My Psychiatric Medications And The Game Plan

I was taking a MEGA REGIMEN of psychiatric medication for about ten years. If you've been following my content... You'd know I've come down SIGNIFICANTLY. 

People who aren't on any medication - they'd still make the argument I'm on a lot. But I'm no longer "THE ENTIRE PHARMACY." Thank God!

The medications I currently take is as follows:

Invega - 6 mg at night once a day (antipsychotic)

Latuda - 20 mg at night once a day (antipsychotic)

Cabergoline - 2 mg weekly (for high prolactin)

Levothyroxine (thyroid) - 75 mg (for thyroid adverse effects)

Ondansetron - 4mg at night (for nausea)

I want to come off my meds entirely. But my psychopharmacologist thinks I'd relapse and probably wind up in the hospital and in a much worse place than I am now.

However, I've made a lot of progress in CBT psychotherapy as well. Now I have a life. I have some independence, friends, and socialization. So maybe I wouldn't be as sick off meds and need to comfort myself with daydreams? 

At last night's PSYCHOFARMOCHOLOGY appointment, we decided I'd slowly come off the Invega and replace it with Vraylar (a more modern antipsychotic).

The reason we've wanted to eliminate Invega for a LONG TIME NOW is Invega raises prolactin. That causes many adverse side effects. My doctor wrote a letter of medical necessity to take an overdose of Cabergoline. It helps. But I've been taking it for a decade now. I'm afraid: WHAT'S THE LONG-TERM DAMAGE? Cancer? Lung damage? Heart damage?

So we WERE going to decrease the Invega to 4.5 mg - then slowly come off of it, while reducing Cabergoline too - which I'd eliminate as well... while replacing it with Vraylar 3 mg.

Apparently, Vraylar is a more modern, cleaner medication. 

I've decided, for the moment, I'm NOT going to make any changes to my current regimen of medication until after the holidays. I know DO IT. Long-term it'll be better. I've been hesitant to change for years now.

The only change I'm going to make is coming off the Levothyroxine (thyroid) - 75 mg (for thyroid adverse effects). I believe that was prescribed for the Lithium - which I no longer take. At this point, I'm not even sure why I'm taking it.

Maybe I'll try to come off the Ondansetron too? The Latuda was making me vomit every time I took it. So they needed to prescribe something so I wouldn't vomit my medications. 

I still have the packets, the Vraylar starter kit. I won't discard it. I'll keep it. I plan to make the change soon. Until after the holidays, I'm going to remain on the current meds.