Kona Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Will I have to take it for the rest of my life? It's scary how things get worse when I miss a dose / don't take it properly / don't get enough sleep / get stressed, but generally things are better with it. I don't want to be on it forever because I'm scared of side effects. I think that's the reason, because I don't feel scared of taking my other psych meds like anti depressants. I know this question probably won't have an answer but just wanted to get an opinion.. I kind of want to see if I can manage without it, but at the same time that idea is very scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) I've been on Abilify since 2003, with no problems. In the beginning it made me sleepy but it wore off over time. Idk if it is something you need to take for the rest of your life. That is up to you and your pdoc to decide. If you want to manage without Abilify, please do it under pdoc supervision. ETA: I plan on being on it for life, although it *could* change. For now though, I plan on it for life, not short-term. Edited January 9, 2016 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Discomfort Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Depends on what you're taking it for probably. First time psychosis for example I would think (and hope) it's only for a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I take Abilify and it's been nothing short of a miracle med for me. I'm fine with being on it for life, but I know that realistically I'll probably switch to Rexulti at some point in the future. But it's a great med and Abilfy along with Tegretol forms the backbone of my cocktail. If I could get off one med, it would be the Tegretol, but that is one med that I can't live without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hester Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I don't know why but I feel Abilify is kind of a bigger deal that ADs too, so it's kind of scarier to think of taking it long-term than ADs. I just started taking it and it has done wonders for my depression, like nothing else, but the side effects are really intolerable. I'm going to talk to my pdoc about maybe combining it with something to try and reduce the side effects. Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say that I understand how you feel. It really does help, and that in itself makes you feel a bit trapped. It does for me, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 If you are basically treatment compliant (which means taking it until your pdoc says you can stop, even if you think it is causing side effects), you and your doctor should be able to come to some agreement about when and how long you take a particular med. If you aren't having side effects already, don't borrow trouble. Not everyone has side effects on any given med. When I was on Latuda, I had zero side effects, but had to stop it because of cost (grrrrr). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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