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Abilify

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Bipolar Disorder
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 12/24/2019 6:29 PM (GMT -7)
Hello after taking six years (for the docs ) to discover that I was not suffering from depression but that i was bipolar 11. I have been on Lamotrigine (350 mg ) for one year and it has helped me a lot.But ,I am still missing a little booster to make me feel good.I have tried prozac ,latuda,seroquel,risperidone and five days ago I was switched to Abily. All of these meds had terrible side effects and i took some for two weeks and some others fo two months. The prozac sent me into a depression and kept me there until I put it in the garbage.The abilify gives me a headache (feel queasy )and it makes feel so restless that I cannot stop moving around . This will last about 7 to 8 hours. I am on 1 mg of abilify for two weeks and then up to 2 mg.Here in Canada,the Abilify comes in a 2 mg pill.It is very small and to get the 1 mg you cut it in half.so,i am going to cut that half in half and try taking one quarter mg per day. If the side effects are tolerable i will move u to 1 mg in 3-4 weeks.After going though 17 anti - depressants in 6 years (which were only making me worse ) and now these antiphycotiques you can understand that I am getting feed up with this S. . . T Any one have suggestions ???
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 12/25/2019 5:47 AM (GMT -7)
I take 20mg of Abilify a day. It works well for me. I hope it works well for you too.

Hang in there...

Merry Christmas...

Hugs, Karen...
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Tim Tam
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2016
Posts : 1797
Posted 12/25/2019 11:52 AM (GMT -7)
drugs.com says ambilify is an antipsychotic which treats schizophrenia and bipolar.

As a bipolar, diagnosed and treated of course for 15 years as a depressive, I was given a now phased out anti-psychotic, Stelizine (sp?), and it made me want to move all the time. I would walk to the park, I would walk around the apartment, when I sat down to eat I would tap my foot so that I could be moving.

They've improved anti-psychotics since then, but then you say,

"five days ago I was switched to Abily" and "The abilify gives me a headache (feel queasy )and it makes feel so restless that I cannot stop moving around . This will last about 7 to 8 hours. I am on 1 mg of abilify for two weeks and then up to 2 mg."

drugs.com says the side effects of Abilify can include:

"severe agitation, distress, or restless feeling;
twitching or uncontrollable movements of your eyes, lips, tongue, face, arms, or legs;
mask-like appearance of the face, trouble swallowing, problems with speech;
anxiety, feeling restless; sleep problems (insomnia)."

I can understand why you are fed up. It is a very distressing feeling.

For bipolar, I am on Mirtazapine antidepressant (7.5 mg a day) and Llithium (600 mg. a day) which treats the mania and is also a stabilizer which keeps the Mirtazapine from making me go manic.
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Sometimes i am me (HT)...
Elite Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 22120
Posted 12/25/2019 7:31 PM (GMT -7)
Good med in combo. Have used it prior. Keep strong. Shown great efficacy in evidence based research. HT.
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MainerMikeBrown
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 690
Posted 12/27/2019 1:04 PM (GMT -7)
Perfect Time, I'm sure you're frustrated that it took the doctors six years to realize that you have bipolar disorder.

However, bipolar disorder can be very difficult for psychiatrists to accurately diagnose. It took a long time for my doctors to accurately diagnose me with manic depression, as they originally thought I had depression, not bipolar disorder.
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 12/27/2019 6:21 PM (GMT -7)
Hello MarinerMikebrown.I agree with you that Bipolar is hard to diagnose but 17 antidepressants in 6 years ??? I was able to diagnose myself when I went on the Mayo Clinic Website and did their mental health tests.In six years I met with 2 GP s and one psychiatrist and they just changed my anti D s prescription.There are some excellent doctors out there and then there are the other ones.!!! It could take me 3 to 5 years to hit the right combo of meds to stablelize my bipolar so yes I am frustrated (all these years of wasted time ) but I know that there are people out that have had it worse than me .It feels good to rant once in a while,Right now the side effects of the one quarter of 2 Mgs Abilify are not so bad so I will take all the time needed before going up to one mg.Thanks to all you people who gave me some feedback.
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 12/28/2019 12:02 PM (GMT -7)
I hope that the ablifiy works as well for you as it did for me. I started with 5mg. I now take 20mg.

Taking it slow is smart. Though I didn't have side effects with abilify. I guess I was lucky or something. What kind of side effects do you have? You said that they weren't so bad.

Best wishes...

Hope you have a happy New Year!

Hugs, Karen...
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 12/28/2019 4:03 PM (GMT -7)
My side effects are (with one mg ) ,nausea,headache,restless and I feel like want to crawl out of my skin.This will last 7 to 8 hours.Now I am taking one half of one mg (.05 ) and the side effects are much less intense and last for about two hours plus,today no headache !!!! I will take my time and try to get up to where my G.P.wants (2 mg ).I am very sensative to all medications so, slowly it will be .I would really like for Abilify to be good for me and not have to change meds. again.
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 12/29/2019 4:26 AM (GMT -7)
I hope it works out. I am sorry you have side effects... It must be so frustrating to have to continue trying new meds to find what works for you. I tried many before I found what works but that was years ago. I been on the same medications for a long time. Except for the Lexapro, that is fairly new to me. I had a little weight gain but that was it.

