Is there a way to manage Bipolar Disorder without medication?

Question

I take 600mg of Seroquel and 1500mg of lithium each day for Bipolar Disorder. I'm tired of feeling like a zombie and my memory is shot. I just don't like the way I feel anymore. My doctor says that this is the best drug combination for me. Any ideas anyone?

Answer 1

Whatever you don't stop taking your meds. If you feel your current doctor isn't meeting your needs then find another doctor. There are other medications out there that won't make you feel bad.

Answer 2

600 mg of seraquel is a heavy dose. There are other anti-psychotic medications you can try. It is a hit and miss when it comes to the cocktail mix doctors often prescribe. For me it took about 2 years before we had the right combo and doses. Medicine should not make you feel like a zombie. For the first few weeks there is an adjustment period as your body gets used to it. But after that time, one should feel okay. Talk with your doc and explain to him that you want to try something else.

Answer 3

If you don't like this combo, stress to your doctor that you'd like to try something different. But as far as managing manic depression without meds--I doubt that'll work. Many manic-depressive people go off their meds because they hate the way they feel, preferring mania even if it comes with depression later on. It really is better for you to be medicated, despite how it makes you feel. Your doctor should be willing to tweak your meds if they have really bad side effects (lithium is pretty bad about side effects, though it is good for mood regulation.) But going off meds is a bad idea and I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't personally have manic-depression myself (I have PTSD) but I had a close relative with a moderate case of it, and he wasn't medicated or in therapy and he would drive us nuts during his manic phases, blabbering away for hours about stuff none of us could understand. Then, he'd act perfectly normal during his middle phases, and disappear while he was depressed. It was super-hard to deal with--I loved him, but damn, was he a pain when he was manic! I wish he'd been medicated because I hate all the time we all wasted when he was up all hours, crazy, writing incoherent letters to the President, yammering about UFOs and strings of numbers and how evil the metric system is. I really resent how his mental illness took him away from us to some land that we didn't understand and he didn't want to leave. I'm sorry your meds are bothering you--please be firm with your doctor and get a good set of meds.

Answer 4

I think that medication therapy is the best way to control bi-polar disorder, I would talk to the psychiatrist about a med change, there is probably something that can work well and not have the zombie effects.

Answer 5

Check out bipolarhappens.com. A girl tells her story of how mostly she dealt with bipolar without meds. I was labeled bipolar and I would rather be bipolarly than a zombie. Just because they prescribe it, it does not mean you have to take it. Just because you are bipolar, it does not mean you have to go to the doctor.

Answer 6

I don't have the answer but I can tell you that if you decided to take yourself off the meds. it could be serious trouble . My ex husband did that and he picked me up from behind and broke my ribs , then tried to choke me in front of the police . This is not to be played with . I know the meds. make you feel lousy, but have your Dr. keep trying to get them right unless he thinks like you said this is the best combo . Give it some more time. God bless !!!

Answer 7

I don't think there is any way to not take meds. My neighbor got beat up all the time because her bf was bipolar and he quit taking his meds. My advice, keep taking them. Just ask for a smaller dose.

Answer 8

Ask your doctor to change you over to Effexor