Another bipolar bear Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I am coming off olanzapine because it caused weight gain, so my pdoc is changing me over to Aripiprazole. Hopefully i will have come down enough off the olanzapine to do the crossing over by next week. Can you tell me of your experiences with this medication? the good and bad? because i am scared I'm goner get bad side effects again. I know i wont know till i try it and that everyone gets a different response from medication but i want to know what side effects to look for and personal experiences. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've been on Abilify for well over two years now. I started out at 5mg and slowly ended up at 15mg. I was one of the people that found it sedating, so I had to take it at night. I also gained 1-1.5lbs for every milligram I took. So by the end, (I'm tapering off now just due to generally feeling better) I had gained about 22lbs. Not so bad considering some people have major weight gain on some drugs I guess. Not to say I was happy with the weight gain, but I'll take it for what the Abilify did for me. It really helped my anxiety and depression. I don't have the same DX as you, so keep that in mind. I can't talk about it treating symptoms relative to your condition. But I personally liked the Abilify for me. The only side effect I noted was weight gain. Not everyone gains weight on it and some people manage to lose weight. If I try, I can lose weight on this drug, I just haven't tried very hard. And now that I'm down to 5mg, I haven't noticed any weight loss at all Oh well. It REALLY helped me. I hope it helps you! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_Rising Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I have found Abilify very helpful. (I take 10 mg/day). I also experienced weight gain, but I feel that's partially due to my eating habits. I hope it works well for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Meds are rarely good or bad however with Abilify many times people either love it or hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The one good thing about Abilify for me was that I lost all the weight I had gained on Zyprexa. Unfortunately I had to quit it because I developed akathisia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another bipolar bear Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Did it help with psychosis? That's what everyone says i have so I'm not sure what to expect from taking it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanForce Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Prepare for some Akathisia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I take aripiprazole (Abilify), and I like it. It has helped my mood where nothing else could even touch it. To be honest, it has caused me to gain a bit of weight, but that is just me. It does not have the reputation for weight gain that olanzapine has. Other than that, I have no side effects. Did it help with psychosis? That's what everyone says i have so I'm not sure what to expect from taking it. Yes, it is an anti-psychotic that can also be used as an antidepressant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koali777 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 As someone said, it's definitely a love or hate drug. For example, my reason for hating it is a personal problem...I got akathisia from hell, and really felt insane just because of the pacing and crying and screaming and lack of sleep, lol. I have seen others report this, but also have seen many people say they love it and it saved their lives. I think it's pretty weight neutral for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Prepare for some Akathisia The rate of akathisia is 25%, so it is far from a given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanForce Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Prepare for some Akathisia The rate of akathisia is 25%, so it is far from a given. 25% is a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedoubt Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Prepare for some Akathisia The rate of akathisia is 25%, so it is far from a given. 25% is a lot. Sort of. But 75% is much more. 75% of people do *not* get akathisia from Abilify. I've seen you tell people that they WILL get side effects from various meds, just because you did. You need to understand that your experience is your own, and everybody is different. Just because you hated a med doesn't mean anyone else will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender fairy Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I had mild akahesia for the first month, but I stuck with Abilify because it was working so well, and it went away. After that, my dose was raised and I became sedated on it, which has been balanced out with the Wellbutrin. I have experienced some weight gain. And I had some weird dreams for a while that tapered off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfranco92 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Abilify didn't help my psychotic symptoms at all. It was very activating and caused me akathisia. My pdoc would increase my dosage by 5mg and the akathisia would just get worse. But just because it didn't help me doesn't mean that it wont help you. I've seen a lot of happy people who take abilify on this board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 It helped my psychosis and gave me an elevated mood, but I got severe akathisia from it so I had to stop it. I trialed doses from 1 to 15mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
