Re: Weaning Ourselves Off Of Our Medicines

January 27, 2002

Although I must say for the sake of disclaimers that it is not wise to stop

taking meds without a doctors orders.

BUT, I would be much happier a person to be off of all of these brain

meddling pills and back to my previous being. That is why everyone on this

list is always trying to cut down on the meds I think. We always have a

handful of pills. To be honest with you, half of the time I look in my

hand, and I couldn't tell you if I am taking the right ones at the right time

or not! There is just so many...Some with food, some without food, etc.

It's a big mess!

What I would not give to wake up in the morning, jump out of bed and into the

shower, get ready for the day, and play with my little girl. Pain and drug

free. That is the ultimate goal!

Missy

January 27, 2002

I stopped taking my bipolar meds .. because I did

better without them.. I'm out of the phase I was

in for over 1 1/2 yrs.. and I can handle life

again.. it may last a month.. it may last a

year.. also I moved to eastern NC .. and I

wouldn't trust most psychs around here to try and

treat me.. because I'm bipolar I .. when I am

having problems.. its always rapid cycling..

etc.. so .. if I can do without them.. I'm better

off for now.. and the only fibro med I was on..

was ineffective.. and I'm actually not hurting

enough for meds right now.. that changes.. a

lot.. and so I suffer.. because I can't afford

to be officially dxed...

Serena

--- Stuck Chuck stucklikechuck000@...>

wrote:

>

> I have a question... Why are some of you (us)

> trying to stop taking your medicines? Are you

> having liver problems

> or something else which is making it hard on

> your bodies to take your medicines? Is it a

> matter of the money?

>

> I don't understand... On top of having Fibro, I

> have Bipolar, and arthritis & asthma &

> bronchitis, & IBS, etc, etc,e tc,

>

> I can't even GET the medicines I need. I Used

> to get them, I used to be married & had

> insurance,

> But since I've been divorced, I only get

> medicines IF I can afford them. I was recently

> told that

> I Will get SSI, but, I was Also told that I

> will only have 3 medicines paid for per month.

> My Bipolar & Mental health

> medicines are FIVE, alone. Four of them I get

> from the local Mental health Place, but,

> naturally,

> They want me to start using my 3 *free* meds

> with them ASAP. And, why not? My medicines are

>

> costing them literaly Hundreds of dollars per

> month! Yet, that leaves my breathing meds, and

> my muscle spasm meds...

>

> At one poit I had been put on So Many medicines

> I Did have to cut back, because Doctors decided

> I *took too many* medicines.

> Yet, each & every One addressed a seperate

> issue.

>

> I went tthrough YEARS & YEARS of trying herbal

> medicines & teas. They were not as effective as

> prescriptions. And, in the long run, are nerely

> as expensive.

>

> I have *been forced* due to running out of

> meds, and having no money, to do without. I

> don't like it.

> I haven't had my hormones in almost a full yr

> now, because I had to pick between muscle

> spasms, breathing, axiety, or hormones....

> And, I KNOW if I had my hormones it would

> *help* the other stuff, too.

>

> So, Why are some of us weaning ourselves from

> our meds? Are you doing this under doctors

> care? Alone? Under whose advice?

> Wondering....

>

> " There are only two ways to live your life. One

> is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is

> as though

> everything is a miracle. " ~Albert Einstein~

>

> I'm not Chuck. I'm not even a man. I'm just

> stuck in this body. 8^0

>

> ---------------------------------

>

January 27, 2002

Yes, I agree

Mar

> Although I must say for the sake of disclaimers that it is not wise to stop

> taking meds without a doctors orders.

>

> BUT, I would be much happier a person to be off of all of these brain

> meddling pills and back to my previous being. That is why everyone on this

> list is always trying to cut down on the meds I think. We always have a

> handful of pills. To be honest with you, half of the time I look in my

> hand, and I couldn't tell you if I am taking the right ones at the right time

> or not! There is just so many...Some with food, some without food, etc.

> It's a big mess!

>

> What I would not give to wake up in the morning, jump out of bed and into the

> shower, get ready for the day, and play with my little girl. Pain and drug

> free. That is the ultimate goal!

