Please be aware that these responses constitute the personal experiences and opinions of our forum members and in no way should be construed as medical advice.
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from Annie
The consequences of stopping my meds are also too great for me. The results are consistently bad. I do have this habit of unconsciously forgetting to take my morning or evening meds. It catches up with me fast.
from Ashley
I have been on and off medication for the past five years. Currently, I have been off for about two weeks. Crazy thing is that my world is beginning to rapidly deteriorate around me but yet I am still able to convince myself that I am "normal" and that I do not need the meds. I picked up new scripts last week and, eventually -- when things get bad enough, I guess, I'll get back on them.
from Cscottiej
I just changed one of my meds, and coming off the old one didn't cause any problems until a week later. My head felt like exploding. I could not form one single thought. I had to go to the ER where the doctor gave me a script for a few more of the Effexor I was quitting. That helped, but there were still withdrawals. I was a zombie for a week, and didn't really recover for about a month.
from Dee
I stopped a few times maybe about 4 or 5 then I had a dysphoric manic episode. It was the last time I have stopped taking meds. That was a really frightening experience and I never want to go through anything like that again.
from Figi
I quit my mood stabilizer cold-turkey about six weeks ago and stayed on Prozac. The first couple of days were wonderful as the side effects wore off first and I realized that I had been taking too much and had been really depressed and zombie-like. Then slowly over two weeks - I am a rapid cycler - the mood stabilizer came out of my system and I started cycling from too manic to sit still or think clearly to being suicidal every day or so. It was the most horrible experience I have ever had and I never want to be there again.
from Heather
When my parents and psychologist gave me a break - let me prove to them I could do this all by myself, mind over matter type of stuff, no more meds or therapy - I not only had more severe fluctuations in my moods but I also developed agoraphobia. Now I've given in to my psychologist like a sad puppy, crawling back because my life truly became out of control.
from Jason
I have stopped taking any medication since September. When I first did, I thought it was the best thing. I had lots of energy and could think a little clearer. Then a few weeks afterward - BANG mood swings galore. It would be nothing for me to be laughing my head off and in the next ten minutes to be crying or to be very goal orientated to the next near suicidal. And, I'm still like this. I've yet mentioned this to my doctor. I seriously think I'm better off on my meds again to have a balance.
from Joy
I decided to dump my meds twice. Both times had adverse effects. The first time it was based on the fact that I hate taking all these meds and was not getting any better. It really isn't convenient to have to worry about when to take your meds and it is embarrassing to whip out the weekly pill box in public and everyone gets to see all the meds you take. I have received lots of questions regarding this - just by someone passing my desk in the morning.
The second time I quit I did it because I was tired of all the weight gain and the memory loss. That did not work out to my advantage because I ended up in the hospital and now I am back on the meds and hopefully going to make a change.
from John
I have quit taking my meds several times, but not recently, mostly because I wanted to feel more alive. I thought of my meds as some sort of chemical prison for a long time. I'm glad I have gotten past that. Every time I quit my meds I ended up in pretty bad shape in not much time at all - after only a brief period of getting out of my "prison."
from Katem21
I get very bored with taking them and tend to forget almost every day. Since I stopped though I am becoming irresponsible and annoying.
from Lindarosen69
The last time I went off my meds it took four stays at the hospital to get them on the right track.
from Sandy
I've read a lot of postings from people who are thinking about going off their meds and I hope by writing this it will help someone. I have been off Lithium for about 5 years. During this time, I know that my condition has become much worse. I've realized that many of the problems I had while on meds that I thought were side effects are actually from being bipolar. I suffer from nausea after every manic episode and have gained more weight this past year than I did the whole 3 years I was on Lithium. I have driven most of the people I care about away from me and most times can't go even as far as my front porch.
As seen above, stopping your medications can have dangerous consequences. If you feel you must do it, your doctor's close supervision is essential, and you should have a plan involving others for what to do if a crisis arises.
For more on this subject, see the links below.
