Abilify and restlessness

[dancesintherain]

Sorry third thread of the day...will try to shut up tomorrow...

 

has anyone experienced a sort of physical internal restlessness with abilify?  It's like agitation, but more physical in nature and something I'm kind of controlling (in other words, not running around or waiving my hands everywhere) but it's driving me batty.  

I ask because I know I'm probably tempted to blame it on the abilify because I took it before and stopped it for a reason and I don't know what the reason was.  I increased to 15mg, but it existed before the dosage increase.  I had a lot of meds dropped during the IP stint, but this is the only one added.

if you have had it, did it go away at a higher dose or over time?  I'd be willing to ask for a dosage increase if that makes it more likely to vanish.

 If you haven't, any other ideas what this is?  Boredom meets dysphoric hypomania or mixed meets anxiety?

[Crazymusician0704]

I had some major issues with Abilify. 

I can't say too much as for "did it go away with a higher dosage?" type questions...I literally only took it for 1 day before calling my pdoc almost in tears of anger because I could barely walk, talk, breathe, etc because of the uncontrollable shaking (like TD, except it went away mostly, still very minor to this day 4 years later but not a permanent hindrance in my life). There was a lot of internal agitation like you described as well. That was always a common side effect for any AAP I took. Once I moved on to Thorazine, I had no problems with the incessant physical restlessness agitation nonsense. It was physically and emotionally painful when I was on medicine like that. What other AAPs have you tried?

[dancesintherain]

Oof, that sounds miserable.  Seems like it's quite a hit or miss drug.  I wish I could remember why I stopped it, because that could help me figure out if this is the same problem or not.

Anyway--

• geodon was way too sedating (couldn't stand up after taking it at a low dose and had massive hangover);
• zyprexa I weirdly couldn't fall asleep to, which was the main reason I was trying it;
• seroquel I'm currently taking and actually wouldn't mind increasing, but I think my pdoc's worried about weight gain that's pretty clearly linked to it;
• took abilify and don't remember problem;
• risperdal worked for sleep inducing at 1mg, but I didn't go higher b/c of hangover.

I haven't tried the newer ones, which kind of scare me because of how new they are (Latuda, Saphris, et. al). 

The other hard part is up until about three weeks ago, I was only trying them for sleep/energy side effects (depending on the drug), not psychosis.  Now I know I need that part too, so it's almost like I'm starting over...yet at the same time feeling like I'm fairly close to being out of the psychotic part of this messy episode. 

[Velvet Elvis]

If it's EPS related, Benedryl should help. 

 

[Crazymusician0704]

I've heard great things about Latuda from people on this site.

Saphris worked great temporarily for me, only side effect is the first few days for about an hour or so after taking it I had trouble swallowing, and I would fall asleep, but that went away after a few week

Geodon didn't do anything for me.

I was only on Seroquel for sleep and it did nothing.

Zyprexa made me restlessness and did nothing for my psychotic episodes and hallucinations.

Abilify was a nightmare.

I never took Risperdal only because it was so similar in composition to something else I took that didn't help. I wish I remember what that medicine was because I don't think I mentioned that one.

My doctor said the only things left were the typicals, which is how I ended up on Thorazine. It took calling 5 different pharmacies to find one that carried it! I had zero side effects with Thorazine  

I am actually unmedicated now, and have been since a few months after I went IP 3 years ago.

I am actually doing really well unmedicated now. For me the medication helped me get to a place that I could cope on my own.

I got off medication because it was wrecking me physically and cognitively. I have memory problems, speech issues, and minor bladder control issues (which is embarrassing as a young adult). Overall worth it for me, just not long term. Hopefully I don't get to a point where I can't live without meds again.

 

 

[San]

I had unbearable akithasia (EPS, restessness inside and out) on 10mg of abilify. So bad I ended up IP. I had to switch off. I found more "activating antipsychotics" to give me bad akithasia, abilify and latuda being the worst. I take saphris now. I took Artane (can't tolerate Cogentin) with the abilify, but it didn't help. I tried cogentin, mirapex, benadryl... nothing helped. I take 5mg artane with saphris now, but don't really need it. I started at 5mg a month ago, and had 3 days of restlessness right after taking it, I was frustrated, but gave it time, it went away. The dose was upped to 10mg last week and I had the same restlessness as when I started, but it's gone away now. It was mostly just moving around a lot in bed, nothing like the akithasia I've had before. I'll probably be off the artane when I'm at the max dose of saphris for a while (still upping it)

[Hester]

3 hours ago, dancesintherain said:

 

has anyone experienced a sort of physical internal restlessness with abilify?  It's like agitation, but more physical in nature and something I'm kind of controlling (in other words, not running around or waiving my hands everywhere) but it's driving me batty.  

if you have had it, did it go away at a higher dose or over time?  I'd be willing to ask for a dosage increase if that makes it more likely to vanish.

 If you haven't, any other ideas what this is?  Boredom meets dysphoric hypomania or mixed meets anxiety?

YES YES YES I had this really bad on Abilify. It was internal restlessness but it also made me pace around. I couldn't concentrate on TV shows or read books etc. I felt like there was a little motor going at all times and I just couldn't be still or relax.

It didn't go away at a higher dose for me, it actually made it worse. Made me really anxious and upset. I became really slow and stupid and my memory was shot. Bad drug for me.

Obviously I can only speak for my experience. I hope you get it worked out.

[dancesintherain]

Thanks everyone. Are akathisia/EPS/internal restlessness the same idea or somewhat similar?  I've heard the first two before but only really know that akathisia (sp?) is something that makes you feel like crap.  Presumably there's a better definition than that out there.  The Benadryl mention is something I have easy access to, but sometimes puts me to sleep.  That said, not much of anything knocks me out currently other than my actual meds, so maybe it wouldn't cause that problem.

i do feel like it got worse since i hit about 10mg of the abilify, so matching some of your experiences....but I also realized that I didn't feel it when i was out to dinner with my friends this evening.  That made me wonder if at least part of it is not chemically-related?