>

> Missy

>

January 28, 2002

I'm starting to feel like I'm the only person on the list who actually is

thankful for their meds ;-) I tried for so many years to get the meds that

I've finally got now, that unless I'm absolutely forced by some dire

medical problem to stop them, I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea of

taking them for the rest of my life! In fact, once they get my methadone

dosage titrated completely, I'm going to check and see if my insurance will

pay for a pump implant, so that will be 3 pills (and maybe more - I

understand that there are pumps out now that will handle more than one med)

that I don't have to swallow every day. Some of my medications have side

effects, and some of the side effects cause me to have to take other

medications (pain meds make me constipated and I have to take colace for

that, and elavil dries me out completely and I have to use eye drops and

nosedrops and vaseline, etc to moisterize my body, serzone makes me

nauseous and I have to take phenergen), but even with those side effects, I

wouldn't give up my meds for anything in the world!! I'm enjoying being

able to get out of bed and move around too much! I can drive again for the

first time in several years! I can cook dinner for my husband, instead of

his having to wait on me hand and foot! In other words, because of all of

my meds, I'm a useful person again ! And I don't consider myself an

addict, any more than a diabetic considers himself an addict. Diabetics

have to take insulin to live, and I have to take my medications in order to

live a productive life, so I don't see a bit of difference, and frankly, I

don't care what " other people " think about my taking the medications that I

do! Let them have my pain for one day and I'll guarantee that they would

be begging for medication too! If you want to go off of your meds because

they're not doing any good, why not talk to your doctor and go off of them

under his supervision and keep trying meds until something works? There

are several different major pain killers, and a whole bunch of " minor " pain

killers that can be tried, not to mention muscle relaxors, etc. and it may

be the last of the whole bunch that works on you, but when you find

something that does, it can change your life! So, I guess I'm like " Chuck "

;-) I don't understand why people want to go off of their meds if those

meds are doing what they're supposed to do??

-

January 28, 2002

bluskies@... wrote:

>

> I'm starting to feel like I'm the only person on the list who actually is

> thankful for their meds ;-)

Nope, I'm thankful for my medicines too! I would be so miserable

without them, that it doesn't bother me to take them! I ran out of my

allergy medicine a week ago, and because of a mix-up, thought I had more

medicine coming in the mail. After 5 days without allergy medicine, I

was so miserable I was in tears. Fortunately, the pharmacist could tell

I needed some help and was willing to give me two pills until she could

get an actual prescription from my doctor. Hey, if my body suddenly

completely healed and I didn't need them any more, I'd love it, but

until then, you can have my medicines when you pry them from clutching

fingers!

Darcy

January 28, 2002

LOL!! I feel exactly the same way!! In fact, my pain clinic physician's

assistent said something the other day that got my attention. He said that

if I suddenly was hit in the head with a " miracle cure " and didn't need

pain medication anymore, that he would still prescribe it for several

weeks, weaning me down VERY slowly and under control. He made it VERY

clear that trying to wean off on my own could not only be dangerous, it

could be deadly. Convinced me that I don't need to go off trying to do

stuff on my own! I'm glad that your meds are working so well for you!!!

I just wish that everyone could get the same good results that we have

gotten...

-

At 08:07 AM 1/28/02 -0500, you wrote:

Hey, if my body suddenly

>completely healed and I didn't need them any more, I'd love it, but

>until then, you can have my medicines when you pry them from clutching

>fingers!

>Darcy

January 28, 2002

What I would not give to wake up in the morning, jump out of bed and into the

shower, get ready for the day, and play with my little girl. Pain and drug

free. That is the ultimate goal!

Well, I don't have a little girl but I too would like to jump out of bed and

not have to take a handful of pills just to start the day. And know that

there are more at lunch, early afternoon and night.

Sometimes it seems that I have forgotten that wonderful feeling of getting up

full of vim, vigor and vitality with a whole day ahead of me to do as I like.

Now it is having a hard time getting out of bed and know that pain is just

about all that you have to look forward to having.

I do have two granddaughters that I have not been able to do things with

because of pain or noise. They live next door and it would be great to do

more of the things that I used to do with them. They are 15 now and when we

went shopping for their mother's gift, we ate lunch out. That is the first

time in months.

