Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Discontinuing medications AMA
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Discontinuing medications AMA
by iceblink685, May 07, 2008 03:33PM
I am concerned about my care at this point. My Doctor placed me on dextro-amphetamine. I have been on 250 mg Lamictal and Celexa. He gives me Ativan for sleep. He had me stop the Celexa cold turkey last month.
I went into a severe depression. I lost track of my medication regime and hit rock bottom after being abruptly taken off of Celexa. I have since been off all medications for the past 3 weeks. I don't think it could get any worse than it did coming off of these.
I went to him and he prescribed Wellbutrin in the place of the Celexa he abruptly stopped me on weeks ago after I reported the depression.He asked me if I would be interested in trying Lithium.
If I don't want to be on medications, isn't now the best time to stop them?
The diagnosis is bipolar disorder NOS.
I went into a severe depression. I lost track of my medication regime and hit rock bottom after being abruptly taken off of Celexa. I have since been off all medications for the past 3 weeks. I don't think it could get any worse than it did coming off of these.
I went to him and he prescribed Wellbutrin in the place of the Celexa he abruptly stopped me on weeks ago after I reported the depression.He asked me if I would be interested in trying Lithium.
If I don't want to be on medications, isn't now the best time to stop them?
The diagnosis is bipolar disorder NOS.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., May 07, 2008 06:42PM
, May 07, 2008 06:42PM
To: iceblink685
In general, the anwer is yes, you should only be on this kind of medications if you really need them. That said, I have no way of knowing if you need them. It depends on what bipolar symptoms you have, how long you have had them, do you have episodes and relapse, will Lamictal be enough, etc...If your doctor is not an expert in these matters, perhaps you could ask for a consultation with a psychopharmacologist.
