Posted by hrguru on May 2, 2012, at 12:23:43
In reply to Re: Withdrawal from Abilify? » hrguru, posted by SLS on April 28, 2012, at 13:10:45
Thanks for responding to my post!
My doctor switched me from abilify to lamictal, because the abilify was causing weight gain and fatigue. My doctor told me to cut the dose in half, and take 2.5 mg for one month, and then down to 2 mg for 2 weeks, then 1 mg for two weeks, then go off of it. I'm still taking 1 mg, but I will be going off of it soon. I have had panic attacks in the past, but they are rare for me. I usually have them when changing medications, but they have been particularly frequent since I started coming off the abilify.
The reason I think it's the abilify withdrawal that's causing this, is because when I made the first decrease in dosage (from 5 to 2.5), I had the panic attacks and irritability for about three weeks, and then I was fine for about a week. Until I decreased the dosage again.
It could be a relapse, but I am so sensitive to medications, it's hard to tell. And the anxiety, depression, and irritability "episodes" are so short-lived, that it doesn't remind me of my illness. But who knows?! I am just hoping that once I'm totally off the abilify, the panic attacks, etc won't continue.
Again, thanks for your post!
poster:hrguru
thread:1016554
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120425/msgs/1016946.html