Family & Friends of Bipolar Support Group

This community is dedicated to parents, siblings, grandparents, other relatives and friends of someone who is Bipolar. The purpose of this community is to help families and friends develop greater patience and understanding, as well as maintain a positive, caring relationships with those diagnosed as Bipolar.

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This is ridiculous!!!

brokenvessel99
brokenvessel99
My mother is 67 and has been dealing with mental illness for 3 decades. She's bi-polar schitzophernic. The thing is that for a few years she was doing beautifully and was taking a total of 7 medications.....now she's the most miserable i have ever seen her and she's taking 17!!!!! These include Repridal, Lexapro,ambian for sleep, clonapin etc....too many to name. My question is if she could be re-evaluated and be weaned off all of these safely and then start all over to see what medicines contradict one another and if we can resolve this issue by maybe only a handfull if possible. Obviously this would be under a doctor's care but is this safe and has anyone done this before? I just want her to finally feel somewhat normal and try to enjoy life. She's a beautiful woman and i am sick of seeing her suffer for so damn long :(
Community Leaderacuriousfish
acuriousfish
hi, yes that does sound a lot.

I think even in your short list there looks as if there are several tranquilizer types.

I'm in the UK and it probably wouldn't happen here - I would see if it is possible to ask the doctor to make a review - or more likely find another doctor to do it. How does she feel about the prospect of taking out some of the meds?

If you wanted to put up the entire list I could comment further purely based on what type of meds they are...
Community Leadercliffskat
cliffskat
Yeah, it sounds like she's on too many. Is she being prescribed for by more than one doctor? Maybe get a list of everything she is on and go with her to her primary care doctor and show the doctor the full list. Sometimes senior citizens don't always tell each new doctor what medications they are on and then they get prescribed more stuff. It sounds like she needs to be on a mood stabilizer, an anti-psychotic, and I guess she has some pain issues and needs a painkiller. I would think 3, maybe 4 at the maximum.

Hugs....
deleted_user
deleted_user
That is way too many medications. I would suggest getting her into the hospital to detox from these medications and start over.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Your mom is very fortunate to have such a caring daughter. My heart goes out to you and your mom. I agree with the others; it sounds like your mom is on far too many meds. It is so difficult to get a doctor to re-evaluate and take away meds. It seems like they just want to keep adding. Ask about Neurontin as a mood stabilizer, Nortriptyline and/or Amtriptyline as anti depressants, and Trileptal. that combination seems to work really well. Everyone is different, though. But it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Community Leaderacuriousfish
acuriousfish
I think the OP is not back.

Neurontin isn't a mood stabilizer - it doesn't look like any of the 15,000 bipolar members have it on their treatments

http://www.dailystrength.org/treatments/Neurontin

anti-depressents are very individual and some don't need them at all or find them harmful.

But as I say I believe the original poster is no longer around.
deleted_user
deleted_user
My husband went through three docs and two hospitals and was taking 10 different meds. We have now found a new doc who says that he is taking muliple meds that work on the same receptors in the brain and are therefore only causing side effects, not helping. So he is weaning him off slowly. It is too soon to tell but I am optimistic. He has been so "drugged" that he isn't leading a normal life. Wish me luck and same to you!!
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