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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
I've been on 2 mg for the past two days. The pdoc told me to take it in the morning but all I've done is lay on the couch and be non-functional. Also my depression is no better.
What are others' experiences with Abilify? I thought it was supposed to cause agitation and insomnia.
Posted by Phillipa on April 15, 2012, at 15:32:42
In reply to Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
Haven't taken it could you take it at night. Gee so many on this med and no responses? Phillipa
Posted by Emme_v2 on April 15, 2012, at 16:14:14
In reply to Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
> I've been on 2 mg for the past two days. The pdoc told me to take it in the morning but all I've done is lay on the couch and be non-functional. Also my depression is no better.
>
> What are others' experiences with Abilify? I thought it was supposed to cause agitation and insomnia.I take it at night. You might want to try that and see if it helps.
I've never been agitated on it. If anything, it makes me a bit logy.
Two days is a bit soon to know if it'll help you. I saw results in about 4-5 days, but that may not be the case for everyone.
Good luck.
Posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 18:09:34
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy » Raisinb, posted by Emme_v2 on April 15, 2012, at 16:14:14
Yes, I'm going to start taking it at night. Logy is a good word for the feeling it gives me.
Posted by Emme_v2 on April 15, 2012, at 18:56:41
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy » Emme_v2, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 18:09:34
> Yes, I'm going to start taking it at night. Logy is a good word for the feeling it gives me.
I use a low dose of Focalin (related to Ritalin) to help offset that loginess. If Abilify ends up working well for your depression, you may be able to augment with something if you're left a bit draggy.
Posted by emmanuel98 on April 15, 2012, at 19:04:25
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy » Raisinb, posted by Emme_v2 on April 15, 2012, at 18:56:41
I had no side effects from abilify at all. I felt like I had just taken a vitamin, yet I felt my depression lift within days. The side effect was that I would start gaining weight at alarming rates almost as soon as I started. I tried again and again, mixing it with cytomel, topomax, metformin. But I still gained 2-3 pounds week.
Other that that, it made me feel great, not tired, not depressed.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 15, 2012, at 21:53:22
In reply to Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
Raisinb,
I take 5 mg of Abilify, and the medication seems to significantly reduce the severity of my positive psychotic symptoms (ideas of reference, sound hallucinations, pseudohallucinations, and tendency toward delusional thinking), and it also seems to help a bit with my depressive symptoms (lack of energy, psychomotor retardation, hypersomnia, anhedonia, difficulty concentrating, and circadian-rhythm abnormalities). I don't feel any more tired taking 5 mg of Abilify than I did before I started taking the medication. In fact, I was able to get out of bed earlier than usual and felt more energetic during my first few weeks on Abilify, and I still feel these effects to a lesser extent. When I took higher doses of Abilify (7 mg and 10 mg), my depressive symptoms became a lot more severe. I basically felt so drained that I could barely move. So, for me, the way in which Abilify has affected my energy level has depended on the dose of medication that I was taking. It seems from what I've read that most people who take Abilify tend to notice more energy at lower doses, but I certainly don't doubt that you've been feeling sleepy and having trouble functioning at 2 mg.
I agree with what Emme_v2 said about giving the Abilify more time. I personally felt somewhat more agitated than usual on Abilify during my first few days on the medication, but that effect thankfully didn't last for very long. I think it could be possible that some of the unwanted effects that you're currently experiencing on Abilify might subside or at least become somewhat less severe after you've been on the medication for a few more days.
I hope that your fatigue and feelings of not being able to function will become less of a problem for you soon.
Tomatheus
Posted by michael on April 16, 2012, at 9:52:37
In reply to Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
> I've been on 2 mg for the past two days. The pdoc told me to take it in the morning but all I've done is lay on the couch and be non-functional. Also my depression is no better.
>
> What are others' experiences with Abilify? I thought it was supposed to cause agitation and insomnia.Hi,
I take wellbutrin XL 450 mg. Added 2.5 mg of abilify, and experienced restlessness - found myself getting up to pace a bit, rather than remaining seated (akathesia - sp? I think). Had difficulty sitting still for more than a short time. Also only slept about 4 hours a night. I think my energy was okay - that's one of my primary challenges.
Tried raising the dose to 5 mg, and it turned into a sleeping pill. Slept nearly all the time - except for eating, really - if I recall correctly. Though for context, I had that response to essentially all of the newer antipsychotics - they knock me out - even at low doses.
