BP Depression Meds...Ugh

So, I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin. I am still have depression symptoms. I also take 10mg of Lexapro (which I don't think is doing anything).

I tried Abilify before I was diagnosed with BP (I was on SSRIs at the time), and it did nothing for me.

Do you think trying Abilify again (with a mood stabilizer) will help??

I really only ever hear good things about Abilify

Thoughts?

How long have you been taking these meds?

Wellbutrin..forever..lol
Lexapro...6 months or so
Lamictal (250mg)..about 3 months

Abilify did not help me either. My new pdoc said she uses Abilify for BP depression a lot. I asked her if there would be any benefits of starting up on it again, but at a higher dose. She said since it didn't work the first time around (and I was on a mood stabilizer), then it likely wouldn't work even if she increased the dose. She said she's disappointed that it didn't work for me since it's worked for many. I can't take SSRIs or Wellbutrin since they've all made me manic. A recent increase in Lamictal (now at 300mg) did help me compared to when I was on 200 mg.

I tried Abilify twice and it hasn't helped me at all.

Abilify made me pass out twice (might have even been seizures). I tied it again at a lower dose and was dizzy and losing balance constantly. Abilify didn't work for me in the long run.....it might have helped my delusional thinking a bit though.

Abilify does help some people. The problem is side effects...metabolic stuff, tremor, sometimes tardive dyskinesia. If you can avoid any kind of antipsychotic, I would. If you need one, then well...Abilify is easier to tolerate (for me) than some of the other options. Its also generic now.

Have you ever tried a stimulant by prescription?

I also take Lamictal and Wellbutrin but have been on the Wellbutrin for over a decade. I thought I had built a tolerance as I didn't feel it was working as well. I increased it to 450 with no help......I just started taking Modafinil. I feel it has given the boost I was needing. at the moment I'm down to 150 Wellbutrin and weaning off it.. and 400 Lamictal but might cut it back to 200 later if all goes well...I digress...google Modafinil for depression.... STAY on the Lamictal..maybe even increase if you have a history of drug induced mania... I'd lose the Lexapro IMO.... keep it simple if you can. a mood stabilizer, a AD, and a stimulant (tho modafinil isn't actually a stimulant..but close) stay away from sleeping pills and xanax and Kloninpin. trust me...been there.

Do you ever feel like a scientific experiment? I feel like a chemistry project sometimes... but we have to keep trying...best wishes

I did not find Abilify helpful at all. It caused me to feel anxious. Latuda and Trileptal have been helpful for me.

Hi newtobipolar,

Nice to meet you and welcome to Bipolar Land. I have had similar treatments as you are describing for Bipolar Depression. I think SSRI + Wellbutrin + Lamictal + an AAP has been good for me. I think you have "room to grow" on the SSRI and especially on the Wellbutrin. Latuda has been a great AAP for me.

You have Xanax PRN 1 mg listed - how often are you taking this?

Do you drink or use street drugs?

Once again welcome - we sound to have similar treatments so let me know how I can help.

Abilify is known in our household as DisAbilify, which should give you some idea how that went. These drugs are different for everyone, which is part of why modern-day mental illness is such a Magical Mystery Tour.

Tooo funny!!

I remember when I was on meds reading about Topamax that I was put on for migraines. I came across a web site that mentioned that doctors referred to it as dopamax because it turned people into dopes. It said that the memory loss was soooo bad that people had been known to forget their own name!!! It gave me such horrific tremors that I could literally see the muscles in my arm quiver so that ended that.

My pdoc called Topamax dopamax as well.

Abilify made me insanely restless and hypomanic both times ive been on it.