Aripriprazole/abilify

[Maggiemay]

Anyone tried these? Did they help? I'm worried as it's been packaged as something to solve all my issues - don't believe it! It looks like from what I've read that it'll stop the mania but psych packaged it as a mood stabiliser, anti depressant, anti anxiety etc etc.... Let's see...

 

[bell]

I'm on a very very small dose of Abilify (2mg), but it has helped me more than anything has ever done. It helped my brain from going over well-worn tracks of anxiety/rumination in just a few days. For me, it's been amazing.

 

[Maggiemay]

Some hope then. For me quetiapine and mitazipine have been wonder drugs for me and I'm worried about giving them up and all my old symptoms returning :( I'm starting on 5mg then increasing up to 20... Seeing GP in 2 weeks and he's said any issues just ring him, and am seeing psych in 10 weeks - hopefully by then things will be ok. Zopiclone last night = I at least got some sleep...

 

[Joanne47]

It was my understanding that aripiprazole is an anti-psychotic that also works as an anti-depressant. I took it for a couple of months when I was dealing with some severe stress. I felt better on it than I have on anything else and didn't notice any side effects, which is unheard of for me. Unfortunately, even with insurance it was so expensive I couldn't afford to take it long term and had to stop.

 

[Maggiemay]

Yep, it's an atypical psychotic so hoping I'll tolerate it as I did quetiapine at lower doses. I'm hoping it has some anti-depressant quality to it as although I'm being moved over to it to stop a manic episode, I lean more towards depression and when I'm depressed I become very suicidal and self harm so don't want to go back there... It's just so scary for me having to change from meds I know work to new one I've never had before.

But as my GP said, we've got to do something - I can't go on as I am. Although I did tell him I'd rather be like this and high, happy, super productive and full of energy than low... :( I guess I've just got to take it as it comes but SOS so scared....

 

[duff]

I'm on a low dose of abilify (1mg/day - but I'm freakishly sensitive to meds. They were planning to go for 2mg, but then 1mg did the trick so we stuck with it). And I echo what has been said above! It has made many aspects of my life more manageable.

 

[Maggiemay]

I'm starting on 5mg, going up to 20mg depending how I tolerate it... I guess it's at a higher dose as being used on its own rather than as an add on. Long term tho can't see me coping without an anti depressant at the very least as I usually eer more towards depression than mania. But I guess right now the priority is stopping the mania and to do so an anti depressant isn't advisable as can make it worse... I just wish I had a crystal ball right now, but good to know people have done well with it...

 

[Candleflames]

I'm just starting this too and so far so good. I started by splitting the 5mg tablet in half for about a week and moved up to a whole tablet yesterday. I'm taking it with an antidepressant to help lessen the dissociative symptoms and the related hallucinations.

I had responded to Geodon really well but had to stop taking it because of a switch in my antidepressant. With both I experienced very minimal side effects that have either faded completely or are very minimal, except for the heartburn. Ouch! I'm also finding the med to be very activating.

If you do an internet search for "abilify reviews" you can get lots more opinions from people who are taking the med for many more different reasons.

 

[Maggiemay]

Awesome thanks! Good if it helps with dissociation! I've got acid reflux & heartburn from when back on sertraline = yuck! & it has never gone away :( on Omeprazole fir it which helps...

 

[Maggiemay]

So I have now come of quetiapine and mitazapine and started aripriprazole. It's been horrid so far :'( Nausea & sickness is back, headaches from hell - which are noise,light & touch sensitive, sore throat, dizziness & not sleeping at all (despite taking zopiclone). I really don't know how long I can last like this :( Hopefully symptoms will ease but I have a history of being very sensitive to psychotropic drugs - doesn't bode well if it's making me sick :(

 

[Candleflames]

Are you taking the 2mg dose and has it lasted more than a week? Always make sure your doc knows everything going on. He or she might have some ideas as to how to minimize the side effects. Maybe you could split you pills for a few days and more slowly go up on the dose.

I had all of those side effects but they started to wane after about 5 days. The only side effect I have now is the heartburn occasionally. I had read reviews from people that continued to have problems and had to stop taking it. The sore throat thing gave my doc a little pause and I had to go in for blood work.

I hope things even out for you. Keep letting me know how your doing, please. I always wonder about the follow up on posts like this.

 

[Maggiemay]

I'm on 5mg. Thanks for your input, hopefully GP will help on Thursday x