Help How do i stop taking my meds?

[Then-pewish]

Uhmm, how can i stop taking my pills? I live with my mom and she checks my mouth before and after i take my meds. I don't know how to hide them. My pills are already planned out for the week and so I just open the day and pop them in my mouth. I don't put them in my hands first, so I fear that if I start hiding them in my hands my mom will notice that. My pills don't do anything and im sick of taking so many different meds. (Btw maybe it's not a lot but it's almost polypharmacy, I take three different meds (not including vitamin d for obvious reasons) and in total I take 5 pills a day.)

 

[memataporfavor]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you take and for how long? what do they make you feel for you to not want to take'em?

 

[BPD Barbie]

I wouldn't advise just stopping medication as stopping it suddenly can be dangerous and lead to other health problems. If you don't like the medication you're on for whatever reason, maybe see if you can go and talk to your doctor and try some others.

 

[Then-pewish]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you take and for how long? what do they make you feel for you to not want to take'em?

I take zoloft, abilify, buspar, and lamotrigine (I forgot abt lamotrigine and I don't remember the dosages) I've been taking abilify and zoloft for abt two years, I started lamotrigine abt 3 months ago and just started buspar yesterday. My meds have not been effective for quite a while and I just don't want to take them any longer. Nothing is working. Five years of therapy, three years of psychiatry, four hospitalizations, a countless amount of medications. Nothing. It feels like the only cure is suicide.

I wouldn't advise just stopping medication as stopping it suddenly can be dangerous and lead to other health problems. If you don't like the medication you're on for whatever reason, maybe see if you can go and talk to your doctor and try some others.

I would be fine weaning off them myself but my doctor refuses to let me get off them.

 

[JustLosingMyself]

Are you still a minor?
If not, your doctor has to take your wishes into account, unless your treatment is by court order

 

[ThatIsTheQuestion]

Are you still a minor?
If not, your doctor has to take your wishes into account, unless your treatment is by court order

Agreed. And it's worth repeating that minors aren't supposed to be here at all.

Beyond that, stopping lamictal without oversight is extremely dangerous. (A) It's an anti-epileptic, so withdrawal could give you seizures and even kill you. (B) If you start up again, esp without medical supervision, you greatly increase the odds of the dreaded "lamictal rash." Zoloft might not be as dangerous, but it's notorious for "brain zaps" if you stop cold turkey. Buspar is probably the only one you could quit on your own without potentially nasty consequences.

 

[memataporfavor]

I take zoloft, abilify, buspar, and lamotrigine (I forgot abt lamotrigine and I don't remember the dosages) I've been taking abilify and zoloft for abt two years, I started lamotrigine abt 3 months ago and just started buspar yesterday. My meds have not been effective for quite a while and I just don't want to take them any longer. Nothing is working. Five years of therapy, three years of psychiatry, four hospitalizations, a countless amount of medications. Nothing. It feels like the only cure is suicide.

I would be fine weaning off them myself but my doctor refuses to let me get off them.

I'm kinda biased on this subject bc for me my meds work... (sometimes... if they worked completely I wouldnt be here). Of those, I only knew zoloft and lamotrigine (which I also take btw hah)... But I completely understand your will to stop taking them. If I were you and felt bad about my meds, depending on the reason I was taking them, I would also stop. But maybe, the solution can be complaining to your doctor that those meds do not "fit" your body.... I mean, there are so many meds out there, that work for some people and for others dont, there must be something that works for you out there. I don't believe in ppl being forced to do anything, mostly bc the greater part from a mental treatment comes from the well-being of the patient. So, yea, If your doc is cool, try talking to him?
I've been through a shitton of meds and different combinations 'till I found one that kinda works for me... maybe that can work for you too

 

[Flippy]

Not a good idea to stop taking meds! I once got really disillusioned and tried to stop taking mine for a while. I managed a couple of weeks but it made me physically very unwell and probably didn't help me avoid becoming unwell mentally again. I know how annoying it can get when it doesn't feel like the meds are working. But you really should talk to your doctor about this. Even if you don't miss them your body might if you have been on them for some time.

 

[Then-pewish]

Are you still a minor?
If not, your doctor has to take your wishes into account, unless your treatment is by court order

No I'm not a minor, I'm almost 19. In February I'll be 19.

 

[WhiteDespair]

Have fun going through 3 days of withdrawal hell.

 

[memataporfavor]

Not a good idea to stop taking meds! I once got really disillusioned and tried to stop taking mine for a while. I managed a couple of weeks but it made me physically very unwell and probably didn't help me avoid becoming unwell mentally again. I know how annoying it can get when it doesn't feel like the meds are working. But you really should talk to your doctor about this. Even if you don't miss them your body might if you have been on them for some time.

hahah with me, I lost my shit, engaged in a crazy impulsive behaviour and only realized that when I got back with the meds and looked back to the crazy week I had before hahahaahah

 

[Quarky00]

Had a friend on that combo , schizophrenic .

Not sure what you have but when stopped they had psychosis and hospitalized again ..

 

[Then-pewish]

I'm kinda biased on this subject bc for me my meds work... (sometimes... if they worked completely I wouldnt be here). Of those, I only knew zoloft and lamotrigine (which I also take btw hah)... But I completely understand your will to stop taking them. If I were you and felt bad about my meds, depending on the reason I was taking them, I would also stop. But maybe, the solution can be complaining to your doctor that those meds do not "fit" your body.... I mean, there are so many meds out there, that work for some people and for others dont, there must be something that works for you out there. I don't believe in ppl being forced to do anything, mostly bc the greater part from a mental treatment comes from the well-being of the patient. So, yea, If your doc is cool, try talking to him?
I've been through a shitton of meds and different combinations 'till I found one that kinda works for me... maybe that can work for you too

I've tried talking to her but she either

Are you still a minor?
If not, your doctor has to take your wishes into account, unless your treatment is by court order

my doctor has to take my wishes into account... But I've brought it up with her multiple times. She won't listen to me.

