oh er ive stopped my lithium just like that..

[noodlepixie]

Im sooo sick of this stuff i am stuck in a rut can't get out just when i think im getting my life sorted someone comes along and kicks me back down in that dark crappy hole again... thought my lithium was helping but when i was placed in a difficult situation last week.. i had enough nothing works can't talk wont talk don't know whats going on in my head.... don't no what i want from life anymore don't no if i want life anymore soooo sick of it all...... hear things see things feel odd.... sick of it all....

 

[mad as a hatter]

i know how ur feelin but 2 be honest stopping ur meds not a good idea i,ve found that out 2 my cost so many times i ended up in hospital or i harm myself in someway

 

[jax]

I hope you'll be ok. I was off my lithium 2 weeks and ended in hospital. I didn't think it was going any good. Apparently it did more good that I had thought. Good luck. x x
Jacqui

 

[nigheandonn]

Hi I'm new here, first post and all. I hope you're doing alright- I've done the same thing with no luck so far. I started lithium in April after getting diagnosed with bipolar 2. I was hypomanic and very resistant to taking meds, but every time I tried to go off my lithium I crashed into depression. That's happened 4 or 5 times so far, most recently last week. It's funny cause I'll be taking my lithium and still feeling depressed and I think 'it's not working' but then I skip a dose or something and I can't pick up my head for days, can't think, and I cry all the time and it's so much worse. Then I start taking it again and the depression recedes a little. I'd like to hope that I can reach some kind of stable place in my life someday where I don't need meds, but I don't even know if that's possible. Anyway, I hope you're feeling better lithium or not.

 

[noodlepixie]

I hope you'll be ok. I was off my lithium 2 weeks and ended in hospital. I didn't think it was going any good. Apparently it did more good that I had thought. Good luck. x x
Jacqui

how did you feel when you came off your lithium to end up in hospital... hope your doing ok now..

 

[noodlepixie]

am still not taking it and trying to keep it quiet... am not sure how im feeling at the moment.....

 

[mad as a hatter]

all that,s goin happen is u wll end up in hospital if u don,t tk ur meds i did i was off them for 4 months went on a high for 1st couple months then the usual happens u get hit with the extreme low i ended up in hospital for 3 wks u don,t want 2 happen if ur meds aren,t workin ask ur pdoc 2 try something else for u

 

[noodlepixie]

im starting to really struggle now.. i can't decide what sort of mood im in but im not feeling right at all ive spoken to recovery nurse and shes told me to contact my psyciatrist on friday as shes not in till then but if need to contact crisis team i have to but i don't need a lecture but something going on....

 

[nigheandonn]

My heart goes out to you, I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time. I was going through a similar experience about a week ago. I got scared and chose to start taking the lithium again. It helped, but it took a few days. Why did you decide to stop taking it? What's keeping you from starting it again? It sounds like you're in a rough place right now. In my admittedly limited experience of living with bipolar I've found that the meds aren't enough on their own, that I need to build a supportive environment of people and work and activities that I care about (which is really HARD, am constantly working towards it) but the meds play their role too. If the chemicals in my brain aren't working I can't seek out and appreciate the things that make life good. So here's sending some compassion your way. I hope you're able to get the care you need from your doc and that you don't have to wait too long.

 

[jax]

how did you feel when you came off your lithium to end up in hospital... hope your doing ok now..

I became extremely irritable for the first. I am generally very peace minded. Would run a mile from a row or fight. When I came off the lithium, i was confrontational. I would scream and shout for about 30seconds and then go cry. NP _ check out my diary here around the period I came off my lithium. It is some of the last posts I made.

My rapid cycling got extremely bad. I couldn't' cope. That was when they put me in hospital. I began to hallucinate too. I was in almost 3 months too.
Jacqui x

 

[Apotheosis]

I was in almost 3 months too.

3 months off meds is when the shit hits the fan for me too.

What I think it is - is that meds often have a long withdrawal period. The effects of stopping the meds are most apparent 3 months after stopping. Especially it seems with anti-psychotics.

The meds have, to a degree, made me sensitive to certain madnesses - strange as that may sound to some people.

http://www.mind.org.uk/help/medical...oming_off_psychiatric_drugs#withdrawlvrelapse