[Woolly Bugger]

My doctor has me taking 20 mg of Latuda and 20 mg of Abilify. I asked him if I should be taking two APs at once. His response was vague, but I interpreted it as, "if it works, let's do it."

The fact is that it is working. I'm still a little worried about taking two APs at once, however, and wonder if any of you are in the same boat.

Thanks.

WB

[BastetsMuse]

My husband takes two APs -- prozac and wellbutrin - and they seem to really help him.

[gina_re]

I don't understand why I'm taking two mood stabilizers at the same time..
I kind of understand the two ADs based on what was going on when the second one was added

[Wander]

I take Saphris daily at high doses and Olanzapine PRN to help with break through irritability, agitation etc. This system works well for me and has few side effects. I am really stable with my current med regime. How are you tolerating the meds? Are they working for you? Side effects?

I know that Latuda isn't good for preventing mania. It's only approved for depression. Is Abilify good for preventing mania, but not depression?

That'd be my guess

Also, I thought 40mg of Latuda is a therapeutic dose. Will your pdoc up your dose? 20mg did nothing for me

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by gina_re

I don't understand why I'm taking two mood stabilizers at the same time..
I kind of understand the two ADs based on what was going on when the second one was added

Sometimes it takes two mood stabilizers to get the job done because each works a little bit differently. Also, some pdocs like to have that backup of a second mood stabilizer, I think -- mine only recently let me drop my 2nd mood stabilizer.

[czarina1984]

I take lithium as my base ap but since we can't up the dose any higher, we added Saphris plus bupropion. Sometimes it takes a cocktail.

[Crazy Hitch]

I've never taken two APs at once.

But I'd say if it's working, and your pdoc has approved - go for it!

[Blue_Bird]

I am on Invega sustenna monthly shots and take 300mg seroquel at night for sleep.

Sent from my A463BG using Tapatalk

[BipolaRNurse]

I've been on two APs for over two years. They're the glue that holds me together.

I'm doing well on Seroquel and Risperdal.

[Woolly Bugger]

Originally Posted by Wander

I take Saphris daily at high doses and Olanzapine PRN to help with break through irritability, agitation etc. This system works well for me and has few side effects. I am really stable with my current med regime. How are you tolerating the meds? Are they working for you? Side effects?

I'm tolerating the meds just fine. As for side effects, I'm a little sleepier at night, but nothing serious. The meds seem to be working for me, but it's too early to be sure.

[Woolly Bugger]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

I know that Latuda isn't good for preventing mania. It's only approved for depression. Is Abilify good for preventing mania, but not depression?

That'd be my guess

Also, I thought 40mg of Latuda is a therapeutic dose. Will your pdoc up your dose? 20mg did nothing for me

Forty mg of latuda make me flat and sleepy, so we reduced it to 20 mg with the idea of eliminating it altogether. But it seems to be working in conjunction with the Abilify just fine, so my psychiatrist wants me to keep it. The dosage appears to be correct for me. I'm just concerned about any risks involved with taking Abilify an Latuda together.

Thanks for responding.

Originally Posted by Woolly Bugger

Forty mg of latuda make me flat and sleepy, so we reduced it to 20 mg with the idea of eliminating it altogether. But it seems to be working in conjunction with the Abilify just fine, so my psychiatrist wants me to keep it. The dosage appears to be correct for me. I'm just concerned about any risks involved with taking Abilify an Latuda together.

Thanks for responding.

Yeah, Latuda makes me pretty sleepy too when the dose is 40mg or higher. It also makes me irritable, which is a big reason I don't like it.

I found this, though: Abilify and Latuda Drug Interactions - Drugs.com

So, it seems like you get increased side effects when you take the two of them together. But, if you're not experiencing any side effects now, you're probably good to go?

I'm not sure I really understand the "Professional" tab on that page. There's a whole lot of medical jargon that I can't be bothered to look up -- but it'll give you something to do when you're bored.

At one point I was on three (I don't remember which), but my pdoc said three is too much and ended up cutting out one and eventually the other. I think two is fine if you're not having bad side effects.