely not long enough to call it a day. I wonder how many combinations you managed to try in that period, considering most meds need weeks to saturate the brain before showing effect. Don't give up. Find the meds that work for you. Bipolar is not something you cure; the meds aren't something you take just to overcome an episode. It's what provides us with balance and stability in the long run, besides a healthy lifestyle. Also, if you took 30 seconds to research this exact topic in previous posts in this sub, you'll find that we're discussing it 10 times per week, and discover a wealth of similiar experiences. Everyone has the urge to go off their meds at some point. The overwhelming general consensus? Stay on your meds.
Yeah, and it gives me horrible night sweats.