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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
Hi folks...(warning...**SI Trigger below**)
I started Abilify about 2 weeks ago, and am having MAJOR problems with this med. I chose it because it supposedly lacked many of the metabolic and such qualities of the other atypical antipsychotics, like Zyprexa and Risperdal.
Well, just after a few days, and into weeks, I wound up having problems with agitation, sleeping, some weight gain, blood sugar probs, major fatigue, sexual problems...just to start. And they have gotten worse...some have stayed about the same. Yes, I looked around the internet and found some can have these problems with Abilify. I found a couple of studies on Medline that said Abilify "immediately" was good for agitation, and a number of other studies that say that Abilify causes suicidal ideation and was best as a 'last resort' medication.
I really don't understand this med, and I don't think the medical community does too well either.
Again, some may be doing great on it, and that is excellent. But there seems to be many unanswered questions about it. Especially regarding it's effect on blood sugar, which it caused a definite increase in mine.Any similar experiences with any aspects of the above? Thanks kindly (and desperately!!)...
Jay
Posted by Dinah on January 13, 2008, at 16:35:41
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
I've heard it can be "activating".
I'm no expert but I know that activating is not good for me at all. Maybe it's not good for you either.
Have you called your doctor?
Posted by rskontos on January 13, 2008, at 16:44:46
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
Jay Bravest Face
Have you checked with Crazymeds.org they have a whole section on Abilify and how it affects the system. I have find a lot of meds information on that site and someone from this site recommended it a long time ago. It is a no nonsense very accurate site with some very smart people running and monitoring the site. Check it out.
rsk
Posted by Phillipa on January 13, 2008, at 19:52:41
In reply to Re: Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!** » Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe, posted by rskontos on January 13, 2008, at 16:44:46
Jay what were you on before the abilify heard activating too? Love Phillipa
Posted by CareBear04 on January 13, 2008, at 22:52:07
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
hey jay-- i don't know much about Abilify's affect on metabolic and other functions, but i do symphathize with you. i've had two experiences with abilify, neither of them good. the first time, i started at 10mg and was only on it for about a week. i was having hallucinations and akathisia, and my pdoc switched me to one of the old APs. this was within a year of abilify's release in the US. about a year later, i was put on it again, and this time, i was kept on it for much longer, and at 30mg. even at that high dose, i dont' think abilify did anything for me at all. it didn't help with anxiety, mood, psychotic symptoms... anything at all. i guess i was kept on it because there were no noticeable side effects, either. i actually wonder if this isn't the reason many people are put on and maintained on abilify-- because, compared to other APs, it's fairly benign for most people, and NOT because it's effective. then, as with you, there are people who suffer lots of side effects from it.
given its limited effectiveness profile, if your symtpoms are causing serious distress, i would probably switch to something else. i guess with anything there's that tradeoff between effectivenss and side effects, but since we're all different, maybe you'll find a med that strikes a workable balance for you.
good luck!
cb
Posted by star008 on January 14, 2008, at 7:34:34
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
My experience with abilify was not a good one .. I didn't have as many side effects as you are having but it generally made me sick.. I couldn't regulate my body temp. and felt like i was going to pass out alot..I took it in the summer and couldn't handle the heat at all.. What i remember the most was the feeling of weakness and the feeling that I as going to pass out. I hated it..
Posted by Jeroen on January 14, 2008, at 11:03:22
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
hi there, ive taken this med, and it does the same with me
you are right it controls psychosis in 2-4 hours, at day 10 it causes agitation, all the things you mention ...some do well but that's 1% the rest gets this
Posted by bleauberry on January 14, 2008, at 18:23:51
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
Some people do great with abilify. But you are one of many at pbabble that has had serious problems with it.
No idea why. While we usually think in terms of serotonin, dopamine, agonism, antagonism, and such, I was surprised to learn that most of these drugs affect our genes by either turning certain ones on or turning certain ones off. Zyprexa for example turns on or off over 50 different genes, some of them having to do with mood resulting in benefits, and some of them having to do with metabolic processes resulting in weight gain. I would not be surprised if abilify's complicated agonism/antagonism mechanism along with whatever genetic influences it has is just not right for your biochemistry.
If it were me I would stop, probably by weaning off as fast as I could rather than stopping it cold turkey. Best to call your doc about that.
Posted by binarywoman on January 22, 2008, at 8:57:28
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
My son had the same problems with agitation that you had with Abilify. He took it for bipolar I and it made things worse. He said it felt like there was electricity coursing through his body. After he broke our storm door, it was discontinued.
It's a fairly new drug, and I don't know about you but I always hope when a new drug comes out that it's going to be the "one".
Posted by rina on January 22, 2008, at 18:37:33
In reply to Re: Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by bleauberry on January 14, 2008, at 18:23:51
My initial response to Abilify a year ago was horrible. It made me totally flat. Now that I have a different med cocktail, it's wonderful.
Topamax 200mg/evening
Lexapro 20mg/morning
Abilify 10mg/evening
Lamictal 200mg/evening
Vitamin2000/morning
Posted by Zyprexa on January 22, 2008, at 21:52:13
In reply to Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Jay_BrAvEsT_FaCe on January 13, 2008, at 16:28:07
All the same, except, it lowered my blood sugar, emensly. I had to eat eat sugar. Does not mater how long you take it, it just gets worse and takes longer to recover. Once back on the zyprexa. Its deffinitly not a substitute for zyprexa.
Posted by rina on January 25, 2008, at 13:08:24
In reply to Re: Abilify- ****Need Desperate Help Please!!!!!*****, posted by Zyprexa on January 22, 2008, at 21:52:13
I love the Abilify but the sugar I noticed the other day is starting to increase and yesterday I started sweating and almost fainted!
This is the end of the thread.
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