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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ihatedrugs on October 19, 2013, at 11:05:23
My pdoc put me on 2mg of Abilify and if needed increase to 5mg. I must say it worked great for my depression. However, I have been feeling weird as in needing to move and do stuff. I cannot sit and watch a movie like before as I can't focus because I have this need to get up. It is mild but bothersome enough to question continuing taking the medication. Neither Klonopin nor Xanax help. I have read that this is temporary and it would go away once your body gets used to the med. I have decreased the dose to 2mg every 2 to three days but the depression is coming back. I'm deathly afraid of akathisia as I've read it may never go away. To those of you who've taken it or are familiar with it, what do you think? I've been on it for about a month and other than the Akathisia and some minor visual disturbance, haven't experienced any other side effects except for insomnia which has always been a problem. Should I continue with it for another month and see if it goes away? I'm taking a risk of developing non remitting akathisia? Am I overeacting?
abilify 2mg
lexapro 20mg (every two to three days)
Xanax 1-2 as needed
Clonazepan 1-2 as needed
Deplin (when i remember)
Vyvanse 40mg
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement TherapyDX. MDD. Fibromyalgia, Premenopausal
Thanks all
ihatedrugs
Posted by baseball55 on October 19, 2013, at 19:12:11
In reply to Akathisia and Abilify, posted by ihatedrugs on October 19, 2013, at 11:05:23
The AAPs don't usually cause akathesia, especially at low doses. But anything is possible. Also akathesia isn't usually permanent, even on the old APs. I got it on perphenizine, 24mg. Went away when I stopped the perphenazine. For me, it manifested as a deep restlessness where I could barely sit still and, when forced to sit still, kept tapping my feet, shifting my legs, feeling like I have to get out of here.
When I got akathesia from perphenazine, I was in a partial hospitalization program and the p-doc told me to take benadryl. It helped immediately.
Posted by Christ_empowered on October 20, 2013, at 10:14:08
In reply to Re: Akathisia and Abilify, posted by baseball55 on October 19, 2013, at 19:12:11
I'm on Abilify @ 20mgs/day. My former pdoc told me that the start up agitation was less common with higher doses. Something about the DA2 partial agonism causing agitation and restlessness at lower doses.I'd say...try a Benadryl, b6 at a high dose, too. Maybe (with your doc's approval) try increasing the dose up to 5mgs to see if its more some sort of over-stimulation thing going on. OR drop it completely.
Clearly, I'm no expert--just relaying info I've been told. Good luck to you!
Posted by ihatedrugs on October 20, 2013, at 14:11:43
In reply to Re: Akathisia and Abilify, posted by Christ_empowered on October 20, 2013, at 10:14:08
>
> I'm on Abilify @ 20mgs/day. My former pdoc told me that the start up agitation was less common with higher doses. Something about the DA2 partial agonism causing agitation and restlessness at lower doses.
>
> I'd say...try a Benadryl, b6 at a high dose, too. Maybe (with your doc's approval) try increasing the dose up to 5mgs to see if its more some sort of over-stimulation thing going on. OR drop it completely.
>
> Clearly, I'm no expert--just relaying info I've been told. Good luck to you!
Interesting that at higher doses it causes less agitation. I've been reducing my dose and believe that's when I noticed it more. Anyways, I will see my doctor this up coming week and try to figure it out. Thanks for your response and hope you are doing well.ihatedrugs
Posted by Willful on October 20, 2013, at 19:24:33
In reply to Re: Akathisia and Abilify » Christ_empowered, posted by ihatedrugs on October 20, 2013, at 14:11:43
I had akathesia on a small dose of abilify (5 mg), which manifested itself as an inner agitation that made it impossible to concentrate or think straight, and also a feeling of tightness in my head and neck. I think I stopped taking the abilify at that time, but a while later I tried it again and didn't have any symptoms. I might have been at a lower dose (2.5 mg) which I take now-- but I never felt any symptoms.
I suspect the symptom would have gone away if I'd kept taking the drug longer originally.Willful
Posted by ed_uk2010 on October 22, 2013, at 16:31:42
In reply to Akathisia and Abilify, posted by ihatedrugs on October 19, 2013, at 11:05:23
>I must say it worked great for my depression. However, I have been feeling weird as in needing to move and do stuff. I cannot sit and watch a movie like before as I can't focus because I have this need to get up.
Do you suffer from asthma or any other general medical conditions? If not, very low dose propranolol (Inderal) can stop the restless feeling. Start with 10mg twice a day and see how you do. (Asthmatics can *never* take propranolol).
Ed
This is the end of the thread.
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