Posted by SLS on October 30, 2005, at 6:51:28
In reply to Just starting abilify, posted by highone on October 30, 2005, at 2:59:54
> This is my third night of taking 5mg of abilify and the problem I am having is I can't sleep after about 1am for the rest of the night. Is this normal? Will it go away or is it time to stop using it?
>
> Thanks for any help.Hi.
If you don't mind my asking, what are you taking Abilify to help treat?
Abilify can produce anxiety and insomnia when you first begin taking it. These are called "start up" side effects because they usually disappear over time. I take Abilify 5.0mg in the morning and have no trouble sleeping. You might want to try morning doses, at least temporarily. It might or might not help. Abilify has a long half-life. It takes about three days for the body to eliminate half of what was ingested. For this reason, morning dosing is no guarantee that you won't still have insomnia.
With Abilify, some people experience akathisia-like symptoms as a startup side effect. Akathisia is described as a feeling of inner restlessness or motor restlessness. It is hard to keep still. You might find yourself rocking in a chair or pacing or shifting weight from one foot to the other. Although very uncomfortable, this too seems to pass rather quickly with Abilify. I cannot provide statistics for you as to how many people develop akathisia, but the number is high enough such that doctors should really make their patients aware of this as a possibility and that they should continue taking the medication as it soon disappears. It might take a week once it develops to dissipate.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:573275
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051024/msgs/573300.html