[glennk]

Currently on 600mg of Seroquel XR in the evening (plus a few other meds). This leaves me numb and unable to get out of bed.


Pdoc wants to make a change. Decrease the Seroquel to 400mg and add in 2.5mg of Abilify. Anyone using this combination? What results are you seeing?

[Pookyl]

I’ve used Abilify and Seroquel (together with other meds). I found Abilify to be activating so took it in the morning.
Sorry I don’t remember much else about it

[Blueberrybook]

Not on that combo, but I take Seroquel 400 mg, and it has helped me. I tried Seroquel XR first and it left me so tired, all I wanted to do was sleep all day. The regular release works better for me. I was on Abilify some time ago, but not with the Seroquel, can't help you there.

Hopefully the reduction in Seroquel XR will help. I wonder why your doctor doesn't try to first reduce, and see how it goes, and then add the Abilify, if needed. Who knows. Are you seriously sedated or depressed?

I understand the Seroquel XR "hangover", but I can say that it eased for me with a combination of patience and strategy. I try to never take my Seroquel XR later than 8 pm, if possible. I also try not to stay up that late at night. Ideally, if I take my Seroquel XR at 7 ish and go to sleep no later than 11 pm, I can get up with little problem at 6:30 am. Of course, my dose makes some difference in how sedating it is. Recently, I was fighting a mania and 600 mg plus my Tegretol XR and Klonopin at night helped ease the mania, but I was bright eyed and bushy tailed after 6 hours sleep. Time has passed, and I'm slowing down. I expect my psychiatrist to lower my Seroquel XR, but I doubt he will more than 100 mg. Maybe even just 50 mg. Honestly, that small reduction has made a noticable difference in the past. This may sound odd, but lowering my Seroquel XR has eased depressions in the past. Sometimes increasing it does, depending on its characteristics.

Slowed down I've had a little harder time getting up lately, meaning going to bed at 11:30 pm I get up around almost 7:30 am with a little annoyance. I've noticed sedation in the morning and early afternoon, but I energize a bit in the late afternoon and evening.

I've never taken Abilify with Seroquel or it's XR, but I took Abilify with Lamictal in the past. I know Lamictal is activating for me, but Abilify was either also activating for me, or not a powerful enough antimanic. That combo sent me severely manic with psychosis with two back to back hospitalizations. That's just my experience. For others, it's marvelous. I have a friend who says so. Plus, Abilify gave me akathisia, whereas Seroquel XR has never given me EPS or hyperprolactinemia. Seroquel XR is not as weight friendly as Abilify for me, but taking 400 mg Seroquel XR is somewhat weight neutral for me. Only at 600 mg do I get some cravings.

I'm happy not to be on more than one antipsychotic anymore. I am still on anticonvulsant moodstabilizers.

Sorry I write a lot. I type fast and love to "talk".

[Pookyl]

I wanted to add that I still take Seroquel both XR and IR, with no Seroquel hang over.
I have taken 600mg (and more) but never in one hit.
When my doses are high they are spread out over x5 per day. The earliest being 7-8 in the morning. The latest being 8pm.
Currently on a lower dose of 425mg prescribed and 100mg PRN (which I need 2-3 times per week).

[glennk]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

Hopefully the reduction in Seroquel XR will help. I wonder why your doctor doesn't try to first reduce, and see how it goes, and then add the Abilify, if needed. Who knows. Are you seriously sedated or depressed?

I understand the Seroquel XR "hangover", but I can say that it eased for me with a combination of patience and strategy. I try to never take my Seroquel XR later than 8 pm, if possible. I also try not to stay up that late at night. Ideally, if I take my Seroquel XR at 7 ish and go to sleep no later than 11 pm, I can get up with little problem at 6:30 am. Of course, my dose makes some difference in how sedating it is. Recently, I was fighting a mania and 600 mg plus my Tegretol XR and Klonopin at night helped ease the mania, but I was bright eyed and bushy tailed after 6 hours sleep. Time has passed, and I'm slowing down. I expect my psychiatrist to lower my Seroquel XR, but I doubt he will more than 100 mg. Maybe even just 50 mg. Honestly, that small reduction has made a noticable difference in the past. This may sound odd, but lowering my Seroquel XR has eased depressions in the past. Sometimes increasing it does, depending on its characteristics.

Slowed down I've had a little harder time getting up lately, meaning going to bed at 11:30 pm I get up around almost 7:30 am with a little annoyance. I've noticed sedation in the morning and early afternoon, but I energize a bit in the late afternoon and evening.

I've never taken Abilify with Seroquel or it's XR, but I took Abilify with Lamictal in the past. I know Lamictal is activating for me, but Abilify was either also activating for me, or not a powerful enough antimanic. That combo sent me severely manic with psychosis with two back to back hospitalizations. That's just my experience. For others, it's marvelous. I have a friend who says so. Plus, Abilify gave me akathisia, whereas Seroquel XR has never given me EPS or hyperprolactinemia. Seroquel XR is not as weight friendly as Abilify for me, but taking 400 mg Seroquel XR is somewhat weight neutral for me. Only at 600 mg do I get some cravings.

I'm happy not to be on more than one antipsychotic anymore. I am still on anticonvulsant moodstabilizers.

Sorry I write a lot. I type fast and love to "talk".

Thank you for the response. Not sure why we are doing things this way, but I trust him. I am feeling...well, it feels like a deep depression but without the hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. That's why I characterized it as numb. Being so close to the top end of Seroquel (but still getting some benefit), I think that's why he is just adding Abilify.

[glennk]

Originally Posted by Pookyl

I wanted to add that I still take Seroquel both XR and IR, with no Seroquel hang over.
I have taken 600mg (and more) but never in one hit.
When my doses are high they are spread out over x5 per day. The earliest being 7-8 in the morning. The latest being 8pm.
Currently on a lower dose of 425mg prescribed and 100mg PRN (which I need 2-3 times per week).

Can't take IR. It releases too quickly for me and I'm out of it for 2 hours afterwards. I take all 600mg XR at night time and feel little or no change in effect from taking it all in one sitting. For me, Seroquel has proven very effective in controlling thoughts of hopelessness and anxiety..but leaves me with little energy. I can stay in bed for 12 hours a day and feel like time is just slipping by.

[hexacoda]

Abilify is activating for me. I take 10 mg and when I took 15 mg a day it left me too agitated. I didn't take it with Seroquel, though I also took that some time ago. I don't remember whether it caused problems or why we switched off of it.