Lowering abilify from 30 to 15mg

[Guest Rambler]

Hello. I was wondering if lowering abilify from 30mg to 15mg would cause any negative effects. I was essentially dxed schizo-effective and feel groggy most of the day. I currently take 7mg remeron and 30mg abilify at night. My worry is that a 15mg dose of abilify would cause some akathisia because that seems to be a theme with people. I would rather be forgetful and groggy than restless all the time (I had severe akathisia after I was given a haldol injection in a ward).

I think I am going to ask my pdoc about lowering my dosage so that I will be more alert than I currently am now since I'll be returning to a university. But before I talk to my doc I'de like to hear some more tales about dosages and how they effect people (even though I understand every person is different).

Thanks.

[graduation day]

Hi Rambler,

I'm on 20 mg of Abilify, previously 30 mg. I didn't feel any change in side effects when going from 30 to 20.

My worry is that a 15mg dose of abilify would cause some akathisia because that seems to be a theme with people.

If you don't experience akathesia at 30 mg, I don't see why you would experience it at 15. Surely you must have been on a dose around 15 mg at some point, while titrating up?

Asking your pdoc sounds like a good idea.

[beetle]

Hello. I was wondering if lowering abilify from 30mg to 15mg would cause any negative effects. I was essentially dxed schizo-effective and feel groggy most of the day. I currently take 7mg remeron and 30mg abilify at night. My worry is that a 15mg dose of abilify would cause some akathisia because that seems to be a theme with people. I would rather be forgetful and groggy than restless all the time (I had severe akathisia after I was given a haldol injection in a ward).

I think I am going to ask my pdoc about lowering my dosage so that I will be more alert than I currently am now since I'll be returning to a university. But before I talk to my doc I'de like to hear some more tales about dosages and how they effect people (even though I understand every person is different).

Thanks.

Sorry I can't remember what dosages I tried with abilify but my experience was akathisia at any dose really. And we did increase it to maybe around 30mg. But I don't think it made me groggy. Just so restless that I couldn't stand to be in my own skin.

There are a lot of AAPs you can try...don't know which ones you have already tried. The only thing I wonder is if you lower the abilify will the symptoms it's meant to treat get worse or come back?

I take geodon and it makes me kind of groggy but I take it all at night so I pretty much sleep off most of the grogginess. Does taking your abilify at night not help with the sedation? You're still feeling sedated during the day?

I suppose you could try to reduce the dosage but be very aware of your symptoms and if they get worse.

[SashaSue]

Going from 30mg to 15mg is a pretty big jump. Why not try an intermediate dosage before trying to go down so much? Maybe 20mg? 25mg even? If it's working, and you're just trying to ameliorate side effects, I'd say err on the side of caution, as you certainly don't want your symptoms returning.

[Guest Rambler]

I've never experienced akathisia at 15mg abilify, a dosage I did initally take while coming off of depacote (due to weight gain). I just wonder if the depacote helped avoid any restlessness.

I take abilify at night before I go to bed, with the remeron. It pretty much knocks me out for the next 12 hours even if I'm only asleep for 8 of those 12. From there, for the rest of the day, it's like a feeling of not knowing what I'm doing or not doing it as well as I could. Maybe it's less of a grogginess than it is an aptitude issue. I'll certainly talk to my pdoc about it. I just feel like I'm being over-medicated since 30mg is the highest dose put out.

I'll ask if a 20mg or a 25mg dose would be suitable for a few months and see how I feel from there.

[graduation day]

I just feel like I'm being over-medicated since 30mg is the highest dose put out.

I said the exact same thing to my pdoc, and that's the reason I went down to 20mg. But my pdoc also told me that while 30 mg is officially the highest dose, he and his staff has been treating people with up to 45mg, and that that's not uncommon, at least in my country.

[SashaSue]

I've never experienced akathisia at 15mg abilify, a dosage I did initally take while coming off of depacote (due to weight gain). I just wonder if the depacote helped avoid any restlessness.

I take abilify at night before I go to bed, with the remeron. It pretty much knocks me out for the next 12 hours even if I'm only asleep for 8 of those 12. From there, for the rest of the day, it's like a feeling of not knowing what I'm doing or not doing it as well as I could. Maybe it's less of a grogginess than it is an aptitude issue. I'll certainly talk to my pdoc about it. I just feel like I'm being over-medicated since 30mg is the highest dose put out.

I'll ask if a 20mg or a 25mg dose would be suitable for a few months and see how I feel from there.

Even if you ultimately end up on 15mg, going down more slowly is often the safer way to do it, to prevent return of symptoms.