# Abilify



## trey69 (Dec 29, 2010)

Anyone on an anti-depressant that has been put on Abilify to help? My dad just had this medicine added to go along with his other medicine. Anyone had any luck with it? Good or not good things?


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## trey69 (Dec 29, 2010)

Apparently not.


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## MSC71 (Aug 1, 2012)

I have never heard of that. Is it new?


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

MSC71 said:


> I have never heard of that. Is it new?


It's an antipsychotic/anti schizophrenic recently approved for depression. It is a dopamine agonist but works in completely different ways from dopaminde ANTAgonists like Haldol and Risperdal. 

Abilify is one of the few dopamine agonists that's approved for the human use. Most of them are used in animal research.


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## trey69 (Dec 29, 2010)

Runs like Dog said:


> It's an antipsychotic/anti schizophrenic recently approved for depression. It is a dopamine agonist but works in completely different ways from dopaminde ANTAgonists like Haldol and Risperdal.
> 
> Abilify is one of the few dopamine agonists that's approved for the human use. Most of them are used in animal research.


Wow I didn't even know this. Thanks for the info RLD. I'm not sure exactly what its supposed to do to "go along" with the depression medicine he is already on anyway. All I know is, they put him on the lowest dose they could.


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## PurpleLion (Jan 15, 2013)

Abilify didn't react well with me at all. I got carted off to the hospital with heart palpitations two years ago. The doctors told me to get off that stuff immediately. So, I went to my psychiatrist and told him what happened. He wanted to raise the dosage!

Needless to say, I weaned myself off of this drug and the Celexa (which wasn't doing me any good, either) and stopped seeing the psychiatrist.

I also experienced twitching, rapid weight gain and my sleep patterns were so screwed up that I had no life.


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## ShawnD (Apr 2, 2012)

Runs like Dog said:


> Abilify is one of the few dopamine agonists that's approved for the human use. Most of them are used in animal research.


Lots of dopamine agonists are used in humans. They're just really hard to get.

list stolen from wikipedia:
Bromocriptine - for Parkinson's
Cabergoline - for prolactinoma
Pergolide - for Parkinson's
Pramipexole - for Parkinson's and Jimmy Legs
Ropinirole - for Parkinson's
Apomorphine - for Parkinson's
Rotigotine - for Parkinson's and Jimmy Legs

The list goes on. Most dopamine agaonists are for Parkinson's because people with Parkinson's have a lack of dopamine production. Giving them something like cocaine or amphetamine doesn't work because those rely on the dopamine already present in the body, which people with Parkinson's don't have.



> Abilify didn't react well with me at all. I got carted off to the hospital with heart palpitations two years ago. The doctors told me to get off that stuff immediately. So, I went to my psychiatrist and told him what happened. He wanted to raise the dosage!


Doctors are idiots. My gf said Lexapro wasn't helping, so her doctor suggested giving her a higher dose of Lexapro. I wonder what that guy's car and house look like. Reving the engine to 6k is hard on it, so let's rev it to 8k and see what happens. Having small foundation cracks causes some water leakage, so let's see what happens if I crack the house foundation even more. It might stop the leakage!


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## PurpleLion (Jan 15, 2013)

ShawnD said:


> Doctors are idiots. My gf said Lexapro wasn't helping, so her doctor suggested giving her a higher dose of Lexapro. I wonder what that guy's car and house look like. Reving the engine to 6k is hard on it, so let's rev it to 8k and see what happens. Having small foundation cracks causes some water leakage, so let's see what happens if I crack the house foundation even more. It might stop the leakage!


:iagree: The greatest challenge when dealing with mental illness is finding doctors who know what they're doing. My husband totally supported my decision to stop the meds because we had no life together when I was on them. He wants me to seek out another professional, but now I'm gunshy.


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## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

Whatever he does, he should not go off of it quickly. It's not the kind of drug that you can just start, and then abruptly stop. Very bad things can happen.


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## Stuckinrut (Feb 24, 2013)

Are there any new reports good or bad?


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## CallaLily (Jan 13, 2011)

Abilify is only recommended to work with certain medications. Its not to use with all anti depressants only a certain few. Its also not recommended for the elderly.


