bluechick Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 My doctor wants to take me off geodon next month and replace it with abilify. I'm just wondering what to expect. What are the side effects? How does it make you feel? Is it sedating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I was on Abilify, doses between 15-30mg and it wasn't at all sedating. In fact it was activating for me. However I heard other people on this forum say that they find it sedating. It has been very helpful for many people but not for me. It made me agitated and gave me akathisia and tremors at the higher dose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 It really really helped my depression and anxiety. I found it quite beneficial. I am one who found it sedating, however. This sucked for the first week or so, but taking it at night really, really helped. If you find it activating, just take it during the day. Sedating? Take it before bed. I remember feeling kind of like a zombie when I first started it, which was definitely preferable to my current state of mind. Good luck! I hope it helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Moved to the Anti-psychotics forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I take it, and right now it is without side effects. It helps with my depression. When I first started on a low dose, it gave me unbearable anxiety, but when my dose got raised, that side effect went away. It increases my appetite, but no where near as much as the Remeron does. Right now, I would say that it is without side effects. It is generally believed to be activating, although a few people find it to be sedating. It is neutral for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I found it had few side effects but was very activating for me, I was very irritable (mixed). Some find it sedating, some find it activating, some find it just right. Sorry I can't be of more help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malachite Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 For me, Abilify has been very good for my depression. But it has given me more anxiety, I believe. It's a tradeoff I am willing to make at the moment. That may change at some point, since my anxiety is rapidly becoming unbearable. But it sounds like at higher doses the activation is lessened. I am only on 5 mg., so that may be part of the issue. But this is my experience. Yours will probably be different. I do hope it helps you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vapourware Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 When I took it, I found Abilify sedating. It also gave me akathesia in the beginning, but then again, I started on 15mg. Once I cut that to 7.5mg, the akathesia went away. When I raised the dose again, I had no akathesia. I found it was helpful in the beginning, but gradually stopped working. However, Abilify can be helpful for a lot of people, so give it a shot and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llama44 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I've always found abilify helpful. I've been on it for years I think. You can correct me if I'm wrong. It's mildly activating for me. Nothing major at all though. I would be fine taking it at night too. I take it in the morning currently. Absolutely no side effects at all. No weight gain and no increased hunger and no sedation, etc. I always feel "off" when I have been taken off of abilify. I can't explain it. My head feels fuzzy and I can't think at all. It's bad. Good luck and I hope it works well for you! ETA: I have been on anywhere from 15mg to 30mg of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfranco92 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Abilify was very activating for me. It gave me terrible akathisia and irritability. It did little for voices, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. Its been about a year since I've taken it, but I think I took around 15-20mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpmaster Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I found it to be quite effective @ 30mg. I think I went up to 90mg at one point, however I developed blurred vision as a side effect. My p-doc was very concerned about this and took me off it straight away. Was a shame because it seemed quite good otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I like Abilify. It doesn't make me sleepy, and it doesn't activate me, and I didn't have any side effects. I had been on Geodon before being put on the Abilify, and that Geodon stuff was absolutely terrible! I never did wake up the whole time I was on it... I could not function properly on it. Abilify isn't like that for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrydrives1979 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I'm just wondering what to expect. What are the side effects? If you don't get akathisia within the first week count yourself to be part of the minority. How does it make you feel? It felt like my body was on fire. I could not stop moving. Pure Torture. If there was a gun in front of me I would shoot myself in the head and STILL be moving. Is it sedating? HELL NO. The complete opposite of sedation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanForce Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Is a life-savior for me. I have been in 1 week so far and not a single depressive episode. I got the anxiety/restless legs thing but that got way better with time. One of the best meds out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrydrives1979 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 One of the best meds out there. One of the " best " meds for treating what? I have met extremely extremely rarely few people that have done well on it for schiz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanForce Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 One of the best meds out there. One of the " best " meds for treating what? I have met extremely extremely rarely few people that have done well on it for schiz I see. My case is Bipolar and OCD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysergia Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 abilify started out activating, then turned to extreme sedation, then pooped out for me - all within 2-4 mg (a very small dose) within about two/three months. if it still worked the way it did the first few weeks i took it, i'd be positively singing it's praises - i felt alive again for a little while there. i hope it works out that way for you, and stays that way. oh, and i take it for BP rapid cycling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinkerMel Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 It was very activating for me.. To the point of causing me to become very irate and agitated. I hated it. But I know it does work well for others.. I'm just "weird" that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I'd just like to add that I didn't get akathesia from it and I take 15 mg. Then again I never got any side effects from risperidone either so I'm kinda wired funny. I agree that it is a good drug for depression especially. In my experience, it is one of the few psych drugs that works as advertised. It's much better for me than all the antidepressants (except citalopram). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I took abilify four separate times, and I got akathesia all four times. I started on a dose from anywhere from 5-10 mg, and worked my was up to 15, 15, 20, and the backbreaking 30 mg. I couldn't sit down, I was HIGHLY agitated, and felt as though I had to move my limbs all the time. I tried taking it in the morning and at night. On my third try, I gained 15 lbs in two weeks, so you can tell it made me hungry - the first med I took (not the last) that had that effect on me. But everybody is different. Just because I was a horrible failure on it doesn't mean it won't work miracles for you. Try it and keep an open mind. If something happens, your pdoc can decide to stop it and the side effects go away rather quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I take it for AD augmentation and it is neither stimulating or sedating. People seem to either really like or really hate Abilify. Key to avoiding side effects is starting low, like 2 mg. And not raising the dose at intervals less that 2 weeks. Don't go up fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattitude Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I take it for AD augmentation and it is neither stimulating or sedating. People seem to either really like or really hate Abilify. Key to avoiding side effects is starting low, like 2 mg. And not raising the dose at intervals less that 2 weeks. Don't go up fast. I was started at 2 mg and when pdoc found out I was getting a bit edgy on it he told me to skip it for 3 days and go to 1 mg. Even at 2 mg I noticed my depression was getting better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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