Moody Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Hi, I am diagnosed as bipolar II, I dont get hypomania though, just depression and mixed states. Since February I have been taking Abilify. I started with 2.5 mg as monotherapy, but after a few months I started rapid cycling, so my pdoc added remeron and had me drop the Abilify to 1mg. I have really strong reactions to meds, so my doctor always keeps me on really low doses. I felt great for another month, but then started having periods where I felt really jittery and agitated, so my pdoc had me go down to just .5mg of Abilify. The same thing happened, I felt good for a few weeks, then the agitation came back. I told my doc that I was sick of Abilify and wanted to quit it. She didnt think it was the greatest idea, but she said it was ok if I wanted to try it. So I went off it really slowly, now I have been off it for 10 days, and am feeling kind of crappy. Depressed and anxious. Rapid thinking is back. I am still taking Remeron, and also Wellbutrin XL. I have ativan for the anxiety, but I dont want to keep taking it daily. Also, the last time I took Wellbutrin it gave me bad migraines, so I might not be able to stay on it. I used to be able to control my symptoms with only Remeron, but it seems to have pooped out on me. So what should I do now? My doc said that if the remeron/wellbutrin combo didnt work, she would suggest Lithium. I am scared to try lithium because of the side effects, and the need for blood tests every month. Abilify worked so well for a while, better than any antidepressant I have tried. I tried Lamictal already, so that is out. Would a different antipsychotic work like Abilify but without the breakthrough jitters? Or Abilify with a different med? I dont know what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 A different AAP might work well for you, or, you know, not. Abilify's pretty unique in its workings, so it's really hard to say. If your pdoc's recommending lithium, that's probably your best bet. The potential side effects are all kind of long term, unlikely to happen things. Once you're on a steady dosage, you shouldn't need to be having monthly bloodwork. Lithium works really well for lots of people, don't rule it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moody Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 I am mainly concerned with the loss of creativity that a lot of people seem to get on Lithium. My pdoc even mentioned that as a side effect. I am an artist/designer, so that would be really bad. I worry that I wouldnt be able to get any work done, also my creativity is one of the few things that makes me feel good about myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 People mostly suffer lost creativity due to a loss of hypo/mania or from having a blood serum level higher than necessary. Of course, there are exceptions. Since you've tried Lamictal, Lithium may well be your best bet. It is good medicine if it is the medicine for you. You won't know unless you try. You could instead try Seroquel but that's apt to leave you tired and dopey, at least for a while. Or, you could gamble with Geodon. It is a good med for some, but apparantly unpredictible as to whether it will cause the sleep of the century or serious hypomania/mixed states. Btw, my creativity is just fine. I'm actually able to harness it now, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaffy Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Hi, I am diagnosed as bipolar II, I dont get hypomania though, just depression and mixed states. Since February I have been taking Abilify. I started with 2.5 mg as monotherapy, but after a few months I started rapid cycling, so my pdoc added remeron and had me drop the Abilify to 1mg. I have really strong reactions to meds, so my doctor always keeps me on really low doses. I felt great for another month, but then started having periods where I felt really jittery and agitated, so my pdoc had me go down to just .5mg of Abilify. The same thing happened, I felt good for a few weeks, then the agitation came back. I told my doc that I was sick of Abilify and wanted to quit it. She didnt think it was the greatest idea, but she said it was ok if I wanted to try it. So I went off it really slowly, now I have been off it for 10 days, and am feeling kind of crappy. Depressed and anxious. Rapid thinking is back. I am still taking Remeron, and also Wellbutrin XL. I have ativan for the anxiety, but I dont want to keep taking it daily. Also, the last time I took Wellbutrin it gave me bad migraines, so I might not be able to stay on it. I used to be able to control my symptoms with only Remeron, but it seems to have pooped out on me. So what should I do now? My doc said that if the remeron/wellbutrin combo didnt work, she would suggest Lithium. I am scared to try lithium because of the side effects, and the need for blood tests every month. Abilify worked so well for a while, better than any antidepressant I have tried. I tried Lamictal already, so that is out. Would a different antipsychotic work like Abilify but without the breakthrough jitters? Or Abilify with a different med? I dont know what to do. Lithium 300mg does not effect my creativity at all, but that's a super low dosage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moody Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 Thanks for your replies everyone. It is so great to be able to talk to people who understand this crazy stuff! I have been off Abilify and on Wellbutrin + Remeron for almost 3 weeks now, and things are still rough. I seem to have settled into a weird mood pattern where I feel really anxious in the morning, get really depressed in the late afternoon, then feel sort of ok in the late evening. I have never had this sort of rapid mood changing before, I dont know if it is still withdrawal from the Abilify, or if my brain got used to having a mood stabilizer, and now without it it is freaking out. I saw my pdoc last week, and she told me she would like me to go back on the Abilify. She doesnt think the anxiety/irritability I was having on it is a big deal. She didnt mention lithium this time, but said I could try a low dose of Risperdal instead of Abilify. It isnt her first choice though, because she said I am more likely to have side effects on it. I am a woman, and she said a lot of her female patients get hormonal problems on Risperdal. I think I will wait another week, and if things are still bad, I will try the Risperdal or just go back to Abilify. I am kind of scared of the AAPs now though, I had no idea it would be so hard to stop a med. Even with a really slow taper, it has been bad. I have quit many different meds, and never had problems like this before. I feel like an addict Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonum Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Excuse me if this doesn't pertain to you. When I stop Abilify I get psychically sick. I think it is because of my Seroquel? I don't take Depecote/ sexual side effects. I take Lithium which messes with my thyroid. Seroquel knocks me out/taken with klonopin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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