Wish I could have found something in between my two experiences... I wonder if I'd be better off with a little more than 2.5 mg, or a little less than 2.5 mg... Unfortunately, it's hard to micro-manage doses to that extent, given the available pill sizes...
In any case, that was my experience - same thing on two different trials, a couple years apart, I think.
michael
Posted by Raisinb on April 16, 2012, at 13:02:08
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by michael on April 16, 2012, at 9:52:37
Thanks for the feedback all.
I'm exhausted and very, very depressed, suicide thoughts all the time, but it has only been a few days so we will see.
Emmanuel, I am eating a lot, which is interesting as usually depression destroys my appetite.
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 16, 2012, at 22:49:19
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 16, 2012, at 13:02:08
I take 30mgs whenever, usually AM. Doesn't usually make me drowsy unless I've been skipping it and have gone off into psychotic and/or agitated state. Then it calms me down a bit too much to use AM.
Do you need a neuroleptic? I take a hefty dose of Abilify, and its great if you have my problems (Bipolar I w/psychotic features, lots of agitation, anxiety, etc.) and might end up in a mental hospital and/or wasting your life w/o some sort of a properly dosed tranquilizer on board.
I'm not trying to question your doc (OK, I am--but just a little), but I am trying to point out that, whatever the dose, Abilify is serious medication. Its also quite expensive. Might you do better (fewer side effects, lower drug acquisition costs) on a different class of medication?
If Abilify works, then awesome. I'm just wondering if maybe you and your doc could look outside the neuroleptics for treatment options.
Posted by Raisinb on April 17, 2012, at 15:23:55
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Christ_empowered on April 16, 2012, at 22:49:19
I guess that's the million dollar question. His thinking is that I am bipolar, so I do need some kind of stabilization. The abilify, theoretically, is to pull me out of the deep depression I'm in, then Lamictal is going to be for maintenance.
I couldn't believe how expensive it is. The dr gave me one of the savings cards, so the med is free the first month and $25 copay after. The bag said, "your insurance saved you $738.99" For one month!
Good thing it's free. The only thing it's done so far is made me sleep and cry a lot.
Posted by Phillipa on April 17, 2012, at 19:18:12
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 17, 2012, at 15:23:55
Well that's not good? Phillipa
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 20, 2012, at 4:40:14
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy » Raisinb, posted by Phillipa on April 17, 2012, at 19:18:12
OK...here's the thing. I have Bipolar I w/ psychotic features, or some sort of moody psychotic disorder, depending on which shrink you ask. I have to take Abilify, or some sort of antipsychotic, in order to stay out of a hospital. Of course, in the hospital, they'd just pump me full of--wait for it, wait for it--antipsychotics and then charge all kindsa $$$. Awesome.
I think antipsychotics aren't nearly as appropriate in your situation. I mean, you can throw diagnoses around all you want to....are you getting better? Doesn't sound like it. Abilify--d2 partial agonism and all that aside--is a tranquilizer. Low doses can be somewhat stimulating for some people, but don't be fooled: its a tranquilizer.
If you had...I dunno...psychotic depression, agitated depression, mixed states, etc., a tranquilizer of some sort at a low-to-moderate dose might be called for. I mean, some people with psychotic depression and/or significant agitation as part of a unipolar depression end up taking higher doses of antipsychotics than people with schizo-whatever or bipolar I. That's psychiatry for you.
But I don't know that the costs, long-term risks, and fairly obvious short-term side effects of the antipsychotics (I do mean the entire class) can be justified in your case. Maybe they can be--in the end, that's between you and your prescriber. I'd just be really, really careful. Neuroleptics are known to cause dysphoria, worsen depression, cause (tardive) akathisia, and, of course, there's tardive dyskinesia to worry about. If your mood problems were severe and/or unresponsive to other forms of treatment, a neuroleptic might be appropriate. Abilify is fairly well-tolerated, as neuroleptics go.
Personally, if I were you, I'd ask for a benzo and ditch the Abilify. Just see if it could happen for you. Benzos help in all sorts of psychiatric situations, ranging from anxiety all the way up to schizophrenia. Xanax (possibly xr), ativan, or valium would be my top picks.
Posted by Raisinb on April 21, 2012, at 23:04:33
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Christ_empowered on April 20, 2012, at 4:40:14
Well, Xanax has been part of my repertoire for a long time, and it's been consistently helpful in treating insomnia. But i don't know if it would help my severe depression--- or at least I'd need a lot more of it!
