Antipsychotics: I have been experiencing rapid cycling for months.

Hello, @hoffman. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for all this helpful background on your bipolar diagnosis and your journey with different medications. I am wondering if perhaps some of our other members who have talked about bipolar may have some information for you on long-term studies on antipsychotics like Seroquel, such as @coloradogirl, @amberpep, @peach414144, @lesbatts, @danybegood1 and @relay123.

You mentioned reading books that indicate there may be something unsafe about taking antipsychotics over the long term. Can you tell us more about what you read?

Hi @lisalucier and thanks for mentioning me. I don't have direct experience with bipolar, only through my daughter who is an adult and manages her own meds. One thing I would mention for @hoffman, though, is the value of having a conversation with your pharmacist if you have questions about your meds and the long-term side effects. Most younger pharmacists now are PharmD's (which is a doctorate in pharmacy) and therefore are very knowledgeable and even an RPh has 3 years or pharmacology whereas the typical doctor only has about 3 months. Plus, their services are typically free if you are using the pharmacy for your prescriptions. Also, you can request that your doctor refer you for a medication review with a PharmD. Although this does typically have a cost, it's a valuable service. My husband had a meds review while going through treatment for Hepatitis C (it was a standard part of their process at University of Illinois) and the PharmD was able to recommend some changes that really improved his quality of life.

Also, @hoffman, have you considered a support group for people with bipolar? That might make you feel less alone in this. It's a tough situation to live with and feeling lonely certain doesn't help.

@hoffman

With the blessing of my doctors, I've at various times tried tapering off medicines, and have learned whether the med is or isn't helping. I've stopped some, and went back on some. One time, I started a new med shortly after starting another one, so I didn't feel it was possible to know if I needed both of them, and what effect each one was having on me, if any.

It can be very complicated when you take multiple medications. I've learned a lot from doctors in different fields, from pharmacists, and from reputable Google sites. Asking lots of questions may be hard, and might irritate the doctors, but I've learned the importance of educating myself and advocating for myself.

I believe that you'll only be stronger and healthier the more you be an inquisitor. I pray that you find the answers you need, and stay safe with your medications.

Jim

i was taking lithium carbonate for 2 years when first diagnosed at age 47. (in 1977) it was fine for me. was warned to stop because my job took blood samples of their employees and if i were found out i would lose my job. so i stopped. in 2005 i tried using lithium again but because of my age of 68 i had to stop for shaking terribly. tried many others but the same shakes. do not remember the names of the other drugs. now i try to live without. difficult. as you age the body rejects. also perhaps because i am on eleven prescription medications for my many ailments. i find helping others reakky, really helps me especially when it is appreciated. love to all barbara

I urge people who have been on heavy doses of antipsychotics for years to ask your psychiatrists if long term use will create any medical or mental health repercussions in the future. Decades ago there was a tragic and cruel method to calm mentally ill using lobotomy. A procedure that early years a doctor (stumped right now of his name) performed this procedure first cutting into the head of a person who may have been out of control, removing tissue from the front lobe. As he got better at this, he figured a way to make the procedure more efficient and began using an ice pick in which he inserted under the eye lid in an effort to be able to perform even more labotomys on as many he could do. It was an effort to perhaps cure people by making them have loss of alertness or docile. I find this to be torturous and in humane. You are probably aware of two women who had this treatment....JFKs sister, and Tennessee Williams sister. Both were institutionalized. Both men regretted having this procedure performed as both women suffered incoherence and were not able to live normal lives. Then later came electrical convulsant therapy, ECT without any anesthesia. Often referred to as “shock treatments”, they still exist today but use light anesthesia. My point is, in later years they found these procedures to be brutal and destructive. Therefore, if the old and new antipsychotics I have taken over the last years , will they someday prove to be harmful.

@hoffman

I guess time will tell. What anti-psychotics are you referring to?

Jim

Hi there ..... I've got Bipolar 2 and also take a fist full of meds. A few years ago my doc. tried me on Seroquel.....I thought my head would explode! I never felt so totally out of control and yet every time I sat down I fell asleep. I was really way out there .... it was as if I were smoking a halucinogenic. Well, I got off that pronto. Now I'm taking Lamictal, which seems to be working, but what about the long term affects? It also makes my mouth so dry that my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth no matter how much water I drink. I also take Wellbutrin and Klonopin. Well, for the passed 6 months or so I have been having balance problems, unsteady on my feet, and falling frequently. I looked up the Klonopin and every side effect listed, I have ...... the most dangerous of which is falling. It seems that you can't win with these things. I've reduced 1/2 tablet of the Klonopin so now I only take 1 in the morning and 1/2 at night.
I'm probably playing with fire, doing this on my own, but if I called my doctor with every weird side effect .... I'd be on the phone with him every day. It seems to me it's a catch 22. I was so hopeful when I was finally diagnosed ..... now? not so much.
abby.

I wonder exactly the same thing. abby

Hi peach ..... when I started taking Lamictal, I also began having what they call "essential tremors" ..... my writing looked like I was 100, and I could not do anything that required careful and fine work. So, to counteract that, my doctor put me on propanalol which is working, but ...... what else is it doing long term? It feels like a game of russian roulette.
abby

I’m not sure that Lamectal is that dangerous as it is used for those people who have seizures and also used for stability for bipolar. It has been around for many years. I don’t believe I’ve seen any articles or papers that have said there is a danger to take this medication. Also I am on Klonopin and Wellbutrin. My doctor just said to drop the Wellbrutrin because he thinks it’s making me cycle. Have been on benzodiazepines most my life to treat anxiety. So far ok. They’ve been around years. Thank you for your post. I hope things go well your meds. Take care