Bipolar? Is Your Loved One Doing This?

Hi, how’s it going? I hope things are going well for you today.

I was just reading on a blog about a person with bipolar disorder who claims to be “just fine” without their meds. To tell you the truth, I find that hard to believe. I believe it’s the medication

that makes you feel “just fine” when you have bipolar disorder.

But I was also bothered by some of the responses to this person as well. They got some actual support for stopping their medications! That is so dangerous.

I would never tell someone who is truly diagnosed with bipolar disorder (and not misdiagnosed) to go off their medications. Like I said, it’s the medications that make you feel better, but if you

stop them, you’ll go back to the way you felt before!

I hope this person doesn’t listen to the people advising him to go off his medications, because that can be very dangerous for him.

Does your loved one do this? Are you struggling with keeping them on their medications? Are they reading blogs like this one that tells you it’s ok to go off your medications without a doctor’s advice?

First of all, find out why they want to stop taking their meds. Are they experiencing side effects?

Tell them that the usual side effects from bipolar drugs can be dealt with.

For example, for dry mouth, just suck on some ice cubes or hard, sugarless candy. For nausea, eat something when you take your medications, and/or drink something carbonated. For lightheadedness (dizziness), stand up or sit down slowly, and it will usually pass.

For drowsiness from medications that you’re taking during the day, you need to tell your doctor, as they may have you take them at night (bedtime) instead, and this will resolve the side effect.

If you have any side effects that are really bothering you, you do need to check with your doctor.

The answer is probably easier than you think. But most often, the answer will NOT be to go off your medication.

Your doctor can help you get through the side effects, but you have to tell them about them. It may be that just a dosage change is all that is required to make you feel better. It could be that an additional drug can help stop the side effects. It could be that just changing when you take the medication will solve the problem.

But it is never the right answer to just go off your medication without working with your doctor on it. Never. It could be life-threatening if you do. If you stop your medications without a doctor’s advice or tapering, it could cause you to go into a bipolar episode, and you might commit suicide. So you really need to report all side effects to your doctor, and let him/her help you work things out, rather than going off your medications on your own.

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave

  1. This is exactly what’s happening to my loved one, the 2nd time since I’ve known him. This episode is even worse than the last one, which was very bad. First he stopped taking zyprexa because of bad side effects. I tried to reason with him to discuss with his doctor to possibly try something else. At the end of last year he went on a drinking spree though still taking his other meds. At times he recognised the signs of a possible bipolar episode himself. He went to see his psych but was pushed on to a student psych (twice, a different one each time) and all they told him was to stop drinking. He did stop drinking in the new year. Then an upheaval happened, which threw him headlong into an episode. Within a couple of weeks he was God’s ambassador to the world fighting against doctors and psychs who were all in league with the devil. He went completely off the rails, did some really bad things (inc. at my home) and then ran away. The police questioned me and some other friends and neighbours. I had to act as a diplomat between him and the police trying to explain about bipolar. I really wish the police were more educated about mental illness. I had to go away last week to visit family, didn’t hear from him and was worried sick about what might have happened. When I came home I found out that he had been taken to the psych ward while I was away. He had got into a fight with his neighbour and got arrested. I was sick at heart, as well as relieved that at least he was in a safe place. He is still very manic and I think this time he will be in the psych ward for a long time. I am very sad that he has got into this again. He looks very ill. The last episode 3 years ago took him a year to fully recover from, and this one is worse. I’m the only one he trusts and I do my best to help where I can, to make sure he won’t lose his home this time. My friends all think I’m crazy and maybe they’re right. I would give something for him to be well again and remain stable.

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