hi Loka1984, i have bipolar as well. i been taking meds since i was 10 years old. after a while some meds do ware off because your body will most likely grow numb to that med so you might need a higher dose or a different medication. i dont know if I was helpful at all but if so just remember you are not alone.

Hi. Welcome. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your parents. I’m 30 and also on disability. Stability can be difficult to maintain long term. The medications can and do lose their effectiveness. It’s a common bane of our existence. Best of luck and we’re all here to support one another. Don’t be afraid to reach out!

When you take meds long term you develop a tolerance to them, not to individual meds, but to the class of meds. Like Anti-psychotics, Anti-depressants, Anti-Seizure, etc.

You were DX'd BiPolar 5 years before you could technically be DX'd BiPolar, that's a long time on BP meds for a developing young brain.

Loxapine is just a normal Anti-psychotic used off-label as a Mood Stabilizer, I'm sure you've been on other Anti-psychotics over the years, odds are you'll be able to get some use out of this one and have to change.

Has your Pdoc ever discussed taking a Medication Holiday and letting your brain reset from the chemicals? Its not the best choice for a BiPolar patient, but sometimes it can help if your having to switch meds too frequently. And yes this is a common thing for long term patients. I've been BiPolar for 29 years and used to change meds semi-frequently until I started doing med holidays and letting my brain reset from the chemicals. Now I get longer term use from the medications and use different class meds off label.

Take care,
Kat

hi and welcome to the board.

Sorry you're having a rough time and have had a difficult past. Those things make this illness alot harder to deal with. It's great you've gotten on disability. Work is a true hardship for alot of us.

Welcome to the board, this is a great place to give and get support!

I was diagnosed at 15 but i was not put on meds until i was 18 and i was never put on a med holiday but i have took myself off of meds before for like a year without my doctor knowing.

I am so sorry for the loss of your mom..... It is a huge loss that I share with you and I feel for you

I think being honest with our doctors and working with them is how we find and are able to maintain stability

I wouldn't even consider stopping my medication without medical help and guidance as well as a plan of what would be next

I think that this is something that we owe ourselves and it feels so much better to be well

Although our disorder is chronic it's also treatable..

Big hug.....xo

Its never good to go off meds without the guidance of your Pdoc. BiPolar is one of those types of illnesses that can be worse when its been controlled with meds for a period of time and then all of a sudden doesn't have that chemical control. In the future if you want to stop meds please do so under the guidance of your Pdoc for your own safety and welfare.

Have you ever tried Lithium or Tegretol for your BiPolar II? These are a couple of meds that I've had long term success with and they have low side effects. I know a couple of other folks here have had success with Tegretol as well. Sometimes we have to get our Pdocs to think a little further out of the box, it's not a "usual" thought for BiPolar its more of a maintenance med. Might be worth a try.

Welcome to the board Loka1984! I'm glad to see that you turned to this group at a difficult time. It's a great step to take and get the support you need. Give yourself credit for that. I'm sorry that you are going through a rough time, and I'm sending lots of love and positive energy your way <3

Jess

Hi, Welcome. My Anxiety meds used to stop working after a time. Now that I am on alot of other meds together they work really well. This year was the first time I was stable for a few months at a time. Now feel pretty stable again. This is a first. It feels good to be pretty much stable.

Anti-Depressants were ones that stopped in the past too.

Welcome to the group! I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a difficult past. I have too for different reasons but difficult all the same. It makes getting better and finding stability that much more elusive. I too am finding my antidepressant doesm’t seem to be working very well right now. But i’m under a lot of stress atm so that complicates things even further. The stress is largely out of my control. I hope you find a med that works for you and feel better soon. (((Hugs)))

I do go to therapy every month i have only been on loxapine since tuesday and it seems to have helped so far. It brought me out of a manic phase. I am also on prozac and trileptal. My doctor has said i am bipolar 1 i am unsure as to why because she said before i have bipolar 2 so that is confusing. I feel good today and more normal so hopefully this works. I have been on several conbinations some work for long periods others don't work from the start. Thank you everybody for being so inviting.

They would change your diagnosis from bipolar 2 to bipolar 1 if your hypomanic episodes got more severe crossing over into actual mania. I've read that this disorder can eventually worsen too.

We all have to go through some periods of trial and error with meds. If you're lucky there won't be much of that and you'll find something that helps relatively soon and for a good while. But med tweaks from time to time are almost always necessary.

I'm not 100% sure on the use of antidepressants when diagnosed as bipolar. I know on enough mood stabilizers and more often in bipolar 2 than 1, they can be used. But you may want to question staying on prozac.

Welcome to the group Loka! Yes, I've experienced taking certain meds for a while then they've stopped working as well or at all. I agree with SullenKitty regarding taking antidepressants when bipolar. they can cause mania for bipolars (is what I've heard). I would talk with your psychiatrist about the prozac. Other than that, it sounds like you're taking care of yourself by seeing a therapist as well as your psychiatrist on a regular basis. But, remember, if you want to stop taking a med or meds, to work with your psychiatrist during the weaning process. I'm sorry that you're still grieving the loss of your mother. Both of my parents are still living at 79 yrs old and 81 yrs old. I know that when I lose them, I will grieve deeply and indefinitely. I hope you get the extra help you need through this support group. It's a great group! Good luck to you and I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers your way!