Abilify

[_sunshinegirl]

Like many Bipolar medications, this medicine too was first used to treat Schizophrenia.
Many of you have read/replied on my seroquel post and know that I was in market for new medication, as of Saturday this is what I have been prescribed.
I will not start taking it for another month (want to use all my other medication first, no need in wasting it), but I am interested in hearing your experiences with Abilify if you currently (or have in the past) taken this medication.

Thank you & God Bless ~

 

[4childofgod]

Like many Bipolar medications, this medicine too was first used to treat Schizophrenia.
Many of you have read/replied on my seroquel post and know that I was in market for new medication, as of Saturday this is what I have been prescribed.
I will not start taking it for another month (want to use all my other medication first, no need in wasting it), but I am interested in hearing your experiences with Abilify if you currently (or have in the past) taken this medication.

Thank you & God Bless ~

How do I reply on your seroquel post that is what I am on. Any info would be much appreciated

 

[Zita123]

I can't believe you wrote this thread!! I just got put on Abilify 2 days ago!!! I'm off the serequeol! I pray That this works. I'm really happy about it. Hopefully I'll lose the weight I gained since the serequeol..
GOD BLESS!!
Zita

Like many Bipolar medications, this medicine too was first used to treat Schizophrenia.
Many of you have read/replied on my seroquel post and know that I was in market for new medication, as of Saturday this is what I have been prescribed.
I will not start taking it for another month (want to use all my other medication first, no need in wasting it), but I am interested in hearing your experiences with Abilify if you currently (or have in the past) taken this medication.

Thank you & God Bless ~

 

[_sunshinegirl]

4childofGod - http://www.christianforums.com/t1958931-.html is the seroquel thread. many great things, i was very stable, however in my experience (i've been on it over a year) i gained significant weight, that wasn't helping my self esteem.

Zita - are you serious? amazing. well i read on the website & it said abilify was least likely to make you gain weight (if anything 2.2 lbs a year), but some of the side effects are a bit un-nerving (restlessness, anxiety, insomnia) which mr dr said can be helped by benadryl

 

[4childofgod]

I can't believe you wrote this thread!! I just got put on Abilify 2 days ago!!! I'm off the serequeol! I pray That this works. I'm really happy about it. Hopefully I'll lose the weight I gained since the serequeol..
GOD BLESS!!
Zita

I gained weight on the seroquel to depressing! I'm glad to know it has the same symptoms on others.

 

[NewCovenant]

I gained weight on Seroquel, but I feel so stable, I don't want to go off of it. This is the strongest I have felt in years.

 

[jonwsj]

I switched from Zyprexa to Abilify about 6 months ago. My drowsiness under the Zyprexa is gone, and the deadness of my emotions is gone too! I'm able to shed tears of joy now, and tears of compassion, whereas before I only had joy and compassion _without_ the tears.

One thing to watch out for with Abilify is insomnia, especially if you're used to taking a drug that knocks you out. Stopping a "sleepy" drug and starting an "insomnia" drug can be a double-whammy. Insomnia is great sometimes, because you can get so much stuff done with all the extra time, but you'll eventually feel exhausted and still unable to sleep.

So my doctor had me keep a few of my Zyprexa pills on hand to use occasionally as a sleep aid. It works. I sleep short nights of sleep all week due to the insomnia, and then catch up on the weekends by taking a 7.5 mg pill of Zyprexa to knock me out for 9 hours. It helps me recover great!

I'm very happy that I switched to Abilify. It's almost as if the Zyprexa was a "drug" that quenched the Holy Spirit, whereas Abilify lets me feel the emotions of the Holy Spirit that I didn't have before--although not to the extremes of mania and depression as I had before. Just normal emotions like most non-bipolars have.

Keep us posted as to how you do.

Peace,
--Jon

 

[Nan1]

Abilify is an excellent med, especially if you're in school. Helps (in my opinion) to stay more focused than other meds. Sometimes the drowsiness of other meds can disconnect you. It helped my son greatly when he used it. He is now on (believe it or not) Seroquel. Neither drug affected his weight, though. He is much younger, though and is going through a great growing spurt. Hope this helps. Oh, on another note, if overmedicated (trying to determine what dose was best for him) he became agitated and needed a physical outlet (like jiggling his leg or foot) for his nervousness. Just FYI.

 

[Jeshu]

Abilify has been a good drug for me. It took me some time to get used to at first but it has stabilized me nicely. Recommend it.

