[*Beth*]

I know that Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic. What I'm not really getting is what it's supposed to do for those with bipolar disorder...how is it supposed to help?

Good question!

I took abilify primarily to help me cope with depression. Although I have bipolar 1 w/ psychotic features and the med is an atypical antipsychotic used for treating bipolar, the med is actually also approved for treating MDD and depression in patients with treatment-resistant depression. You can read more about that here, in this research study: Augmentation treatment in major depressive disorder: focus on aripiprazole

As far as efficacy goes for treating mania: I am not sure. However, I would like to point out that abilify is FDA approved for treating bipolar mania. Not all antipsychotics are actually FDA approved for treating mania, and that is because the clinical research studies for those meds could not demonstrate that those meds were effective in treating a statistically significant portion of their participants. Basically, there was not much difference (if at all) between the placebo group and the group that actually took the med. Rexulti is an example of such a med which did not show a difference in symptoms between the placebo group and the group which took the med. But, those meds have been demonstrated to be effective in treating schizophrenia and disorders on the schizophrenia spectrum, so they're not entirely useless. The point is, though: there are clinical studies that have demonstrated a clear difference in manic symptom management between people taking the placebo and people taking the abilify.

All that said, abilify pooped out on me fairly quickly. I do not know why. I went up to the max dose of 30mg and it just didn't work after some point. It *was* initially helping with depression, but every time the depression would be treated, it would come back 3-6 months later and we'd have to increase the dose. Ugh.

I cannot speak for how well it did or didn't work with treating my psychosis because I never really had any psychotic problems until the past year or so. But given that the depressive stuff wasn't being treated with it any longer, I doubt it would have helped with psychosis. But it was an overall good med while it lasted, I suppose? It didn't make me drowsy, at least.

[Blue_Bird]

It's stopped my auditory hallucinations and paranoia/delusions. And another positive thing about it is I have much more energy since and more motivation unlike on some other antipsychotics which are more sedating and that have a higher incidence of weight gain.

I didn't have a long history taking Abilify. Only maybe three or four months, and that was years ago. I can say that I initially felt marvelous with extremely high energy on Abilify with Lamictal. The problem for me is that that combo didn't stop me from becoming very manic over that period -- even with psychosis. But that's just me. I'm quite vulnerable to mania. Many people aren't as much. I've read many accounts from people who did great on Abilify. Especially noted was its role in curbing depression, as bluebicycle wrote. I guess it does help prevent hypomania or mania in some people. I seem to rather require more sedating antipsychotics. And yet, I've read some people say Abilify was sedating. Again, it definitely was NOT sedating for me. It, along with Lamictal, was also weight friendly. I did get akathisia from Abilify, but during that short period I was on it, it wasn't a very severe case of akathisia. I remember being able to tolerate it, unlike bouts of akathisia I've had from other antipsychotics.

[LittleEarthquakes]

I'm not bipolar but I have Borderline Personality Disorder... It helped my depression a lot.

[Victoria'smom]

I take it as my only medication. It suppose to help with psychosis and depression.

[*Beth*]

What a great source of information each of you have provided. Thank you!

I'm seeing my pdoc today specifically to check on how I'm doing with Abilify. I'm not even sure of what to tell her.

I've noticed that my mind is much quieter on Abilify, which is nice...sort-of. I continue to battle feeling resentful about meds taking away my "good" hypomania.

I'm wondering what the heck, though. I'm so sleepy all day that I can barely function. If I'm not sleeping I'm starving hungry (I feel sure I've already gained weight on the month of Abilify), and I feel slightly depressed - or maybe it feels like depression to me when my mind is so quiet. And my vision is blurry (that drives me up a wall).

I'm also wondering if some of these issues have to do with Cogentin (the sleepiness, the blurred vision). But I love that my hand tremor is almost gone.

*sigh* I'll talk with her today and see which rabbit she pulls out of her hat.

[still_crazy]

hi. The big deal with Abilify is/was that its a "D2 partial agonist." now that rexulti and vraylar are on the market, that's not as "novel."

most antipsychotics just block D2 receptors. those are the dopamine receptors that also deal some with movement. this is why one sees tardive dyskinesia over the long haul with antipsychotics (sadly, this includes Abilify) and Parkinson's-type symptoms in the short and mid-term with antipsychotics (again, this includes Abilify).

My psych explained it like this: with Abilify, over 90% of the D2 receptors could be affected by the drug, but the person taking it has no TD, stiffness, etc. I mean...some do, its not a perfect drug, but its a step forward. With just about any other antipsychotic, if 90% of the D2 receptors were affected, there'd be obvious, terrible, unpleasant side effects (short term) and tardive problems long term.

I've never found that Abilify alone did much for my very low points, -but- I never got the intense lows that obviously -came from the drugs- that I got from just about every other 'atypical' I was prescribed. each person is different, of course...for me, the big deal isn't that Abilify is a miracle pill, its that it seems to get the job done without making me miserable.

[~Christina]

My brain felt twitchy on it , brain zaps, lots of nausea and yet I was still eating everything that didnt move , was even wondering if my couch would taste good.

So I wasn’t on it but for a couple weeks and I ditched it. I “ think” I went on Invega after that and it worked well and I wasn’t starving 24/7

[*Beth*]

Thanks, thanks...so much great info!

Christina - exactly! I have gained FIVE lbs. in the 2 weeks I've been on Abilify I was shocked.

Pdoc raised the dose to 15mg, raised the Cogentin to 2mg. ??? I'm trying to figure that one out, as in where's the logic. I'm not a food person & I don't like to overeat. With Abilify - you said it, Christina: eat the couch is right. But only after I eat the kitchen table. Damn.

I don't know, I don't know. I was having such mixed state hell; the Abilify has stopped that (now I feel just mildly depressed and agitated. Is that a success?).

Figure I'll try the stuff for 1 more week (I should weigh 500lbs. by then, easy). Okay, seriously...give it one more week and assess things. I'm not quite sold yet.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I’m allergic so I didn’t get to give it a fair shot

[~Christina]

Honestly when I go mixed I need a heavy hitter to snow me under, so like just a fee days to a week of like Zyprexa, Haldol or Thorazine.