Q: Stops Meds After Home From Hospital
Dear Ms. W' -- Unfortunately, there are no "mood stabilizers" -- the standard medications for bipolar disorder -- available in this way, nor any on the horizon that I've heard of. One can give Zyprexa (olanzapine) as an injection but it only lasts a day or so that way. What you need is a medication mandate prior to leaving the hospital, however that is arranged; and then some consequence for refusing medication (in the hospital, we generally use the prospect of an involuntary medication injection). There is an oral form of Zyprexa that dissolves within seconds on the tongue, which is now used to make sure a person can't "cheek" it and spit it out minutes later; sometimes that helps in this circumstance. It's a terrible but unfortunately common dilemma. Dr. Phelps |