your_illusion97 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I was just switched off Abilify but I can tell you what I experienced with it. I have been on varying doses since 2006 topping out at 20mg which was too much for me, it caused eyelid and lip twitches at that dose. On 15mg I did not have those side effects. Really I think its a decent option, its weight neutral, no horrid side effects, at least I ddint have any save the ones at 20mg. But If you are on the lower doses that most likely wont be a problem. I went off of it because I just needed something different in my coctail of meds to get me out of a deep dark funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieN Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Another Bipolar Bear: I tried to switch from olanzapine to aripiprazole twice because of the weight gain. Aripiprazole, made me agitated, I would wake up at 4:00 in the morning very restless, couldn´t go back to sleep. Then I was extremely sedated during the day, to the point I couldn´t keep my eyes opened. That was in 2009. Then again this year, my doctor told me to try again to switch to aripiprazole. I tried a lower dosage (than the previous time). Still I woke up extremely early, very agitated, dizzy, couldn´t sit still. I couldn´t function. I was switched back to olanzapine. Medications work differently in different people. In my case, I don´t feel well on Aripiprazole, but I am sure there is people who do well on this medication. In my case I was able to control the weight gained with olanzapine with the addition of metformin, diet and exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertolobat Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 At the beginning, Aripiprazole was for me a god bless. No side effects and no obsessive thoughts. Or at least, reduced by a 80%, I was able to do some actual work. Too bad it has weaned off or something like that because the obsessive ideas are now back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I was put on Abillify years ago, and am now up to 45 mg/day. No side effects I know of when I started it. It took about 6 weeks to feel a true difference when I was starting it. It initially helps, but does take time to build up in your system, so I'd be patient for a month or so to see if it is helping, and/or side effects go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoMe? Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 5mg aripiprazole put an end to my suicidal ideations overnight, I loved it for that reason. It did make me a little spacey, and made me crave McDonald's every night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Is it possible to take low dose abilify with low dose seroquel? Not sure if its wise to be on 2 AAP's. I have been on 100mg seroquel for sleep and to shut my mind down at night. The abilify would be at 5mg for augmenting my antidepressant and OCD purposes. Sound reasonable? ... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saoirse Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Is it possible to take low dose abilify with low dose seroquel? Not sure if its wise to be on 2 AAP's. I have been on 100mg seroquel for sleep and to shut my mind down at night. The abilify would be at 5mg for augmenting my antidepressant and OCD purposes. Sound reasonable? ... Thanks I have heard of people here being on two AAP's at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Is it possible to take low dose abilify with low dose seroquel? Not sure if its wise to be on 2 AAP's. I have been on 100mg seroquel for sleep and to shut my mind down at night. The abilify would be at 5mg for augmenting my antidepressant and OCD purposes. Sound reasonable? ... Thanks It's possible, but Seroquel is also augment ADs so your pdoc could choose to increase your Seroquel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Is it possible to take low dose abilify with low dose seroquel? Not sure if its wise to be on 2 AAP's. I have been on 100mg seroquel for sleep and to shut my mind down at night. The abilify would be at 5mg for augmenting my antidepressant and OCD purposes. Sound reasonable? ... Thanks It's possible, but Seroquel is also augment ADs so your pdoc could choose to increase your Seroquel. Thank you for the replies. Your thought is exactly what I was thinking, jt07. Pdoc has said 200-250mg would be ideal... enough for the anxiety, sleep, and OCD ... but still less than antipsychotic dose. I've invested a good deal of time acclimating to seroquel, so this might be better than adding another drug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I take 20mgs a day its quite sedating for me but i take it in the morning probably should take it a night of all the drugs i have taken it has given me the least side effects i cant say much about if it actually does much for me as i have only increased the dose recently as it wasnt really doing alot at 10mgs ,i take it in combination with 40mgs prozac Goodluck with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I take 20mgs a day its quite sedating for me but i take it in the morning probably should take it a night of all the drugs i have taken it has given me the least side effects i cant say much about if it actually does much for me as i have only increased the dose recently as it wasnt really doing alot at 10mgs ,i take it in combination with 40mgs prozac Goodluck with it Memo, do you take abilify for depression? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justclaire Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I tried twice to take it, first time a normal titration but once I hit 15/20mgs I had terrible akathesia and tics. These far outweighed the good mood lifting effects. I wanted to give it a another go so convinced my pdoc to Rx liquid form of ablilfy (which incidentally is gross) and I literally titrated up a gm at a time over a long period at each increase. However once again when I got to 15mgs or there a bouts I had the terrible tongue rolling, kissing action and akathesia. I took it with seroquel with no effect on the seroquel and I take it as 600mgs at night. This being said, I could feel it having a great lifting effect on my mood, I was far more motivated (to the point of perhaps mania) it certainly didn't sedate me! It definitely is a drug that you'll love or hate. I loved it - it hated me! Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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