In good news the ability seems to be kicking in. Feeling not too bad. Having trouble figuring out when to take it. In the morning, I sleep all day. At night, cuts my sleep short and makes it poor quality. Conundrum.
Posted by hrguru on April 27, 2012, at 11:32:13
In reply to Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Raisinb on April 15, 2012, at 15:01:04
I took abilify for the past year and a half, and though there are some side effects at first, it was the BEST depression medication I have ever taken. However, it was making me too lethargic, and I had some weight gain. So my doc switched me to Lamictal.
I would say to give it some time and see how it works. It worked quickly for me, but some of the side effects lingered for about a month. If you don't start gaining weight, in my opinion, going through the side effects in the beginning is worth it! And just because it's an antipsychotic, it doesn't mean you have to have psychotic depression. It's just another option in the antidepressant arsenal.
I wish you the best of luck! And I hope your sleepiness goes away soon!
Posted by Novelagent on May 6, 2012, at 22:48:57
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by hrguru on April 27, 2012, at 11:32:13
You need to take it within the same hour of the day for at least 4-5 days straight for the sleepiness to go away from any antipsychotic. It shouldn't be causing sleepiness besides this, given it's generally an activating drug. Your brain needs to have a steady state in your blood stream. If you want the exact number of days, google steady state abilify...
I take Invega Sustenna, and after the first 3 days of miserable sleep and lethargy, (coma-like; requires a nap just to function every few hours) I no longer have any sleepiness ever again. It's like this with Abilify for me too-- if I skip a dose of an antipsychotic, I have to repeat the lethargy again for another 3-4 days until I return to a steady state in my blood levels of the drug and it goes away. Hence why I don't mess around-- I take Invega Sustenna, which is Risperdal's cousin, once a month in my arm. Same day of the month. That way, I never forget a dose and get tired again.
Are you taking this med at the same exact hour of the day everyday? An hour and a half is too long of a difference.
Posted by Alexei on May 7, 2012, at 16:05:14
In reply to Re: Abilify is making me soooo sleepy, posted by Christ_empowered on April 20, 2012, at 4:40:14
So, is using abilify to augment an AD a good idea... or is there a better option? It may be helping my depression, but this stuff is a sledgehammer. I'm not having the sedation wear off.
You say neuroleptics worsen depression. Then why are they considered as augmenting agents? Abilify must slam dopamine pretty hard... even if it's a d2 partial agonist.
Alexei
> OK...here's the thing. I have Bipolar I w/ psychotic features, or some sort of moody psychotic disorder, depending on which shrink you ask. I have to take Abilify, or some sort of antipsychotic, in order to stay out of a hospital. Of course, in the hospital, they'd just pump me full of--wait for it, wait for it--antipsychotics and then charge all kindsa $$$. Awesome.
>
> I think antipsychotics aren't nearly as appropriate in your situation. I mean, you can throw diagnoses around all you want to....are you getting better? Doesn't sound like it. Abilify--d2 partial agonism and all that aside--is a tranquilizer. Low doses can be somewhat stimulating for some people, but don't be fooled: its a tranquilizer.
>
> If you had...I dunno...psychotic depression, agitated depression, mixed states, etc., a tranquilizer of some sort at a low-to-moderate dose might be called for. I mean, some people with psychotic depression and/or significant agitation as part of a unipolar depression end up taking higher doses of antipsychotics than people with schizo-whatever or bipolar I. That's psychiatry for you.
>
> But I don't know that the costs, long-term risks, and fairly obvious short-term side effects of the antipsychotics (I do mean the entire class) can be justified in your case. Maybe they can be--in the end, that's between you and your prescriber. I'd just be really, really careful. Neuroleptics are known to cause dysphoria, worsen depression, cause (tardive) akathisia, and, of course, there's tardive dyskinesia to worry about. If your mood problems were severe and/or unresponsive to other forms of treatment, a neuroleptic might be appropriate. Abilify is fairly well-tolerated, as neuroleptics go.
>
> Personally, if I were you, I'd ask for a benzo and ditch the Abilify. Just see if it could happen for you. Benzos help in all sorts of psychiatric situations, ranging from anxiety all the way up to schizophrenia. Xanax (possibly xr), ativan, or valium would be my top picks.
>
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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