 

[_sunshinegirl]

well thank you all for replying, like you mentioned (jonwsj) I am a bit worried about the insomnia, but i've got a partner perscription to some sleep aid to help knock me out .. it the one perscribed doesn't work i'm going to try out lunesta (sp)

 

[Nan1]

Hey, Sunshine...what I did for my son was give him the Abilify in the AM. I'm not sure when you take yours or if it's the time released kind, but this did help him. He also took PM meds that made him sleepy (but not specifically for sleeping, so everything worked in concert.

 

[_sunshinegirl]

Hey, Sunshine...what I did for my son was give him the Abilify in the AM. I'm not sure when you take yours or if it's the time released kind, but this did help him. He also took PM meds that made him sleepy (but not specifically for sleeping, so everything worked in concert.

well right now I take my seroquel (i think i have about 2 weeks left) at night, so taking an am medication will sure be different, but THANKS for the tip. I was just going to take it at night too, however I can see how that would be an issue.

 

[Zita123]

Does abilify make you sleepy. I have upped my dose every week like they said. this is my 2nd week on 10 mg and I feel like it is time released or something. By the afternoon, I'm so tired it's crazy!!
Please let me know??
Thanks guy!!
Zita

Abilify has been a good drug for me. It took me some time to get used to at first but it has stabilized me nicely. Recommend it.

 

[4childofgod]

Hi guys,
got any ideas on how to try to convince the Doc of trying new meds? Like abilify he is very stern and not up to much change for anything?

 

[Zita123]

The doc doesn't want you on it? or won't take you off it?
Zita

Hi guys,
got any ideas on how to try to convince the Doc of trying new meds? Like abilify he is very stern and not up to much change for anything?

 

[Shalia]

Am I the only one that HATED Abilify with a passion? Like the heat of a thousand suns?

It was anxiety in a bottle for me. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I wanted to slowly peel my skin off so I didn't have to feel it crawling. I contemplated actually DOING that. I became so social phobic I couldn't leave my house. Any noise made me cry. I couldn't handle any stress at all. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get my mind to slow down.

Oh, how I hated Abilify. I took it for only a few days, and because of it's insane halflife I was stuck with it in my system for another 4 days <or more? Darn it, need to go look up the halflife again, I know Abilify is one you can dose every other day if you need to cause it's so long> so I felt horrible for days afterwards too.

Never ever ever again.

 

[Zita123]

Everybody takes to all meds differently. What works for you might not for me and the other way around.
The main thing is , as long as you found one that works for you, that's half the battle!
Good luck,
and GOD BLESS!
Zita

Am I the only one that HATED Abilify with a passion? Like the heat of a thousand suns?

It was anxiety in a bottle for me. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I wanted to slowly peel my skin off so I didn't have to feel it crawling. I contemplated actually DOING that. I became so social phobic I couldn't leave my house. Any noise made me cry. I couldn't handle any stress at all. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get my mind to slow down.

Oh, how I hated Abilify. I took it for only a few days, and because of it's insane halflife I was stuck with it in my system for another 4 days <or more? Darn it, need to go look up the halflife again, I know Abilify is one you can dose every other day if you need to cause it's so long> so I felt horrible for days afterwards too.

Never ever ever again.

 

[4childofgod]

The doc doesn't want you on it? or won't take you off it?
Zit
\a

No I'm on Seroquel for the last 8 mo I would like to try abilify but the doctor does not seem to be open to a change!

 

[_sunshinegirl]

Well your dr can't keep you on Seroquel if you don't want to be on it ..
I think thats illegal.

_

Erm, so this am was my first morning of Abilify, last night sucked because I didn't have anything to make me sleep ~ so I didn't crash until 4:30:am ... So far its been quite weird, I've had some weird feelings (body wise) and right now I am in pain, on my left side (don't think its from meds)
I'm just hoping I can sleep a little during lunch. I'm sure that will make me feel better.

 

[Zita123]

Well, I have 2 more days to go and it will be a full 2 weeks. I had alot to get used to but now, I feel ok.
Hope that helps.
Zita

Well your dr can't keep you on Seroquel if you don't want to be on it ..
I think thats illegal.

_

Erm, so this am was my first morning of Abilify, last night sucked because I didn't have anything to make me sleep ~ so I didn't crash until 4:30:am ... So far its been quite weird, I've had some weird feelings (body wise) and right now I am in pain, on my left side (don't think its from meds)
I'm just hoping I can sleep a little during lunch. I'm sure that will make me feel better.