Keep us posted on how you are doing. I hope it works out. Slow and steady...

One day at a time.

Hugs, Karen...
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 12/29/2019 12:24 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks to all of you that gave me some feedback and Happy New Years to you and to all who are an this forum!!!!!!!
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MainerMikeBrown
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 690
Posted 12/31/2019 4:44 PM (GMT -7)
An accurate diagnosis matters. Anyone who doesn't think it matters is wrong.
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Sometimes i am me (HT)...
Elite Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 22120
Posted 12/31/2019 9:16 PM (GMT -7)
Good yr to all. Yup accueate dx a must. They...shrinks are getting better at it. A gois shrink is better than coin in rhe bank. HT
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MainerMikeBrown
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 690
Posted 1/1/2020 3:26 PM (GMT -7)
I'm sure shrinks are getting better at diagnosing, in general. I think some of them are better at it than others.
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 1/2/2020 1:54 PM (GMT -7)
I think we get that with everything. Better shrinks than others. Better cooks than others. When I posted on fibromyalgia forum before, someone said that 10% of doctors graduate in the lower portion of the class. Let's hope yours isn't one. So I think that there will always be good and bad doctors and therapists, psychiatrists too. I am lucky, I have a good one. And he is no longer taking new patients. So I am lucky I have him. I have a good therapist too. I am so fortunate.

Perfect Time, how is it going with the abilify?

Have a good day all.

Hugs, Karen...
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MainerMikeBrown
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 690
Posted 1/2/2020 4:21 PM (GMT -7)
I think it's great that you're getting treatment from a shrink that you believe is a good one, Karen.
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 1/3/2020 4:24 AM (GMT -7)
Thank you Mike. Mine is retiring though. Wont be long and I will have to find new. I imagine a couple years.

Hope you all have a good day today.

Hugs, Karen...
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 1/3/2020 11:56 AM (GMT -7)
Hello Karen.I am still on one half of 1mg of abilify.No more side effects.I will go up to one mg in 6 days.Going very slow with this one.
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getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 1/3/2020 2:06 PM (GMT -7)
That is awesome Perfect Time that you have no side effects. I hope it continues. Good luck with the increase in six days. I hope that the transition goes smoothly.

Hugs, Karen...
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 1/16/2020 7:58 AM (GMT -7)
I am now up to 1 mg of Abilify per day with no side effects.Wiil be going up to 2 mg s in 10 days.Cannot believe that had to start on one quarter of one mg s for my body to ad just to this med!!!!!!!
profile picture
getting by
Forum Moderator
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44942
Posted 1/16/2020 9:13 AM (GMT -7)
I am glad it is working for you to get on it. Some of us are so sensitive to these types of medications. I had a lot of problems with ssri's.

Hugs, Karen...
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mogli
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2006
Posts : 1195
Posted 1/22/2020 1:23 PM (GMT -7)
Hi PT,

I hope you are feeling well today <hugs>

Just a couple things to point out - antidepressants are not for BP - the induce mania and hypomania so as bipolars we shouldn't be on anything with antidepressant properties at all. Also can cause depression as you experienced with the Prozac.

As for the Abilify restlessness is one of the main side effects. I had to stop it due to this and a lot of antipsychotics come with the same nasty side effects. I hope as you go up slowly it goes away. There is a "cousin" medication to Ability they came out with (I worked in psychiatry for almost 10 years and remember when it came out about 2.5 years ago..I can't remember what it's called at the moment!!) But the idea behind it was it has less side effects.

Medicating is so tough. I am on Lamotrigine as well and I find it is one of the few that at least for me doesn't give me side effects.

Hang in there,
Mogli
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Sometimes i am me (HT)...
Elite Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 22120
Posted 1/22/2020 10:26 PM (GMT -7)
Hi mogli. It is your opinion but many people use anti deps with a mood stabiliser for bi polar...infact it is almost a given.

Remember lamotrigine is not a stand alone. It is a great foundation medication that actually works better with an anti dep also it's efficacy is mainly in controlling mamia correcting the chemical mood balance, whereas an anti dep will work specifically the depression. Yes lamo does have anti dep element but in combo with an anti dep it's overall efficacy is better maintained. It maybe your experiemce of your symptomolgy using an anti dep (stand alone) if this is the case i fully agree but if in combo the the experts would disagree. Bi polar....Depression....mania.

My research i gleam from two professors. One a clinical psychiatry professor and the world expert on bi polar disorders prof michael berk. I use lamotrigine and started it many yrs ago whilst being trialled for bi polar. It is showing great efficacy as a mood stabiliser in Australia and consumer sentiment concurs it's increased benefits with an anti depressant. I preface we all different in the bi polar world. HT.
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PERFECT TIME
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2013
Posts : 117
Posted 1/23/2020 4:49 PM (GMT -7)
I agree with Mogli.Anti d,s are not good for bipolor II.I tried prozac and it just made things worse.As stated above I am on lamotrigine 300 mg and 1 mg of Abilify.Will be going up to 2 mg next week.Taking it very slowly.!!!!!!!!!!
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