I clearly understand the stigma. I've had a history of depression also, on and off since age 13. I don't mind sairose venting and asking for support, but I she needs to leave me and my posts out of this.

I am sorry to hear that things aren't so great now. However I do agree with the people that said contact your insurance people/whoever handles your mailer meds that late shipments are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Is there a way you can be taken off the mailer deal and go and pick up meds at a pharmacy? (again, do this when you are well... not now.)

I am not in your situation, but I have a condition that can become life-threatening if my supplies aren't readily available. So I am sure you are scared, as I would be.

Maybe you can change up your mailing service so that meds are shipped sooner than they already are? For example, if you receive a 100 day supply via mail and they ship meds out at the 80 day mark, maybe have them ship it out at the 60 day mark? (Did I make any sense?) I don't know if that is possible... but if I were you, I would just nix the mailing thing and go to a brick and mortar store/pharmacy.

And I agree with AKA_Monet about seeing someone professionally. Maybe they can kick some people in the ass about getting you your meds sooner... or switching... or something.

Good luck and my prayers are with you.

Ditto AKA Monet & 33 girl.
Call your doctor and get an emergency supply of medicine. If you were a diabetic, you wouldn't be expected to go without insulin. You should not be expected to make do without these medications. I wish you the best!

Dionysus, you of all people...

A thread like this is FAR more valuable than something like the "Word Association Game", the Entertainment forum (no offense to anyone) or whatever. It's good information and good help for someone who needs a little support.

I briefly dated a girl that was bipolar (didn't know it at the time). She kind of disappeared on me -- several months later, I found that she had been diagnosed with that condition and had attempted suicide 4 times! (since it was not a serious relationship, I'm kind of thankful that I wasn't sucked into that drama).

You claim to be ADD (as am I). Just "shutting off" a condition like this is just as simple as shutting off your ADD. Can't do it without meds -- ADD is just something that can be compensated for in many cases. Willpower, however can't do everything.

Anyhow, it's an extremely serious condition. Maybe you should sit back and try to learn something from this thread?

This is very very true. Being taken off meds like that can endager your health mentally and physically. The company should be held responsable.

EXACTLY!!!!

Re: Re: Also something to consider
 

I'm pretty sure it depends on the half-life of the drug . . . Prozac, for example, has a pretty long half-life so you're not going to be feeling much if you miss a day or two. Paxil and Effexor, which have much shorter half-lives, can hit you almost immediately if you miss even one dose. There are others that are somewhere in between.

And yeah, it depends on the person too. When I forget to take my meds, I basically just get really moody or maybe, at the worst, have a panic attack -- but I know other people on the same drug who have gotten so nauseous they threw up, got migraine-like headaches, or even "brain shocks." :eek:

Going off antidepressants
 

UNWISE THING TO DO WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S APPROVAL!!!

The thing is WHAT DO THESE DRUGS AFFECT MAINLY??? YOUR BRAIN--PERIOD!!!

Cold turkey works for an extremely few set of people... Most humans MUST be stepped down with ANY anti psycholytic drug...

What happens is not only does your brain physiology change, so does your other organs, namely your liver that is the major organ that catabolizes xenobiotics drugs... Cold turkey removal of a drug once your body has adapted to it thru a "step gradient" could prove deterimental to many other organ systems, eventually causing organ failure... If it doesn't affect your brain, it could affect your heart as a secondary effect... Or possibly your kidneys. And going into heart or renal failure ain't fun!!!

That is why illicit drug withdrawal is extremely dangerous without methadone...

And just by the what SAIROSE is stating in her posts suggest that the meds she did have and was taking were probably getting old and spoiled be the mere fact her "mental accuity" was beginning to wane... Basically, ask her if she "feels her mind" is rather "fuzzy"... Classic cold turkey withdrawal symptoms... Medical textbook example of it...

I thought anti-depressants were bad for bipolar sufferers. Doesn't it induce hypo/mania? Anyway, I never knew going cold turkey did all of that to your body.

Not all people that are bipolar are exactly the same. The mood stabilizing drugs may be enough for one person, and not for another. Each person is different so some may need an antidepressant as well, and other may not.

Since there is no pinpointed cause to explain what causes bipolar disorder, there are varying treatments. Some believe that there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters (which serotonin is one, and would be effected by a SSRI antidepressant). Also food and sleep can effect episodes of mania and depression, and for some antidepressants help regulate sleep through serotonin.

No, not always. They do trigger mania in some people, but others, they help. I take Wellbutrin, and it actually helps both the depressive AND manic sides for me, but others it makes the manic worse.

By the way, about your other post to me, I wasn't attacking your original post per se (in the dating forum). I said that comments SAID in the forum were getting to me because I was off my meds and being hypersensitive because I couldn't help it. I wasn't the only one offended by your thread. And for someone who wants to advocate sensitivity, I like how you only want sensitivity for issues that affect YOU. I don't appreciate you posting in this thread in the first place. I was already depressed, and I didn't need your 2 cents.

To everyone else! (Since so many of you posted, I can't reply individually),

THANK YOU SO MUCH. It helps to know people care and understand. :) I'm sorry I was slow to reply; I was out of town for 2 days. I went camping with 4 SAI sisters and it helped me a lot! Before I left I got 2 weeks worth of samples, so I'm doing OK now. I called the prescription place, and they claimed they never got my refill order! :mad: I was NOT happy. They said it was shipped out that day (Thursday), so I should have it very soon.

Also, no, I can't get it from a pharmacy (I think ChiDeltJen asked), because on my insurance, maintenence meds must be mail ordered directly or I don't get the discounted price.

But, I'm feeling back to normal now. I do appreciate so much everyone's kind words! You guys are great. :)

I'm sorry to hear you've had to struggle without your meds. Hope they come through soon. Take care. :)

Dionysus,
Are you a doctor or pharmacist? Then you don't know about the drugs she's on or the condition she has.

Anyway, glad you learned something about how much quitting cold turkey does affect your body.

Also, it's called "chit-chat" meaning you can make threads about ANYTHING you want to, even if there was another similiar thread. She's just reaching out for some support, but instead, your sensitive self decided to come in and twist the knife a little bit. Maybe you should take sensitivity classes about dumb-ass comments.

I thought it was well known that anti-depressants can induce mania in bipolar patients, not esoteric information shared by doctors and pharmacists.

Again, people are missing my point. I didn't mind sairose asking for support because she was feeling down because of missed medication, I did mind her reference to my thread TWICE, the other one even had a link. Yes, people can talk about anything they want in chit chat, but should not be surprised when others don't act too kindly when guilt trips are being placed. It appeared that she was trying to blame me and others who disagreed w/ her in that thread, and make us look bad. If that wasn't the case she wouldn't made the reference in these two threads. ugh......