Posted by alvin on June 15, 2005, at 8:10:14
In reply to Re: ANYONE-Tips to preventNausea/Vomiting on Abilify?? » Alvin, posted by Sabina on June 13, 2005, at 23:09:55
Sabina,
Thank you for sharing your personal situation. I spoke to my pdoc, who has suggested that if the nausea persists, even after starting with half of 2.5 mg abilify and following some of the anti-nausea techniques you suggested, I should add .25 mg Haldol to help with nausea. Apparently haldol at such a low dose, is used to help cancer patients with chemo deal with nausea, something I did not realize. I plan to give the abilify another try, by halving my 2.5 mg dose at the beginning, just to see how the nausea goes. Hopefully, it will dissipate and I'll have as successful an experience with abilify as you are having. My best to you and thanks so much for giving me the encouragement of your good experiences ...
> I am Bipolar II with ultra rapid cycling and mixed states. I suppose I've always had anxiety, ever since I was a child, even though that's not part of my official dx. I managed, hid, and covered my symptoms through various crafty means for many years until a complete physical breakdown from Fibromyalgia triggered an exacerbation of my BPII symptoms.
>
> I realize that some people aren't keen on atypicals, but they've been great for me. I tend to hear and see things that aren't there when I don't get enough rest so they're actually a must for me. Seroquel saved my life; but after two years working hard to get through physical recovery mode, I just needed something more activating, as I was simply too sedated yet ready to join the world again. Now I'm more motivated than I could have imagined but without being hypomanic. I was worried about not being able to sleep, but I take the Abilify in the mornings and that seems to do the trick. For those times when I do become anxious, I have .50 Xanax. I'm also on a small (100mg) maintenance dose of Topamax. It keeps me feeling centered and my urge to self medicate with alcohol at bay. Alcohol was never a problem for me, only a med substitution before I had a pdoc and insurance! I'm a believer in taking the bare minimum to get by and I'm doing just that.
>
> Oh yeah, I also take Soma and Hydrocodone as needed for pain, which translates as Miltown and Opiates in the Psych realm, strictly speaking. After more than two years on Soma and one on Hydrocodone, I've never increased my dosage and still experience good effects from that combo. As far as increasing my quality of life (I've also got back pain from surgeries), I cannot underestimate what these two drugs have done for both my physical well being and my mood (due to the fact that I can participate in so many more activities).
>
> That's probably more information than you needed. Sorry. I hope that things go well with your pdoc. Titrating slowly is always a good idea. Find what works for you. When I started Topamax, I didn't think I'd make it; but s-l-o-w titration was the key. Good luck!
>
> Sabina
poster:alvin
thread:511789
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050611/msgs/513043.html