all i do that is different to my docs orders is taking my meds at night instead of the morning because they made me tired.

I do what he says and I feel better....but he is very open to my requests.

I believe that playing with your own meds is dangerous. I leave that up to my pdoc that's what we pay them for and besides that they have the education.
Be Safe
((hugs))

I always take my meds according to the pdoc's orders. He does ask me what I think about my meds though.

I talk to my pdoc too, and he listens very well. He is very conscientious about what he prescribes for me and in what dosage.

I was just getting confused by seeing so many people talking about adjusting their own dosages, weaning themselves off mes, taking "just one more" than was prescribed or only taking meds when they feel like getting back on them.

So many people do this, made me wonder if I was just being blind by not taking matters into my own hands like that. But again, I wouldn't begin to know how to make adjustments to my meds that were in the best interest of my health.

I was most sick when my pdoc was doing the doses and I trusted him. He overmedicated me to death. He even admits he did.

Getting off meds was essential to my physical health. The side effects were literally killing me. I don't say that my path is for everyone. I think you do have to be proactive in your health care. Sometime that means listening to your pdoc, and sometimes it means evaluating your health, and what the drugs are doing to you. Both positive and negative. My basic outlook is to use my pdoc as a resource.

He is the one who gave me the Doctor's compendium and told me I was intelligent enough to read it and figure out what was causing my problems. Sure enough, I did. It wasn't all the bipolar drugs, either. I used to be on 22 meds. Now 7 meds, including my 3 asthma inhalers, one drug for high blood pressure, synthroid and one for RA and one to sleep. And I am healthier mentally and physically than since I was in my 30's.

I wish the mania and depression were manageable for me without medication. Then I wouldn't even see a pdoc.
But the toll my mental illness takes on my physical health is huge. I don't even have a regular doc and don't take any meds for any physical ailment.
But if I didn't take meds for my mental illness I could quite likely be literally dead. Mental illness can be fatal. Even with meds, the chance of me dying from mental illness is great. I guess I'm just a hopeless case.

I have a really hard time getting a good night's sleep. If I didn't take sleep meds, I would stay up for at least 24 hours and maybe go hypo and stay up for more than 70 hours straight.
Every once in a while, my sleep meds don't do the trick, so if I'm not sleepy and it's five hours later, I take another pill.
And some days I have really bad anxiety, so I take an extra benzo for that.
When I get really depressed and start liking the thought of suicide, I take enough sleep meds to knock my ass out.
All the times I have done these things, I have told my Pdoc about it at my next session and so far, he's told me that I did the right thing.
Maybe you could talk to your Pdoc at your next session and ask him what you should do if this or that happens. Kind of like a preemptive strike!!!
If I was taking more pills than I was prescribed, in order to get high, then I would say that I was abusing them. But my goal is never to do anything except become well.
Good luck in doing what is best for you!! Perhaps following your doctor's orders to the letter is the way to go!! (((((Hugs)))))

Like Carla said, you could talk to your pdoc next time and ask him which drugs you have leighway (sp?) with. Like I take Seroquel at night because it also helps me sleep. Though he wrote it for 3xday, I take just 2 at night usually. He knows this and said it's fine. Sometimes it is a matter of just finding out how they work best for you. He told me I can always take more Seroquel if I can't sleep and the last 2 nights I have taken 3 plus an extra Lorazepam which also was written for 3xday but I take them all at night. If I took those meds during the day, I would be so tired. I already have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so that would be really bad. I do take my Tegretol in AM and PM like he wrote because that works for me. So, I would just ask how much you can change certain ones around to see how they will benefit you the most. I've been doing this a long time, so the longer you deal with it, the more familiar you get with the meds too.
Good luck, lots of hugs.

Oh, and keep in mind that some meds can take over a month before you can get the full effects.

There are certain ones I can play with & my pdoc knows about it & is fine with it.. others I have never ever touched.

I don't play with my meds. I did once and ended up in ICU...never even saw the depression/suicide coming. BP is too hard, I'm not going to make it harder.

I completely agree with you dobiedots

I lowered mine because the side effects were intolerable. I don't have a doc right now; if I did I'd run it by him. But I can't so I didn't. So far I have been fine. Also I've been on this level of abilify before so i feel ok by that. And most of my psychosis was due to antidepressants which i'm not on.
So I feel pretty safe. It's been about 2 months since I did this. I wish I had done it sooner; my side effects cost me my job.

I think you should listen to your doctor but also have a say in your health-care i.e. side-effects. Everyone is different and has a different relationship with thier pdoc. If you do screw around with your meds the doctor should know and be ok with it. He/she should have the final word. Also it is important to get a regular doctor as many of the drugs cause side-effects like high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and high chlorestral to name afew. These are side effects that could kill you and you may not even know about unless you have regular check ups. When I started seroquel 2 years ago my chlorestrol shot way up. Now I am on pills for that but I would never have known if I hadn't done a blood test.

I know the States is so backward when it comes to health care...good luck

The only med I play around with ,is Xanax,I take it at least once a day..usually at night..but I am allowed to take it at most 4 times a day...AS NEEDED