Crazymusician, thanks for your experience and glad to hear the med-free life is working for you.  I don't think that's one I'll end up trying just because the last time didn't go so well to say the least.  Thorazine is what they gave me twice (I think) while I was IP for agitation and generally being out of it, so it's not that far out there.  I just heard some bad things about the regular APs, IIRC....that said, given I'm also scared about the newer AAPs, I'll have to give in one direction if Abilify doesn't end up working.

[aura]

Could be akathisia? I got that from abilify.

[dancesintherain]

All I know about akathisia is that it feels like crap...is what I described above that sort of crappiness that it feels like possibly?  (In other words, I don't really know what it translates to, so it's hard to say.)

 

(my signature mentions it with lexapro and now that I think about it, that does seem like the same sort of awfulness.  hmm.  I'd forgotten on that one also.)

Edited July 14, 2016 by dancesintherain

[aura]

Yea what you're describing sounds like akathisia. I always describe it as restless leg syndrome for your whole body. FWIW I got awful akathisia when I started on lexapro too.

[Crazymusician0704]

I totally understand that, med-free life is NOT for everyone. I totally get needing it. The first few months med free were rough, but I was able to pull through especially after going IP (best decision I ever made outside of marrying my husband who has supported me the whole way). 

I've heard of some scary side effects for a good bit of the anti-psychotic meds. Outside of Thorazine, my only option would be haldol at this point since atypicals aren't working for me (if I were to need meds again). And let's face it, Improbably will especially once I get pregnant, since I'm very sensitive to change in general.

good luck!! I really hope you get it resolved soon  

 

 

 

[jt07]

I have been very lucky and have not gotten akathisia from Abilify all the way up to 30 mg (or any other AP med), but I do get the impression from around the web that Abilify does cause akathisia in a lot of people. If it is akathisia, there are a lot of good treatments for it including propanolol and other beta blockers. Also, cogentin helps some people.

[Hester]

36 minutes ago, jt07 said:

Also, cogentin helps some people.

I take this and it really helps me. I was getting a claw-hand from Abilify and it sorted it right out.

[dancesintherain]

Thanks everyone - PHP pdoc concluded that the restlessness was akathisia most likely and agreed with my pdoc's call to gradually get rid of the abilify as the most likely culprit.  My pdoc had me at 5mg as of Tuesday, I'm at 2.5mg as of tomorrow morning, and it's my call whether I'm comfortable going off over the weekend or waiting for PHP on Monday. 

My doctor's also talking about switching from seroquel to latuda...reading here, that has me somewhat concerned because it seems to also be a common trigger for akathisia.  I completely agree that getting off seroquel is necessary (i've gained 30 pounds progressively over a year and a half, with it being the only constant and with my appetite going up and down as my dosage goes up and down).  But I'm scared of dumping myself into another pit of akathisia.  I might post something separate though, so it's somewhat unrelated. 

[HumorousCrusty]

In my experience with latuda the first few days I took it for about a week, immediately after taking it it would make me feel happy almost like a drowsy disconnected happiness, about a month in after taking latuda I would get terrible akithisia that my clonazepam wouldn't even stop, which made school work really hard. Now that I'm 6 months in I've found that the akithisia is getting much easier  to deal with, and it's like the more I'm on this drug the more I get used to the side effects and the more they go away. 

 

So if you're scared of latuda for akithisia, then maybe take it before bed or talk to your pdoc about getting some propranolol or clonazepam to stop it but don't worry too much because your body will adjust and it will eventually go away. 

At least from my experience with it it does. 

[melissaw72]

On 7/13/2016 at 4:45 PM, dancesintherain said:

Sorry third thread of the day...will try to shut up tomorrow...

 

has anyone experienced a sort of physical internal restlessness with abilify?  It's like agitation, but more physical in nature and something I'm kind of controlling (in other words, not running around or waiving my hands everywhere) but it's driving me batty.  

I ask because I know I'm probably tempted to blame it on the abilify because I took it before and stopped it for a reason and I don't know what the reason was.  I increased to 15mg, but it existed before the dosage increase.  I had a lot of meds dropped during the IP stint, but this is the only one added.

if you have had it, did it go away at a higher dose or over time?  I'd be willing to ask for a dosage increase if that makes it more likely to vanish.

 If you haven't, any other ideas what this is?  Boredom meets dysphoric hypomania or mixed meets anxiety?

(first bold) I have never experienced this before when on abilify (since 2003). 

I am sorry that you are feeling the restlessness and everything else.  I don't have any ideas to help you with.

(second bold) Would your pdoc be able to tell you why you stopped the abilify, and for what reason?  Would it be in his report/notes/whatever?

[dancesintherain]

going down on the abilify has progressively (and substantially) reduced the restlessness/akathisia.  I'm at 2.5mg and likely going to drop completley mid next week.  My OP pdoc spent a good 5 minutes looking back on his notes and didn't see a very clear reason for it.  He saw when we started titrating downward, but there wasn't a clear note as to why it was done, unfortunately. 

[notloki]

Abilify has a long half life so if you don't titrate slowly with at least  4 weeks between dose changes if you do get Akathisia you will have it for a while.

[dancesintherain]

Thanks notloki--unfortunately made it off and don't have akathisia anymore.  I didn't go quite as slowly as you mentioned, but i sat at 5mg for a while.  When I was at 2.5mg I was barely feeling it and now that I'm off completely it has gone.  I was also allowed to Ativan myself as it was going away (i would hit it particularly in early to mid afternoon), which helped.