I think that the local mental health agency (also a revolving door; I know--I've been spinning in and out of one for about 6 months now) just screwed up. They often don't or can't take any time at all in spitting out a diagnosis/diagnoses and take equally little time spitting out meds that may or may not be appropriate. This is not to say that local mental health places cannot be extremely helpful or even life saving. Mine was. But under NO circumstances would I allow them to diagnose me (given especially how little time they actually gave to my issues--they knew my issues and gave me meds for them...but had they wanted to change the DX I'd have walked out. I KNOW what I have).

And rapid cyclers tend to be more sensitive to anti-deps and meds in general so it's really important to take action on this and fast. And with the mania, she needs a mood stabilizer. Full stop. I'd not go back to that first pdoc if I were you, nor to the local mental health people. Start over.

The pdoc, though....I dunno enough about abilify, but it's for bipolar depression and bipolar, being bi and all, has an opposite end. Maybe it works for mania and depression? But I don't think so. I'm almost sure it's just for bipolar depression. So I'm surprised about that. Abilify and mood stabilizer I can see, but abilify alone? I might just not know enough about it. It's one I haven't taken.

She needs a good shrink and the proper meds. If she's bipolar, she needs a mood stabilizer FIRST and then move from there. All docs do it differently, and I'm not doc, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I've seen some pdocs do some dangerous and really stupid things with meds. Sometimes you'd think they just don't give a crap. Sadly this is sometimes the case. Like I said, start over--find someone you think you can trust, get a proper diagnosis and proper meds. You will probably save her life if you help her do this.

Lexapro made me so anxious, so irritably manic, so paranoid, constantly crying and full of panic, panic attacks, mind so racing and fast and angry, and ultimately ended with my ex-husband having to literally keep me out of the kitchen and away from knives. And never in my LIFE had I considered hurting myself in ANY way ever at all ever ever ever. Please watch over her right now. This is serious stuff.