Over medicated and want to cut back!

[dolcebellaluna]

Since my initial diagnosis of type 2 bipolar disorder, I've been on a lot of different medication. I was initially started on Klonopin and Lamictal was added shortly after. I've been hospitalized 4 times for suicidal thoughts. I also have GAD and PTSD.

Here's the current cocktail:

Lamictal 200 mg QAM

Seroquel 25 mg BID

Wellbutrin SR 150 mg BID

Seroquel 200 mg QHS

Buspar 15 mg TID

I'm also on Verapamil 80 mg TID for migraines. I was taking Lexapro 20 mg but I ran out about a week ago. I can't tell what is or isn't working, although I feel relatively stable. I just don't want to be on so many meds. Of course I'm also conveniently in between pdocs and can't get in to see my old doc until early June.

Help or advice?

[meganhalley]

Eeesh.  This is tricky.  There are been about 2 times I have responsibly come off all medication (with a doctor's supervision) to try to figure out what is doing what.  I only really did that though because nothing was working for me, and we were trying to figure out which meds were causing which side effects, etc.  I eventually ran out of meds and reasonable combinations thereof, and now I'm not medicated at all, except for Xanax.

 

I really hate to say this, but stability is such a delicate thing.  I completely understand not wanting to swallow so many pills every day, and feeling like you're a slave to your pharmaceutical bottles.  However, if you mess with a combo that's working for you, you may never get that back.  There have been plenty of meds that I've gone off of (usually due to side effects and their lack of efficacy), and when I've tried them again, I usually had either the same response or worse.

[notfred]

With FOUR hospitalizations going off your meds in not an option unless you like being in the hospital.

[cisgendered]

With FOUR hospitalizations going off your meds in not an option unless you like being in the hospital.

Listen to notfred. I racked up ten hospitalizations within 4 years because I kept thinking that I was a better psychiatrist than my psychiatrist. 

[AnneMarie]

With FOUR hospitalizations going off your meds in not an option unless you like being in the hospital.

 

True.

 

If you are finally stable, what's driving the change other than you don't like the number of meds? In the world of illnesses and meds, btw, you are not on that many.