Medication Study: Adding Abilify To Prozac

[saoirserylyn]

Starting tomorrow I'm getting enrolled in a clinical trial as advised by my therapist. During this trial they'll be adding a new form of abilify to my current (20mg) Prozac dosage.

Has anyone had experience taking two similar medications before? What was the outcome for you?

I primarily take Prozac for anxiety and minor depression, but it seems too stimulating sometimes as though I'm on speed or something. I just started taking the prozac again one week ago, so this may be a start up side effect along with bladder pain, jaw clenching, yawning, insomnia.

I'm mostly worried that the combination of the two will be even more stimulating, therefore making it harder for me to sleep. The insomnia the past few days is driving me insane, I feel like I've been awake for 48 hours straight and I'm all jittery.

Thanks for any advice that you can give me. I'll check back periodically with information about how this is working out for me.

 

[Candleflames]

I am currently taking prozac, 60mg, and abilify, 5mg. I'm also taking prazosin twice a day, 2mg in the morning and 5 mg at night.

I take prozac for anxiety and depression that is in the rather low end of severe and occasionally takes on some psychotic features. I hear voices and see things distorted.

The combo has been very helpful. I find that my energy levels are up and my head clearer. It also doesn't interfere with my sleep. The only problem I had was with the abilify and the pazosin. I'd get very dizzy upon standing and just cut back on the pazosin.

I'd be amiss if I didn't say I'm a little concerned that you are having such strong side effects to the prozac. Adding a med before the side effects stabilize could lead to some serious consequences for you and unusable data for the study. What does your doc say about the side effects? Have you talked to someone at the study? They all need this info to help you make the right decision. Be careful.

Both prozac and abilify have extremely long half lifes so if you have deal breaker side effects you could be stuck with them for two weeks or more after stopping the meds.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I take two different kinds of mood stabilizers, both work great for me. They just seem to work together for me and complement each other well.

Sorry, not sure what else to say in my answer to you since I don't take those medications. It's all so much of a person by person thing anyway.

 

[new gamma rays]

Well I don't want to rule anything out for you, but as far as I know abilify can make you pretty restless and increase insomnia at first, but I guess as you go up to a higher dose it tends to go away. That's just my understanding and very brief experience with it. So I am with candleflames that you might want to see if the prozac side effects even out first.

 

[Candleflames]

I forgot to mention that there is a moderate drug interaction warning with the prozac and abilify together. For me the benefits outweigh the risk since I am non functional unmedicated.

I've never been a part of a study so I don't know but can you ask questions about the purpose of the study?

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I'm not quite sure what you're wanting to learn by asking this as it's such a broad question and you'll get every answer under the sun from "it worked great and nothing could be better!" to "it was the worst experience of my life and I should be dead". Nope, I'm not kidding. I think that a high percentage of people have been on more than one medication at a time as it's a common thing due to the fact that one medication rarely helps all presenting symptoms for certain disorders. Good luck with your trial.

Do you mean by "a new form of Abilify" that its a new kind of antipsychotic or is it more along the lines of a delayed release form of Abilify? Or, is this an attempt by the drug manufacturer to extend the drug patent and be able to charge higher prices for a longer time because it's a "new" drug? Just curious as I've seen this happen with other medications. "Hey, let's just add asprin to this drug that just went generic, run a few trials, and then be able to have a longer drug patent". I honestly don't know how this last scenario can legally be valid but alas, it is, and it's done so drug companies can try and recoup more money, but smart consumers just take the generic of each form together rather than the "new" wonder drug!

 

[saoirserylyn]

@Candleflames The purpose of the study is to see how this new medication works as an add on to current antidepressant therapy. I am going to delay the study until my current medication settles into my system. Don't think I could handle the start up side effects of two medications at once.

@Solara The new medication is called Brexpripraxole, which they have told me is the successor of Abilify. I am not sure exactly what that means, but am willing to try anything that may work at this point. However, I am going to wait until the Prozac side effects level out before starting the adjunct medication. I was mainly concerned about taking two medications at the same time. As my only experience with medications since my diagnosis has been limited mainly to one at a time. Was just scared that these bad side effects may hit me two fold, which I don't think I could handle at this point in time as these current side effects has left me unbelievably stressed out. May just be the anxiety talking though.

 

[TomMcClean]

I take two different kinds of mood stabilizers, both work great for me. They just seem to work together fo...

Maybe don't answer if you can't chime in on topic? Just a thought

 

[The Black Phoenix]

If you are having a reaction to an antidepressant they will often pile on other pills to negate its affects, typically some kind of mood stabalizer and/or an atypical antipsychotics (like Abilify and its successor). Everyone reacts differently to these meds, and some meds will work for some people, and will be completely ineffective for others. Typically the antipsychotic is intended to tamp down the "manic" like episodes. My main concern with the study is that the goal is to prove that the test drug is a viable adjunct therapy that can work on it's own. But in typical situations, a P would normally prescribe a mood stabalizer first, and then an AP (at least, as far as I understand it). It may work fine though especially if your primary reaction to the anti-depressant is hyper/batshit. Best of luck!