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Sorry to have upset you dear one. I don't think all meds become inaffective over time, but some do and the primary one i personally know about is the Effexor which has been my savior med for many reasons. Mood stabalizers are different and I don't think they have the same issues like this issue with the anti-ds.

I don't think your pdoc is trying to pacify you at all. I'm not a doc so i haven't had formal training on any of this...only what books and information i've been interested in enough to read for my own wantings.

I'm VERY curious about him saying that if you stay on the meds for 5 years then things will be better....so i'm going to have to look into that.

The bad news is that bipolar disorder is not curable, it is only treatable. I've found that the easiest way for me to think about it is in similar terms as cancer. When a person is diagnosed with cancer then the fight to eradicate it begins. Intinsive treatment can often take away all immediate dangers of the disease, and maintaining meds can help keep possiblity of re-growth, but...it can always return and when and if is always a guessing game.

In that same fashion, once diagnosed bipolar....the intensive treatment begins. Once out of the woods and a proper mix of meds brings stabalization, then it's kind of like being able to say "I'm cancer free" except the words would be...."I'm free of major mood episodes". The cancer patients become cancer survivors and the bipolar patients become major episode survivors. That's how i can best put it into words.

But the unfortunate truth is that the cancer survivor must constantly be on the look out so to catch any re-growth of cancer in the future. So too, must we be diligent (even after initial med stabalization) about being on the look out for future major episodes.

That's what i am dealing with I am in bipolar survival mode once again....where it's a daily battle until i get a proper med change or my higher power steps in or something. It's just my lot in life. Maybe this will be the last major battle of major mood disruption. i pray.

Try not to take any of what i say too heavily. And keep remembering that i'm not a doctor and all that i write is just my opinion or what i remember from memory that i've read and compiiled together in my brain's (sometimes defective) storage bank.

hugs hippy...i'm sorry you feel so worked up now. i wish i was more awake and alert to have better thoughts to give, but i'm typing very slowly now....hence my bedtime bell is ringing.

love,
jenna