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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JMS600 on January 12, 2011, at 13:57:10
Has anyone ever had any luck with Abilify for the treatment of GAD and panic disorder with co-depression??
Thanks
Posted by MissThang on January 15, 2011, at 2:43:40
In reply to Abilify for anxiety??, posted by JMS600 on January 12, 2011, at 13:57:10
Abilify has been very helpful to me with GAD...I've taken a variety of doses, but it seems like 15mg or so was enough to do the trick. It gave me cravings for sweets, but it definitely helped the anxiety I was experiencing with depression. I stopped taking it just because I've put on weight and while the abilify was not solely responsible, it didn't help in that regard.
Posted by emme on January 19, 2011, at 7:23:11
In reply to Abilify for anxiety??, posted by JMS600 on January 12, 2011, at 13:57:10
> Has anyone ever had any luck with Abilify for the treatment of GAD and panic disorder with co-depression??
>
> Thanks
Yes, it helps both depression and anxiety for me. I don't have panic disorder, so I can't weigh in on that. When I started, it only took about 4-5 days to kick in, so I knew pretty quickly that it would be useful. Good luck.emme
Posted by floatingbridge on January 20, 2011, at 0:33:24
In reply to Re: Abilify for anxiety??, posted by MissThang on January 15, 2011, at 2:43:40
Hi Miss Thang,
There isn't much one can do about the weight gain on Abilify. Yes, one can crave those sweets, but one time someone here (Linkage?) explained that it's in the chemical action of the med. Even those who resist overeating gain weight. It comes hard wired into that tiny, potent pill. So it ain't just you :)
fb
Posted by MissThang on January 20, 2011, at 6:14:05
In reply to Re: Abilify for anxiety?? » MissThang, posted by floatingbridge on January 20, 2011, at 0:33:24
FB,
You know, I was actually on abilify for nearly 2 yrs and for most of that time, I managed to resist the sweets cravings and keep the weight off, so I don't know that it's true that it's absolutely built into the pill. It wasn't really until I went off wellbutrin and went on parnate (with the abilify), that the sweets cravings just drove me batty and I gave into them big time and I'm now paying the price with 15 extra lbs over 2 months. (When I went off the abilify, I stopped craving/gaining).
I'm now off parnate (it was a nightmare for me) and am trying to go back on the wellbutrin, but I seem to have reset my anxiety meter to "high" after discontinuing the parnate cause I can't seem to go up to 300mg of wellbutrin without having major panick attacks. (I was on 450mg of wellbutrin previously along with vyvanse and my anxiety level with that wasn't as bad as it is now on 150mg).
I wish I could find something else that works as well for the anxiety as abilify does...I seem to have a touch of dyskenesia whenever I take abilify and I think if I go on it again, I'm just rolling the dice too much with the risk of getting dyskenesia permanantly.
I've already developed a bit of a tolerance for xanax, so my dr. won't prescribe more than 1mg/day of it for me for fear that I'll get totally addicted.
If anyone has any ideas on how to treat the rebound anxiety I'm still getting, I'd love to hear your input...
Posted by floatingbridge on January 20, 2011, at 13:35:23
In reply to Abilify for anxiety??, posted by JMS600 on January 12, 2011, at 13:57:10
JMS, abilify was one of the first things my pdoc tried--anxiety is a problem for me. It almost worked. It might work for you. I developed the twitching Miss Thang referred to, plus increased depression.
Hope you get some positive feedback. It works wonders for some.
fb
Posted by Alexei on May 4, 2012, at 17:25:36
In reply to Abilify for anxiety??, posted by JMS600 on January 12, 2011, at 13:57:10
> Has anyone ever had any luck with Abilify for the treatment of GAD and panic disorder with co-depression??
>
> Thanks
I've just started abilify 2.5mg and it's making my anxiety worse so far. Is this a side effect that will improve as time passes? I know it is helping depression.I am very very patient, but will this get better? I'm leery of going up to 5mg, as I fear it will get worse.
