Member Medication Review: Abilify

By Merely Me Thursday, February 04, 2010

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Hi guys!

It has been awhile since we have done a medication review. One of our members spoke about taking Abilify and so I thought this would be a good medication to review next.

Here is the information we have on our site about Abilify.

What is Abilify used for? "Aripiprazole is used to treat certain mental/mood disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia). Aripiprazole is known as an antipsychotic drug (atypical type). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters)." Here is the official Abilify web site which says that you can also be prescribed Abilify as an add-on to improve the effectiveness of your antidepressant.

We would like to hear from our members who are taking this medication how it is working for you. If you could answer these questions that would be great and will help others who are wanting to know more about the experience of taking this particular medication.

1. What was your experience like taking Abilify?

2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you?

3. What improvements did you notice?

4. What were the side effects if any?

5. If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals?

Thanks to all who participate in our member medication reviews. You can help others on the site by talking about your experiences.

Member Medication Review: Paxil

Comments (17) | Add comment

Judy

2/ 5/10 4:16pm

Hey, MM, I see no one has replied yet and while I haven't taken Abilify, my son who has autism and a developmental disability is in the process of getting off it right now. He's taken it for years, initially because despite being on antidepressants, he was very irritable and moody, which was affecting him on his job in a very negative way. It did help that quite a bit. We tried taking him off it cold turkey at one time and he started feeling irritable in just a few days. Last week, we got a new psychiatrist (thank God, a decent one this time) and asked about getting off it because he has gained a lot of weight since he started it, so he is cutting his dosage VERY slowly - so far, he hasn't felt any difference, which is good. It makes me wonder why the previous doctor didn't wean him off it instead of stopping it suddenly. I guess I know why - he really didn't care about his patients. Anyway, that's been my son's experience with it. I'm sure there must be some others around who use or have used it.

Merely Me

2/ 5/10 9:23pm

Hi Judy!

Thanks for this...yes I have heard of folk who have autism taking this medication. That psychiatrist was not good to let your son go cold turkey...I am so glad he has a better doctor now.

Well I was hearing from some members about Abilify so that is why I chose this medication to discuss so I do hope they come and join in the discussion. We are going to try to put all the medication reviews somewhere on the site where everyone can find them. So stay tuned!

Thanks for your feedback...it is much appreciated!

Donna-1

2/25/10 3:04pm

I only tried Abilify for 2-3 weeks. It made me so physically agitated that I was literally walking on the balls of my feet and bouncing up and down. I couldn't be still. I couldn't go to sleep, either. It was a nightmare experience. So I switched to Geodon, and had the same reaction.

Donna

mdonnel

7/25/10 12:08am

I am currently on abilify and have been for almost 3 years. Initially i experienced what you have described but was then put on cogentin to help with that and have had no furthr problems.

tnmom

4/ 1/10 5:12pm

My teen was diagnosed with bipolar type 2. After unsuccessful attempts with Lamictal, the doctor switched her to abilify eventually to a dosage of 15 mg. During her stay at a therapeutic wilderness camp, the dosage was cut to 7.5 mg. We would like to wean her off, but am finding it impossible to locate a psychiatrist that will tell us how to do it. What is an acceptable weaning approach?

patsyg

9/ 1/10 8:14am

If the weaning approach of the camp worked without negative effects, you might try their way. If you don't know how it was done, you could request their medical records on your teen. You have/your teen has a legal right to them under HIPAA. It may be that your teen and you also should sign the form for mental health records and request that they be sent to you. There is a HIPAA release form at the following site: http://www.caring.com/forms/hipaa-release-form/free-hipaa-release-form.pdf

patsy

Laura

5/28/10 5:27am

1. What was your experience like taking Abilify?

Not good. I'm sure Abilify works well for many people, and I've read a lot of accounts of people for whom Abilify massively helped their depression. But as far as mood goes, whilst Abilify seriously reduced my hypo/manic episodes, it did absolutely nothing for my depression: instead of beind depressed most of the time, I was depressed all of the time, and either the Abilify itself or the protracted period of depression lead to yet deeper depression.

It did help me sleep, though, and without the lethargy and exhaustion that I've experienced with other antipsychotics.

2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you?

My sleep pattern improved very quickly. It took a few weeks for my hypo/manic symptoms to practically disappear.

3. What improvements did you notice?

Better sleep, less hypo/mania.

4. What were the side effects if any?

Early on in taking Abilify, I experienced some relatively mild headaches, as well as a slightly odd sort of flickering in my vision. These side effects were gone within a couple of weeks. I also experienced what I now recognise to be some mild dissociation (I experienced a much more severe version of this when taking Zyprexa, so I suspect that it's something I'm vulnerable to with antipsychotics).

5. If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals?

I quit taking this drug because it did absolutely nothing for my depressive symptoms, which were the most destructive to my life (I know most psychiatrists would rather a patient was depressed than manic, but after months of uninterrupted depression, there comes a point when you simply have to lift your mood, even at the risk of a manic episode). I didn't suffer from any withdrawal symptoms.

mdonnel

7/25/10 12:16am

Hi-

I hope it isn't too late for this but here it is.

1. What was your experience like taking Abilify?

I have been taking abilify since October 2007. I suffered from major depression with psychosis. I have been very thankful to have it as an option.

2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you?

Initially it seemed to work immediatlly by getting rid of my pschosis overnight. It did take longer to get rid of my depression symptoms.

3. What improvements did you notice?

I no longer was suffering from any sort of psychosis and suffered from much milder forms of depression.

4. What were the side effects if any?

When I first started Abilify It made me extremely tired. I couldn't function normally for about 4 days but eventually my body got used to it. I still find it hard to concentrate. I currently am on cogentin for dyskenisia as a side effect.

