I have been quite sick since coming off Sequel. Coming off a medication of any kind can be a trying experience. )Always do it with the help of a professional.) I started Seroquel when my paranoia was getting in the way of a new part time job.
Oh how I wish I could tolerate more psych meds. I had a good experience with Sequel for two weeks and then the side effects took over. Not everyone has this experience. A former psychiatrist of mine called me Julie, the Side Effect Queen.
Please know that what you read online about meds is only information for you to digest and then apply to your own life. Bipolar as an illness is the same for all of us all over the world.
We CAN make generalizations about bipolar symptoms. It’s completely different with the meds used to treat bipolar.
Bipolar meds are an individual experience. It’s not collective. It’s not what happens to someone else will happen to you.
It’s up to you to test psych meds in your body and find out what works for you. This is one reason I get so very, very upset with organizations that are anti medications. If medications were the same for each person, I could see how one organization could take a particular stance. But meds are not the same for everyone.
Most people tell stories online when something goes wrong. This creates a very biased look at the situation. People who can take psych meds- those who have a plan that works- are getting on with life. They are not on the chat boards or asking for help. So, the info is skewed.
When my clients use my plan and it works, they get on with life. Their children go back to school and have a job and a family. They are not in trouble with the police or looking up conspiracy theories online instead of taking care of their housework. They are well and they don’t write about it.
Why I Take Bipolar Medications
I have a medication I use that keeps me out of 24 hour suicidal depression. It is not a med that works for everyone. I know people who have been on lithium for 30 years with no side effects or kidney problems. You don’t hear about them as they are doing well and don’t feel the need to write about all that is happening in life as they are too busy leading their life.
Try psych meds. That is my message. Try them in a low dose and go from there. They are part of a management plan. They go with what I write about in my books. They are NOT the first line of treatment for bipolar. Symptom management through learning about your triggers and making lifestyle changes is what comes first.
Then, you use meds for what is left that you can’t take care of on your own.
My paranoia was making it impossible for me to sleep. So I tried Serqouel. It worked very well. I am not paranoid now. Yes, I then had a lot of side effects, but this doesn’t mean the medication is bad. It means I can’t tolerate it.
When you read stories online always remember that it’s easier to write about the bad than the good. When things are good, we are not spending all day online.
I now know that I can’t tolerate daily use of Seroquel, but I can take it as needed if the paranoia is raging. I also use lithium orotate as needed for mania.
Julie
