HELP lithium testing!

[T1gersxjaw]

Hi everyone.
Alright, so basically, I am on a number of antidepressants/mood stabilizers.
Lithium, Latuda, Effexor, Klonopin, and Trazadone.
I am 18 years old, and I am a writer/musician and I realized that these drugs KILL all of my creative drive. So in this past month, I have made the decision to go off all the drugs (aside from klonopin, since it helps with my anxiety. and i enjoy it)
well, I am diagnosed bipolar 2, although after being off these meds for around a month I think I am bipolar 1 (I have experienced what I would call mania, although it could be hypomania, I'm not entirely sure) and I do experience mood swings and get very very depressed, and feel miserable. But I can write.
and my sex drive.
I am 18 years old and just got a new girlfriend, and my sex drive was a big factor in the loss of my last girlfriend. I had none. It is horrible, and not normal for an 18 year old boy to not want to do anything sexual, and very embarrassing.
Anyways, I am visiting my psych on Tuesday and they want to get my lithium levels tested.
Obviously this poses a problem, because after a month without it there should be none in my body.
I don't want to tell my parents I am off meds, as I think they will worry and think I will be suicidal again and get back into drugs (they think I've stopped) and that sort of thing.
Does anyone know how long i'd have to take the lithium for it to show up in the levels testing? If i start taking it tomorrow morning and the test isn't for a couple of days would I have a chance? Or should I give up and come clean to my parents.
It's a dilemma.

Opinions?
Please help

 

[T. Calderone]

I wouldn't advise trying to take the lithium now after not using it for a month, that wouldn't work. You really should be honest with your parents and the doctor. Tell him about your symptoms since you discontinued them. There might be other meds he could have you try.

 

[cuivre]

I can only second what T. Calderone said. Making non-doctor-sanctioned decisions about your medication is pretty classic bipolar behavior; I know firsthand. There are other drugs besides what you were on that have far fewer side effects and can be very effective. It took me a while to find one that worked but once I did, the difference in both my mood and the fallout from being on daily psych meds were night and day. Lots of people here are creative types and I felt no negative impact on my ability to do the things I loved once I found something that agreed with my body chemistry. It happened to be lamotrigine for me but this doesn't mean much for you.

No good can come from lying to your doctor and parents and there's nothing much that can be done now anyway. If you haven't been taking it your doctor will know once he does the test so you might as well be up front about it. It honestly doesn't seem like that much of a dilemma at all... just something you'd rather not do because you're probably feeling bad about it.

 

[Rachella666]

Honesty is the best policy here, lithium is meant to be taking at night and the blood test early in the morning, it takes a while to get to the theraputic level, i agree with the above posters. let us know how youbget on xxx

 

[SixBuckets]

I agree with the others.

Just an added note, though - it's not a happy thought to acknowledge, but it's totally normal to experience a reduction in your creativity at around this age. Teenagers are powerhouses of creativity and emotion and that fades a little for almost everyone when you become an adult. All you can do is try to keep using that part of your brain as much as possible (write, write, write!) and try to replace the raw creativity of youth with experience, good habits and knowledge.

(one writer to another)

 

[T1gersxjaw]

Thanks everyone. Went with the honesty. Currently went off almost everything - now am on just klonopin, added gabapentin, and lunesta. Doing alright.