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

I was on Abilify for a short time along with Wellbutrin and Prozac (only had to take 1/2 of a 5 mg tab because Prozac increases the blood level of Abilify). Within about 5 days I felt the best I had in years. It was like a wonder drug. Then it tapered off, and I was back to where I was without it. We upped to a full 5 mg, but I didn't get any improvement. I was worried about the tardive dyskinesia, so decided to get off of it. I had no trouble with just stopping it. He didn't make me taper, if I remember correctly.

I wish I knew why it was so terrific right in the beginning, then just quit. But, I'm off the prozac and looking to decrease the Welbutrin at my next appointment, so I'm not worried about it.


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## Stuckinrut (Feb 24, 2013)

My wife has major depression, anxiety, ocd, and bulimic(which is under control pretty well now) She has been on prozac for many year and the doctors have tried adding many other meds without much success. Her syc just wanted her to try add abilify to the prozac and wondering if there are any good reports.


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## AgentD (Dec 27, 2010)

Stuckinrut said:


> My wife has major depression, anxiety, ocd, and bulimic(which is under control pretty well now) She has been on prozac for many year and the doctors have tried adding many other meds without much success. Her syc just wanted her to try add abilify to the prozac and wondering if there are any good reports.


My sister in law is on Prozac and they added Abilify and she says it works great for her. 

My dad also got Abilify added to his other medication (not sure what that is) but he says it has helped him as well.


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## CantGetRight (May 16, 2013)

Hi, Devils advocate here. My Abilify experience is bad. Very bad.

1. There is a small subset of patients who do not metabolize certain drugs at the appropriate rate. The A-P drugs are usually based on titration levels in your system. Metabolize it too quickly or in my case too slowly and the medication can have different effects. Sometimes bad ones. 

2. While not the normal situation, I picked up my prescription and the bonehead filled it with 20mg pills instead of 2mg pills. New script for me and I never saw it coming. I was prescribed 4mg a day and I took 40mg for six days. I was directed by my doc to discontinue use immediately. For everybody but the poor metabolizers that would have probably been the end.

I had titration levels as high as if I had taken 64mg. 30mg is the highest dose recommended by the manufacturer.

I was being treated for PTSD and had no psychological history for the previous 38 years of my life. The Abilify was supposed to stabilize my mood so we could properly address the PTSD. 

I was left with uncontrollable body movements in my face (lip sucking, jaw stuck open), my upper body (arms moving wildly, upper torso twisting) and in most extreme situations legs. I fell twice while dealing with this. 

I have a migrant stutter. Words that have more emotional attachment can be impossible to get out. 

It's called Tardive Dyskenesia. There is no treatment, only several studies that point to possible hope for symptom reduction. 

My case is mild in comparison. At it's highest rate of progression I was terrified of the life I could have to lead, well more that it would be no life at all. Some people need constant care. 

Sure I got a massive dose. I don't metabolize the meds correctly. BUT, this happens much more often then the little warning label would have you believe. It's a possibility with most A-P drugs. 

Don't make the same mistake I did. Know everything you can about the drug first and DO NOT STOP TAKING IT OR ANY OTHER ANTI-PSYCHOTIC DRUG (I'd write it bigger if I could). Make sure there is a doctor approved plan to get off the drug. Ending abruptly is one of the major causes of TD.


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## Stuckinrut (Feb 24, 2013)

Thanks for your story. The last thing ending abruptly is one of the major causes of TD....What is TD? Is there anywhere on this forum with a cheat sheet for all the abbreviations used?


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## SkyHigh (Jun 17, 2012)

Ugh...there's a reason I call it alRIPrazole. 

I had suicidal ideation on it and acted on it. Not fun.


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

TD = Tardive Dyskinesia

From Wikipedia: Tardive dyskinesia /ˈtɑrdɨv ˌdɪskɨˈniːʒə/ is a difficult-to-treat form of dyskinesia, a disorder resulting in involuntary, repetitive body movements. In this form of dyskinesia, the involuntary movements are tardive, meaning they have a slow or belated onset. This neurological disorder frequently appears after long-term or high-dose use of antipsychotic drugs, or in children and infants as a side effect from usage of drugs for gastrointestinal disorders.


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## angelpixie (Mar 2, 2012)

Problem is that it may or may not go away once it develops.


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