[Blueberrybook]

Sorry this is long. Mania and hypergraphia go hand in hand with me.

On Sunday, H said something to me like he was glad I seemed happy but wasn’t I finding an awful lot of reasons to go shopping? I had been wondering myself a few days ago, but thought, “oh, it’s hypomania, I’ve got awhile.” Called the pdoc once H said something who told me to stop either the Abilify or Wellbutrin, and we’d talk about it at my next appointment October 3.

I stopped the Abilify but am second guessing myself, wondering if I should have stopped the Wellbutrin instead. I didn’t tell either H or the pdoc how bad it really was, I didn’t want to end up in the psych hospital. I was starting to see things that weren’t there and especially hearing things that weren’t as well.

I never had appetite, grouched through having to cook at all (though I did eat when I cooked). I lost weight. I was staying up later, feeling awesome on little sleep. I was very reckless driving and very, very lucky not to have caused an accident.

Other parts were so nice. I was happy, I was thinking more creatively (albeit flying from one thought to the next to the next and none of them related). Colors and sounds and feelings felt so intense...

And now I am having to come down from that. I am still quite hypomanic as I only stopped the Abilify 2 days ago. I was on it around 6 weeks. Would that cause withdrawal? I took it before, and nothing happened when I stopped (but that time it did nothing for me in the first place)..

But I wonder. I have lack of direction, am feeling down. I almost never remember my dreams since being on psych meds, but last night I had a bad dream in which I was told by a doctor I had lung cancer and was going to die very soon.

Nothing to lead up to that dream, no worries, conversations, things I saw or heard. Just out of nowhere. My joints hurt, I ache all over.

It has been a rough day. At least, we think H can work from home tomorrow, should nothing unexpected pop up. The city his university is in got very flooded with Imelda. He has a couple students who are displaced, one who lost everything. It is a smaller university, with a closer department so at least he was able to let his department chair know, and now they are trying to get some help for her. A lot of his students are online, live in Dallas, other areas that did not flood, areas of Houston that made out OK.

Is it even possible to have withdrawal 6 weeks after stopping a med?

God knows what the pdoc will suggest. He is busy moving offices, going into practice for himself once my old pdoc retired, and he is at the new place October 1. I’d rather he not be dealing with moving when getting more meds tinkering .

[BipolarWolf]

Check these reviews out and see if you are having the same issues,
Abilify User Reviews for Bipolar Disorder at Drugs.com
I always read reviews from this website and it helps me to put things in my own words after reading someone else's wording.
I am sorry you are having trouble right now, But I can tell you it will pass. it may not be tomorrow, but it will. that I believe. I have been in similar situations as you described and while it was brutal at the time, I was able to get thru it. I would suggest calling to see if there are any cancellations and maybe they can get you in sooner.
best of luck, keep us posted,

[Sunflower123]

I’m sorry you are having a tough time. I experienced some hypomania my first several weeks on Abilify that eventually went away and I quit taking it last month at 30 mg with a one week taper. So far, I’ve had no withdrawals. I hope you feel better soon.

[Blueberrybook]

Thanks. Hopefully it will get better. I was on 15 mg. I had to stop taking it because that hypomania was getting out of control quickly. But now I am afraid the crying spells and depression will come back

[Phoenix_1]

I was on Seroquel 300 XR until April. It made me dead inside and I didn't care about much of anything.
In April my Pdoc took me off the Seroquel and put me on Abilify. I started with 5 mg then went to 10 after a week.
I got hypomanic almost immediately. With 5 mg I was very very productive but almost hypomanic. At 10 I went over the edge. I went back to 5 mg but it didn't help. My pdoc took away the Abilify and put me on Risperdal instead. I now am back to having no motivation but it's better than uncontrolled online shopping and other hypomanic behaviour.

[bpcyclist]

Withdrawal is a relatively common and very complicated phenomenon. I never had it with Abilify, but that doesn't mean someone else might have it fierce. Stay in touch with your pdoc and pay close attention to what is going on with you. Pdoc could possibly have to make some other med moves. You can do this!!!

[Sometimes psychotic]

Wellbutrin is the one I typically see inducing psychosis in people, abilify should block that so I’m honestly not sure you did pick the right one to stop. I don’t know your history an am not an MD so it’s worth a grain of salt but something to consider if you don’t improve after stopping the abilify.

Can bupropion unmask psychosis

Also I believe you can get withdrawal in as little as two weeks on an antipsychotic because there were some tests done initially on people without psychosis who got withdrawal psychosis after quitting. I don’t believe they ever ran that test with abilify specifically though.

[*Beth*]

15mg was intolerable for me. I'm now on 2mg - and still sleeping 2 hours/night. Up redecorating my kitchen and painting in my sketchbook. Gaaahhh