 

[Flippy]

hahah with me, I lost my shit, engaged in a crazy impulsive behaviour and only realized that when I got back with the meds and looked back to the crazy week I had before hahahaahah

Fortunately I didn't relapse like that, I just got quite depressed again. But boy did it make me feel weak and sick. I had got a bit annoyed about a doctor when I told him I had been given diazepam for an issue with my arm at a hospital, he immediately started lecturing me on trying to get more diazepam!? I was just telling him what had happened at the hospital, I didn't ask for anything. I just made an appointment at the GP like the hospital told me to. I'm pretty sure some POS has put something on my medical records out of spite to make people believe I'm fishing for recreational substances! I got really pissed off and thought to hell with it I just won't take anything any more if that's what they think. Probably more self defeating than anything else but it did make me realise that I probably do need my meds!

 

[memataporfavor]

I've tried talking to her but she either
my doctor has to take my wishes into account... But I've brought it up with her multiple times. She won't listen to me.

not cool, not cool

 

[Tim101]

Do not stop. Reduce by 10% per fortnight under the guidance of a medical professional. You will feel like absolute shit for 3 months even after complete cessation. Zoloft 6 months. RESEARCH how to reduce/cease psychiatric drugs. There are many many resources.

 

[Flippy]

Had a friend on that combo , schizophrenic .

Not sure what you have but when stopped they had psychosis and hospitalized again ..

Absolutely never just quit your meds if you have suffered from psychosis in the past! It can really creep up on you, I'm speaking from experience here as you might suspect!

 

[memataporfavor]

Fortunately I didn't relapse like that, I just got quite depressed again. But boy did it make me feel weak and sick. I had got a bit annoyed about a doctor when I told him I had been given diazepam for an issue with my arm at a hospital, he immediately started lecturing me on trying to get more diazepam!? I was just telling him what had happened at the hospital, I didn't ask for anything. I just made an appointment at the GP like the hospital told me to. I'm pretty sure some POS has put something on my medical records out of spite to make people believe I'm fishing for recreational substances! I got really pissed off and thought to hell with it I just won't take anything any more if that's what they think. Probably more self defeating than anything else but it did make me realise that I probably do need my meds!

never felt physical withdrawl...
but been addicted to diazepam when I was 14 yrs old.. used to steal from my mom lmao
now im back in the sleeping pills track... been on xanax unfortunately bc it's what my doc has given me, but boy, do I miss my valium lmao

I'm starting to realize most people here had/has a shitty experience with doctors... I'm starting to feel v lucky

 

[Quarky00]

I'm speaking from experience here as you might suspect!

I'm sure it was horrible , but made me smile - "oh yeah , Flippy probably tried / gone through any possible disaster , sounds about right" .. ;)

 

[Flippy]

never felt physical withdrawl...
but been addicted to diazepam when I was 14 yrs old.. used to steal from my mom lmao
now im back in the sleeping pills track... been on xanax unfortunately bc it's what my doc has given me, but boy, do I miss my valium lmao

I'm starting to realize most people here had/has a shitty experience with doctors... I'm starting to feel v lucky

I've never been hooked on diazepam or anything. But I really do appreciate how much better it makes me feel. Once it's done its job, say after a few weeks I find my self not even taking it any more. I think my psychiatrist is very anti benzo anything! So if I do end up getting something like lorazepam it tends to be for a few days and no tapering off. So just when I'm feeling the benefits I run out.

Yeah I've had some pretty poor experiences with doctors too. I often feel like they get really pissed at me when I don't feel much improvement. I get the straighten up and fly right speech and it's really annoying! So you probably are in good company here! :-)

I'm sure it was horrible , but made me smile - "oh yeah , Flippy probably tried / gone through any possible disaster , sounds about right" .. ;)

I think a lot of people probably have gone through their fair share of disasters too.

 

[Sweet Release]

Uhmm, how can i stop taking my pills? I live with my mom and she checks my mouth before and after i take my meds. I don't know how to hide them. My pills are already planned out for the week and so I just open the day and pop them in my mouth. I don't put them in my hands first, so I fear that if I start hiding them in my hands my mom will notice that. My pills don't do anything and im sick of taking so many different meds. (Btw maybe it's not a lot but it's almost polypharmacy, I take three different meds (not including vitamin d for obvious reasons) and in total I take 5 pills a day.)

You can be weened off them gradually as this will help you through the drug withdrawal process.
Its best to get your local General Practitioners help with this and certainly don't do it cold turkey.
If your doctor refuses to help you then you can get advice online such as The Icarus Project where you can download advice on how to taper off safely.
I hope this helps.

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

Check out theicarusproject.net

They have all the information you need.

 

[Ghost2211]

What is the goal of stopping? If they are causing bad effects could you talk to your doctor about changing meds or dosage. Just stopping them would likely suck badly for you.

 

[k75]

I don't recommend just stopping. As everyone else said, it's a bad idea.

Your doctor has to ultimately listen to you. But if you're having trouble, you could always do a little research and begin "having" side effects. Maybe you can switch.