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Member Since Nov 2014
Location: The Forest
Posts: 200
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#1
I started having hand tremors a few months ago, just as I started taking Abilify.
Thing is, I was on lithium 1200mg and since lithium is well known for hand tremors, my pdoc is convinced lithium is the culprit. However, I didn't have any tremors for 5 years taking lithium 1200mg, and then suddenly they started with the Abilify. Also, when my Abilify dose was increased from 20mg to 30mg, the tremors got worse. I am convinced the Abilify is causing the tremors, not the lithium. Am I crazy? Has anyone had hand tremors on Abilify? The pdoc has been reducing my lithium and I'm terrified because that is what has kept me relatively stable for 5 years, and the last time I went off it I ended up in the hospital. They put me on lamictal to supplement but I'm not sure if I trust it to do the heavy lifting lithium has done. I have expressed my thinking and my concerns and the pdoc is continuing to decrease lithium anyway. Lamictal seems to be suppressing the tremors, every time I go up on it the tremors get to be less, and the pdoc is taking reduction in tremors as a sign that lower lithium is helping. However, the timing is off. Tremors got better with lamictal increase, 2 weeks after lithium decrease. If it is the lithium, is a 2 week delay normal? I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. I don't want to go off lithium if I don't absolutely have to. Can't have hand tremors for work, so dealing with the tremors is not an option. __________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Magnate
Member Since Feb 2006
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#2
I don't know about the two week delay, but I'm on Abilify and have hand tremors.
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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Posts: 200
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#3
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Legendary
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#4
Was on lithium and Abilify and developed tremors. Stopped the Abilify and the tremors went almost completely away. It was not a lithium tremor.
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
Location: The Forest
Posts: 200
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#5
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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#6
Out of curiosity, has your doctor considered prescribing a medication that might calm the tremors? There are some. I know that propranolol can, for some people. I take 40 mg of propranolol (for something else) but have no side effects.
When I was on 1,200 mg Lithium I had terrible tremors, but wasn't taking propranolol back then. On 900 mg Lithium, I was taking propranolol and had virtually no tremors. I don't recall any tremors on Abilify, but can't say others wouldn't. |
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catches the flowers
Member Since Jul 2019
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#7
I have hand tremor from having had Scarlet Fever as a child, then psych meds cause the tremor to be very intense. Cogentin helps some. The tremor is embarrassing and difficult to live with.
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Oct 2016
Location: United States of America
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#8
abilify caused a mild tremor in one hand, when prozac was added. prozac boosts abilify blood levels. reducing the abilify a bit helped, but...keep in mind...abilify has a long half life, so reducing (even stopping) may not result in immediate results.
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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Posts: 200
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#9
Yes, she has considered another med - I can't take propranolol due to my low heart rate and asthma. Cogentin gave me a terrible headache- I don't know if it would have gone away but I couldn't even think, which was worse than the tremors anyway. Are there other options? I wouldn't mind adding another med.
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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#10
Thanks for the warning... I'll keep that in mind. I definitely wouldn't stop it cold turkey anyway so I'm sure it would take a long time for the tremors to be affected.
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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#11
I'm glad you found something that helps!! Intense tremors are very embarrassing and difficult... I'm sorry you had to go through that.
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Legendary
Member Since Jun 2016
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#12
I don't have much advice to give you other than what ALL the other WISE AND WONDERFUL POSTERS have already WISELY AND WONDERFULLY SAID BETTER THAN I EVER COULD!
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catches the flowers
Member Since Jul 2019
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#13
Quote:
Thank you, your comment is so kind. Unfortunately, the Cogentin was causing me to fall asleep all day. I quite literally could not keep my eyes open. My proc has stopped it unless I'm experiencing akathesia, when I can take the Cogentin prn. So the hand tremor remains ![]() __________________ |
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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Posts: 200
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#14
Quote:
![]() __________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Member
Member Since Nov 2014
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#15
Hi all, this is an update. Stopped the abilify cold turkey like I said I wasn't going to. However, just saw my pdoc, and she says the tremors are less. She is putting me back on a lower dose of abilify to be safe and resolve my sleeping trouble I've had since stopping it. I think I worried a lot of people irl but I am vindicated. I feel bad for causing trouble but I am really excited that the tremors are less now.
__________________ Bipolar 1, GAD Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg |
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Threadtastic Postaholic
Member Since Dec 2018
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#16
Hey @unicornlady:
Quote:
Quote:
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__________________ "I carried a watermelon?" President of the no F's given society. |
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Legendary
Member Since Sep 2019
Location: Portland
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#17
As I've said elsewhere, I had tremors on Abilify and lithium. D/C'd the Abilify and they went almost totally away.
__________________ When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield |
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Legendary Wise Elder
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#18
I don't have them on abilify but I had them when I was on Lithium. I was on 1800 mg though and my levels went toxic
__________________ R.I.P mom ![]() “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” -St. Francis of Assisi
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#19
__________________ When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield |
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#20
Quote:
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