I see a lot of people on here posting that they will or hope to one day come off their meds.
I had issues proving that I would stay on mine in order to get custody of my son which I did and I plan on staying on my meds even when I get well to avoid relaspe.
But that’s beside the point. My question is, is it possible to go off your meds and remain symptom free and not have a relaspse? I’ve never heard of this before and was just curious as to why someone would go off their meds. For example what are the benefits? Does this happen when your schizophrenia goes into remission or is it just a personal choice. I’m honestly just curious and hope my question comes out the right way.
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NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER GET OFF YOUR MEDS!!! In the hospital I was told by doctors and nurses that if someone ever leaves medication their symptoms will get worse and it will be harder for them to recover. STAY ON YOUR MEDS UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH.
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Some people like to try, but the reality is sz is lifelong. People need at least maintaince level meds. But people insist on trying because the side effects suck so bad.
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I’ve heard this too. I’ve also been told by many that people with schizophrenia are often not med compliant. I hate the side effects but my son motivates me to do what I have to do. I’m just curious as to why so many people with schizophrenia want to get off their meds when they’re doing well. I hope not to insult anyone by asking this.
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It happens to most of us, schizophrenics, that we don’t accept we have this illness. Thus we resist medication because we think we are sane and the world has a problem.
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Sadly, its not just SZ folk who have this problem.
Yeah, many other mental illnesses suffer from this delusion.
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No, no, I meant there are normal folk who think they are sane and the world has a problem.
I don’t want to start any debates but if they’re normal, then they must also be sane. I’m confused. 
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I am doing really well and am stable and symptom free pretty much and have gone down from 120mg latuda to 80 mg and now I want to go down to 60mg.
My thought is if I get symptoms the medication may work better if I’m on a lower dose and just increase the dose also I have been told medication is not so healthy but it does help and I am grateful for our medication.
I don’t plan on going off my medication entirely which I used to want to do but now i just want to lower the dose as I don’t think I need a high dose right now.
When I came off medication before it was to lose weight or just because I did not think it was helping and in Sweden I was on medication that made me worse.i was on medication that is illegal in other countries and I had voices for years and they went away when I went off my medication.
Years later I had delusions that went away on medication.
Good for you that you have custody of your son.
to you both.
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People forget that schizophrenia is a lifelong disease because they hear those sunshine stories about how 1/100.000 patients or something manage to go into remission.
It’s like with my lactose intolerance. Sometimes I have some cheese or a little bit of sour cream and everything’s fine. So I start thinking maybe I’m not as lactose intolerant as I think, and I have some dairy.
But guess what, the same thing happens every time: I get stuck having to be near a bathroom for the next 12 hours.
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Makes all the sense in the world. Thanks for your input.
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It’s part of a common sz dream to be doctor free. No need for doctor because we’ve been disappointed in the past. The dependence on meds is a hard pill for the proud to swallow. Once you’ve accepted your very real need for the meds, this is half the battle. It is smart to not waver from it.
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Not for me. Every time I’ve tried to go off meds my cheese has slid off my cracker. Also of note, the trade off with using the Amyloban 3399 is that when I tried to go off meds (with doctor’s approval) to see if the supplement itself was enough… I declined VERY quickly this time. Probably 5x faster than usual. I get by with fewer meds, but look out when you go off of them now.
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Thanks for your helpful input!
I’ve been coping with SZ for 25+ years now (26?) and every attempt to go off meds has ended badly. The last time I went cold turkey on my own behind my wife and doctor’s back, I made some bad financial decisions that took years to fix and nearly ended my marriage. I don’t screw with my meds without my wife’s okay now.
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Thanks for sharing. I went through a lot of on and off over the years because I was in denial and ignorant about the illness also the side effects. It wasn’t until I had my son and lost him that I realized something had to be done. Then I went on the medication I’m on now Invega Sustenna and finally I had some insight.
I almost feel like those who think that stopping their meds like that insight.
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There are a small portion of people who have recovered and then come off their meds. The truth is you might be recovering from the disorder apart from the meds… that is, beneath all the treatment, you are recovering. Theoretically if you had recovered enough, you could come off meds and stay stable.
However the problem with this is that your body is so used to the medications that withdrawal can be horrible. Also, there’s a good chance you haven’t recovered enough to be off of them. A good portion of schizophrenics will never recover enough to be off them.
Now that I’ve said the theoretical stuff I’ll tell you the experience based stuff… every single time I’ve tried to come off my AP, I’ve lost touch with reality in some way. I wouldn’t call it delusional thinking, but more of a general dissociation that scares the crap out of me. Once it landed me in the hospital. I wouldn’t recommend it unless your doctor is okay with it and you are monitored very closely and ready to go right back on them when the crap hits the fan, which it most likely will.
I know it’s easy to say stay on meds for life but some of these meds do things to you over time, like me and my akathisia. I pace nervously often because of my antipsychotic. When I’m off the antipsychotic, I can sit still, but again, I can’t risk relapse.
I might try to talk my doctor into it after I’ve moved and am in a low stress environment.
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If I had stayed on medication from the beginning, I’d be a different person right now. Back when I was first diagnosed, I could probably still work a decent job and live a meaningful life. Relapsing made me lower functioning and that really cuts down my prognosis. If I had kids, I’d teach them early about warning signs and proper treatment.
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