I welcome any thoughts/opinions ... Thanx
Posted by Novelagent on May 6, 2012, at 22:28:41
In reply to Re: Abilify for anxiety?? » JMS600, posted by Alexei on May 4, 2012, at 17:25:36
In the history of antipsychotics, no one has ever had anxiety reduced more than a sedating histamine like Vistaril might accomplish; of the absurdly limited anxiety reduction antipsychotics offer, only drugs ending with -pine (quintipine/seroquel is one; Zyprexa / olzapine is another; I forget what the name for Abilify is) have any effect that is even close to being more than an aside of the antihistaminergic properties of the drug...
The notion antipsychotics are justified for use in anxiety alone, given this, is beyond absurd. I have schizophreniform, and even I wonder whether a single psychotic episode that lasted 24 hours once and never relapsed justifies a shot in the arm of Invega Sustenna once a month for a year now... And it looks like it's indefinite now. (No one wants to test fate and see if it just went away).
But come on. If psychosis could be kept at bay by just taking a klonopin, for crying out loud, I would not justify having to take an antipsychotic. My legs have inner restlessness so bad I'm on 40mg of Inderall each day if I'm not on Dexedrine (Dexedrine treats akathsia better).
What on Earth is wrong with klonopin? Do you also use a butcher knife to cut carrots? It's overkill here : )
Also, it's been found antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage over time (2 years). Again, I can justify a little brain shrinkage in exchange for my sanity, but anxiety? Come on : )
> > Has anyone ever had any luck with Abilify for the treatment of GAD and panic disorder with co-depression??
> >
> > Thanks
>
>
> I've just started abilify 2.5mg and it's making my anxiety worse so far. Is this a side effect that will improve as time passes? I know it is helping depression.
>
> I am very very patient, but will this get better? I'm leery of going up to 5mg, as I fear it will get worse.
>
> I welcome any thoughts/opinions ... Thanx
>
Posted by Alexei on May 7, 2012, at 14:39:17
In reply to Re: Abilify for anxiety » Alexei, posted by Novelagent on May 6, 2012, at 22:28:41
Thanks Novelagent ... What you say makes lots of sense. I have no psychosis or bipolar, just MDD and anxiety.
My pdoc had given it for augmentation of an AD, but this stuff is too powerful. Makes me stoned. I will be d/c'ng it. There has got to be a better augmenting agent. What are your thoughts.. any ideas?
I do have klonopin, it is good stuff, but does not help my insomnia. Any suggestions?
BTW, Abilify completely cancels out my vyvanse. Unbelievable. Seroquel doesn't even do that.
Alexei
> In the history of antipsychotics, no one has ever had anxiety reduced more than a sedating histamine like Vistaril might accomplish; of the absurdly limited anxiety reduction antipsychotics offer, only drugs ending with -pine (quintipine/seroquel is one; Zyprexa / olzapine is another; I forget what the name for Abilify is) have any effect that is even close to being more than an aside of the antihistaminergic properties of the drug...
>
> The notion antipsychotics are justified for use in anxiety alone, given this, is beyond absurd. I have schizophreniform, and even I wonder whether a single psychotic episode that lasted 24 hours once and never relapsed justifies a shot in the arm of Invega Sustenna once a month for a year now... And it looks like it's indefinite now. (No one wants to test fate and see if it just went away).
>
> But come on. If psychosis could be kept at bay by just taking a klonopin, for crying out loud, I would not justify having to take an antipsychotic. My legs have inner restlessness so bad I'm on 40mg of Inderall each day if I'm not on Dexedrine (Dexedrine treats akathsia better).
>
> What on Earth is wrong with klonopin? Do you also use a butcher knife to cut carrots? It's overkill here : )
>
> Also, it's been found antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage over time (2 years). Again, I can justify a little brain shrinkage in exchange for my sanity, but anxiety? Come on : )
This is the end of the thread.
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