5. If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals?

I am still taking it.

Mom on the edge

9/14/11 3:08pm

Please keep me updated on this! I'm so curious to see how well this medcation works with psychosis

patsyg

9/ 1/10 8:21am

My psychiatrist prescribed Abilify as an adjunct to my antidepressants, but I've always avoided the anti-psychotics. I am scared to try this one. I know it's helped people with depression, but I am still afraid for several reasons. One reason is that any change of antidepressant has the possibility of triggering migraines for me. I have to go up and come off antidepressants much more slowly than anyone else I know to keep from being sick with migraines. Also, there has been so much negative information in the news about the "second-generation anti-psychotics," of which Abilify is one.

patsy

Ayara

10/23/10 6:49pm

Please note: I am a very new Abilify user, but felt that some of the early-stage responses would help. I've literally only been on this for 3 days.

1. What was your experience like taking Abilify? I was a bit concerned about going on Abilify at first, simply because of the fact it was an anti-psychotic and the term "forced" me to admit that I had more than just an anxiety disorder (add major depression to my list). I had not been on any medication in about 2 months, so was prescribed Abilify 5mg with Prozac. So far my symptoms "seem" to have let up slightly or don't linger as long when they do occur.

2. How long did it take until it "worked" for you? N/A at this point

3. What improvements did you notice? Depression not as bad/doesn't lurk as long, anxiety reduced but not gone (currently experiencing back-to-back panic attacks ranging in severity)

4. What were the side effects if any? Fatigue, nausea, waking up in middle of night and unable to go back to sleep (I take Lunesta to sleep), BAD dizzy spells while at work on day 3 (never occurred before).

5. If you quit taking this drug what was the reason? And did you suffer from any withdrawals? N/A

BRDave26

12/ 4/10 4:05pm

1. I have had great success with Abilify

2.It took 2-4 weeks to kick in.

3. I was less emotional, less depressed, didn't have ant hypomanic states.

4.I've experienced no side effects from Abilify and I think it helps my other meds.

5. I ran out once and went 5 days without, I got exremely depressed.

lisa

2/19/11 11:52pm

Hi all,

I have been takig Abilify with Cymbalta for almost 6 years for manic-depression. since starting abilify, I have had no manic cycles and in fact, when I started the medication, I was high cycling and it brought me down to normal, allowing me to finish my master's degree. I have had only two serious bouts with depression since being on abilify (one incident i count more as grief than depression). Abilify, although very expensive and thank God for my insurance, truly is a miracle drug.

Lisa

Marilyn N Richardson

4/27/11 1:09pm

My dad takes Abilify as he is Bipolar. He also takes Depakote and Celexa. He has some major side effects like confusion, ability to concentrate, Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), etc. He has also had the side effects of dysphagia, akathisia, excessive hunger, etc.

The Tardive Dyskinesia is a little embarrassing to him and makes him harder to understand when he talks. It drives me crazy really and I feel sorry for him having to deal with that.

Is there another one to take besides Abilify? Should we just try the Depakote and Celexa without Abilify?

Thanks so much!

Marilyn

holdingbacktyrs

5/ 1/11 1:04am

I have been on Abilify (20 mgs) for 3 years and have to say it does pretty well for me. However, it took months to adjust to this drug. I was very restless with akasthasia at first, but Cogentin took care of that (I recently was weened off Cogentin to see if it would improve my memory which has caused me severe work issues).

For the first few months I felt flat, like I was in a mental straight jacket (well I suppose that is what it is supposed to do though). We tried Wellbutrin in combination, but that did not work well. However, the combination of Lamicatal and Abilify work well to manage my bipolar symptoms and made me feel less flat. I don't get too depressed or too manic, though l never do get to forget that I am bipolar.

I have forgotten 2 doses in the last 3 years. Both times were rather frightening, I could barely drive home from work--though I forgot my Lamicatal and Cogentin as well so I don't know how much was due to Abilify.

In the past 2 months, when I went off Cogentin, I had a hypomanic eposide. So, I suppose all meds form a piece of a big puzzle and unless you are on monotherapy, it is hard to say what does what.

Hope that helps

Megan

5/ 2/11 1:40pm

I stopped taking Abilify just because I wanted to lose weight. I had only gained about 5 pounds in the 2 years I was taking it, but I was moving to california and wanted to look good in a bikini. I went totally crazy after I got to California without the Abilify. I ended up without the job I went there for, and actually ended up homeless on the beach. I ended in a Behavioral Health Ward for about two months before I was released to an Indepedent living facility.

Do not go off this medication without talking to your Doctor first!!!!

Mom on the edge

9/14/11 3:14pm

My oldest son took abilify (10mg) along with prozac & adderall for a myriad of issues (add, depression, moos swings). For him it did not work at all. He gained a ton of weight. Now (five years later) he is drug free & doing quite well.

My seventeen year old Aspergers kiddo is now suffering from depression, GAD, & psychosis. (We're actually beginning a re-eval to try & narrow down his diagnosis since bipolar runs in my family) First he was on risperidone .25 mg but the Pdoc switched him to prozac 30 mg with Abilify (for the voices) 1 mg titering to 2mg then possibly 5 mg. he is very sensitive to meds so we are going very slowly.

The first couple of days he still heard sporadic voices & was VERY tired. Now he seems (at one week) to be doing well. Voices are gone. His appetite is quite large, but he's active & I'm working on diet principles since this looks to be a lifelong battle for him & all the 2nd gen antipsychotics cause weight gain.

I'm praying this works.

I'd love feedback from others who've had some success (as most posts are so negative & scary).

Cheers!

Member Medication Review: Abilify

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