What happens when you mix illegal drugs with drugs like Lithium and antipsychotic drugs like SeroquelXR or with Haloperidol?

The inventors of LSD (one of the U.S.'s famous agencies) attributed the psychosis and suicide of their most notable test subject to LSD. Exstacy messes with serotonin and has been shown to cause permanent brain damage after one-time use (MDMA is a neurotoxin that happens to have some groovy effects, much like Botox). Weed can cause mood lability/swings--even with light use and is a dangerous depressant. Coke is a stronger stimulant than Sudafed or caffeine and can trigger full-blown mania that can remain after it has left your system--sometimes permanently. Meth is even worse than coke. Alchohol interacts dangerously with most psych meds and is a powerful depressant.

Hospital psychiatric units routinely screen for street drugs upon admission, to determine if a patient's symptoms are drug-induced, so that the appropriate treatment can be prescribed. Studies have shown that brain real-time images of one-time users of coke show excitability in addiction centers of the brain, after simply hearing mention of cocaine during the study--pretty scary permanent brain change. Recently published medical research has shown that chronic use of marijuana (the most socially accepted street drug) very often causes schizophrenia and dementia--even after it has cleared your system.

Sadly, even brains that are NOT already chemically challenged can sustain irreversible damage. Being bipolar means that brain chemistry is most likely abnormal, so the brain is already at a disadvantage and more vulnerable. That damage can make Bipolar Type 2 evolve into Type 1, with psychotic features. . . permanently.

The meds you mentioned are heavy hitters. Many substances, even nicotine and water affect Lithium levels--some to the point of toxicity.

The urge to self medicate with recreational drugs or alcohol is usually a sign that your current treatment may need to be adjusted.  If you are already on antipsychotics, you should stay away from things that are known to induce psychosis. Don't risk going through drug-induced psychosis. It is not worth it, especially since the risk for permanent damage is so high. If you think managing Bipolar Disorder is hard now, you definitely don't want to manage it when recreational mood drugs make it worse. 

Please don't become another patient that doctors shake their heads about. Unfortunately, you really won't get the same level of care as someone who lives clean, because, well. . . when they think you did the extra damage to yourself, they judge--it's reality. :o(

I learned all of this after seeing mood changes and permanent personality changes in loved ones.