We are going to London this summer. I promised them a few years ago and I

don't break my promises to them if I am able to move. Terri, my daughter is

going too so we should have a good time. I ask my doctor today if he would

give me a sleeping pill that would help me to sleep on the plane going over

as it is nighttime. I need to feel half way decent when we arrive there the

next morning.

Take care,

Irene

Books may well be the only true magic

Alice Hoffman.

January 28, 2002

What I would not give to wake up in the morning, jump out of bed and into the

shower, get ready for the day, and play with my little girl. Pain and drug

free. That is the ultimate goal!

Well, I don't have a little girl but I too would like to jump out of bed and

not have to take a handful of pills just to start the day. And know that

there are more at lunch, early afternoon and night.

Sometimes it seems that I have forgotten that wonderful feeling of getting up

full of vim, vigor and vitality with a whole day ahead of me to do as I like.

Now it is having a hard time getting out of bed and know that pain is just

about all that you have to look forward to having.

I do have two granddaughters that I have not been able to do things with

because of pain or noise. They live next door and it would be great to do

more of the things that I used to do with them. They are 15 now and when we

went shopping for their mother's gift, we ate lunch out. That is the first

time in months.

We are going to London this summer. I promised them a few years ago and I

don't break my promises to them if I am able to move. Terri, my daughter is

going too so we should have a good time. I ask my doctor today if he would

give me a sleeping pill that would help me to sleep on the plane going over

as it is nighttime. I need to feel half way decent when we arrive there the

next morning.

Take care,

Irene

Books may well be the only true magic

Alice Hoffman.

January 28, 2002

Why get irritable on people who want to get rid of their medicines? I dont think

anything about you or Not-Chuck-just-stuck-in-my-body. Because the fact is that

people are different, they live different lifes and they have different choices

We all have different goals. I am a person who love nature and want to learn all

about herbs. I have experienced miracles with some herbs. And I have too

experienced miracles with healing.

But I dont judge ordinary medicines. I believe that we need both sides. Im not

so good in english so I dont know what you call it.

Hugs to you both, and Not-Chuck

> I'm starting to feel like I'm the only person on the list who actually is

> thankful for their meds ;-) I tried for so many years to get the meds that

> I've finally got now, that unless I'm absolutely forced by some dire

> medical problem to stop them, I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea of

> taking them for the rest of my life! In fact, once they get my methadone

> dosage titrated completely, I'm going to check and see if my insurance will

> pay for a pump implant, so that will be 3 pills (and maybe more - I

> understand that there are pumps out now that will handle more than one med)

> that I don't have to swallow every day. Some of my medications have side

> effects, and some of the side effects cause me to have to take other

> medications (pain meds make me constipated and I have to take colace for

> that, and elavil dries me out completely and I have to use eye drops and

> nosedrops and vaseline, etc to moisterize my body, serzone makes me

> nauseous and I have to take phenergen), but even with those side effects, I

> wouldn't give up my meds for anything in the world!! I'm enjoying being

> able to get out of bed and move around too much! I can drive again for the

> first time in several years! I can cook dinner for my husband, instead of

> his having to wait on me hand and foot! In other words, because of all of

> my meds, I'm a useful person again ! And I don't consider myself an

> addict, any more than a diabetic considers himself an addict. Diabetics

> have to take insulin to live, and I have to take my medications in order to

> live a productive life, so I don't see a bit of difference, and frankly, I

> don't care what " other people " think about my taking the medications that I

> do! Let them have my pain for one day and I'll guarantee that they would

> be begging for medication too! If you want to go off of your meds because

> they're not doing any good, why not talk to your doctor and go off of them

> under his supervision and keep trying meds until something works? There

> are several different major pain killers, and a whole bunch of " minor " pain

> killers that can be tried, not to mention muscle relaxors, etc. and it may

> be the last of the whole bunch that works on you, but when you find

> something that does, it can change your life! So, I guess I'm like " Chuck "

> ;-) I don't understand why people want to go off of their meds if those

> meds are doing what they're supposed to do??

>

> -

January 28, 2002