Which medications you were taking for bipolar disorder?
Can you quite the tanning instead of meds?

My BD has been managed successfully for 5 years now with a light anti-depressant/sleep aid. I take 50-75 mg of doxepin at bedtime to regulate my sleeping. That is where my BD shows up the worst-in sleeping and spending. If my sleep cycles get too far off, I start rapid cycling. My last bad episode was in Dec. 2002 when I didn't sleep more than 3 hours for 17 days straight and had to be hospitalized. I was on other meds up until April 2007, when the doctor took me off everything but the sleep aid. I have managed fine for a year now with no major problems. I keep a sleep journal and my husband and best friend monitor my checking account to watch my spending. I have been absolutely fine, and have had no adverse side effects from the tanning (which I stopped the moment the lady told me it would make my meds ineffective). As a matter of fact, my husband even said that our lives had never been so stable/peaceful/serene since I began working at the tanning salon. Things were absolutely great until this random woman made me worry.
I just want to know if this is an old wive's tale, or if there is any medical information out there to substantiate this rumor. I have used every search engine I can find and can find nothing that ties tanning or tanning beds to BD. Has anyone else heard of anything like this?
Thanks for your time.

After researching this question and asking my husband, a pharmacist, I have found no evidence that suggests sun exposure or tanning will render these medications ineffective. There can be photosensitivity associated with some of the older generation tricyclic antidepressants and antipsychotics. Some patients report feeling overheated and itchy when exposed to higher temperatures and sun light when taking antipsychotics. These are side effects of the medications. These are not indications of the medication becoming ineffective. So, the short answer is no, tanning will not render your medication ineffective.

I've never heard of that, so I wouldn't believe it given what antigone said and the lack of support I can find.

However, how are you doing without the medication? Perhaps you should check in with your prescribing doc if you're doing well without them...

I have never been off the medication. I never stopped taking it. The woman said that if I was tanning, that it was the same as me going off my medication. I have never, ever stopped taking the medicine and have no intentions of going off. Life is much better with the meds. I just didn't know if the tanning would make it ineffective. There have been no side effects while tanning. Since there in no medical research to back up that woman's claims, I will continue on as usual without worry.
Thanks so much, Antigone, for the research and everyone else for your time and concern!

Oh I see.

Tan away!!

(holding back the lecture about skin cancer...)