Posted by Christ_empowered on April 21, 2016, at 15:09:44
In reply to Returning to Abilify...quick titration?, posted by MuseMemento on April 20, 2016, at 14:29:46
From what I understand...
Low doses are useful in kids and teenagers, and also for milder "issues" in adults. Most people don't achieve control over more serious problems until you hit about 10mgs/day. 15mgs/day was, once upon a time, the standard (and starting) dose. I dunno what it is now...
My former shrinks says lower doses are more stimulating. The stimulating effect is reduced as you go up on dosage. 30mgs is the biggest tablet made and usually the highest daily dose. This is the target dose for mania and I think acute probs with schizophrenia (maybe not...).
To me, 30mgs/day Abilify is...well, its a very tolerable neuroleptic that doesn't make my depression worse or more frequent and doesn't have the side effects of many other options. If I remember correctly, 30mgs/day Abilify is = about 400mgs/Thorazine, 8mgs/Haldol...without the dreadful side effects of both those 2, older meds and many other "atypical" options.
I dunno what's up with low dose Abilify for adults w/MDD. Back in the day, some depressive epsidoes were treated, at least in part, with the older neuroleptics, but side effects and later TD lawsuits made that less common.
When I was on 20mgs/Abilify, I had an easier time of things than off of it. I'm on 30 because I later tapered to 15, freaked out, and doubled the dose...and I'm still on it, lol.
I don't know about this "dopamine stabilizer" business. Abilify takes over D2 receptors and can stimulate them a bit, so EPS and (hopefully) TD are less of an issue. Abilify is farily high potency; if I remember correctly, 30mgs/day occupies over 90% d2 receptors. Usually, once you hit 80ish%, EPS starts kicking in...with abilify, the partial agonism at d2 receptors keeps EPS low (on the aggregate level; individual results may vary).
And...that's about all I know. Abilify is much more tolerable (for me and a lot of other people) than many other options. No probs with prolactin, cardiovascular stuff, heavy sedation, less EPS, less dysphoria, less cognitive blunting.
It is, however, still a neuroleptic. TD is still a very real risk, for instance. I take b vitamins and antioxidants to reduce my TD risk, personally (the orthomolecular people say it helps...so far, so good).
Hope this helps.
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:1088335
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20160331/msgs/1088363.html