Talk to your Pdoc.



Cold Turkey withdrawl from most BP meds have the potential to be fatal.........why are you wanting to lower dosage ?

Messing with your lithium is sometthing you should take up with your doctor

I would suggest you don't do anything without your psychiatrist's advice.

I did it once, and I went into a deep depression. I almost die, stop eating I was feeling really sick. Talk to your pdoc, don't play doctor, is dangerous.

When you get your degree you will know!

You`d end up a blubbering mess like I was..do it thro doc..

You would most certainly CRASH. Please call your doc and let him know how you feel. Do not go off your meds on your own....I did that a couple of years ago and i will never do it again...way to dangerous.

Nothing happened to me. I started hating on my lithium and subconsiously began forgetting my night doses until I was taking only just over half of what I should have been.

I know that if you stop completely right away it can muck with your sodium levels a bit.

talk 2 ur doc.never a good idea 2 reduce meds on ur own...

INFORMATION ON NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS

For me lithium is a miracle " Natural ELEMENT"...not a man made drug. But I have always believed someday I would go off of it. Acupuncture has done well for me for depression and low energy.
At some time you may want to consider these options:
www.simplyhealingclinic.com
I just started Dr. Strandts herbal program on 12-12-07
I am beginning to feel better already. His plan is to taper me off
Lithium shortly.
www.healthrecovery.com
www.moodcure.com
www.alternativetomedscenter.com

Let me know if I can help further.
Keytickler

You would be an idiot...

I CHALLENGE Anyone with an OPEN MIND to email or call Dr. Strand's office and find out about his experience with bipolar and tapering off meds. He has already helped significantly with my depression.

Give me just ONE medicine that man has made that HEALS and has no side effects.

I am glad I got on lithium 17 yr. ago, but now I search for something better.

P.S. See # 10

I went off my lithium after a year and a half.

Taper off, don't go cold turkey. Use good common sense like everything else.

As with all psych meds, they can and do have side effects while coming off them. Lithium generally causes a massive manic episode within 4-6 after you stop taking it. Before that you will feel fine, as a matter of fact you may feel better. Lithium can depress the physical body a little and cause aches and pains.

After the mania you will run the risk of crashing severely into depression. I did not, but I have been taking Lamictal for over two years and upped my dose when I came off the Lithium.

Don't be stupid, talk to your doc. If you doc doesn't want you to go off, ask why. If you still feel the need to go off your meds, DO IT SLOWLY.

And really examine why you want off the meds. I went off because I wanted to have a baby. Valid reason. My secondary reason was that the shit made me hurt so freaking badly I shook at times and broke out in cold sweats.

Meds are ultimately your decision. Choose wisely.

Mania is not a pretty sight & yet we forget or hope that we really don't need these pills to control our moods & behaviour but in my case I know I rely on lithium to keep me sane.