Abilify (Side?) Effects

OK, all -- first post outside welcome thread.

I used to think my problem (verbal and sometimes physical self-battering) was a straight-up symptom of depression, but of late, the following possibilities have been raised by my p-nurseprac and a (now former) therapist:

OCD
Unspecified personality disorder
Unspecified psychosis/delusional disorder

Upshot is that I've just been put on 10mg/day of aripiprazole (Abilify) for its quick onset. I've been on it about a month now.

While I'd like to think it's a miracle that it's helped me stop the verbal self-abuse, it's also left me more lethargic and apathetic than I've ever been. I struggle with apathy from depression as it is. I've been on other AP's that have left me not only tired but sick, so I guess this is an improvement, but not much of one. I can't spend my whole life feeling and acting as though I never want to get out of bed, especially when my job performance is the only source of pride I have left. So, my questions:

(1) Are these considered side effects or desired effects?

(2) If side effects, do they pass on their own?

(3) If they don't, what meds are typically added as an adjunct to counteract them safely -- i.e., not energize me in such manner as to drive me back into the symptoms I want to control?

Input gratefully appreciated. Thanks -- PsychWeed

I am on Abilify too, 4mg. No one in my family agrees with this med but it has helped me much. There is 5-HT in it which is hard to get off of, meaning withdraws are crazy when off of it. I sometimes feel like I don't want anyone to remove it from my medication list...I get defensive about it, quickly. I sometimes wonder if that is a side effect, not wanting to be taken off of it...it's weird. I don't really know if what you are experiencing is a side effect, but I wish I had the answer. I take Abilify for my Bipolar...do you or anyone else suggest I keep taking it?

Abilify was marketed as an activating med, because they felt like there needed to be one, because most meds in that category are sedating. That is why it supposedly helps depression.

So no, it's not supposed to work that way, but if it's how your brain reacts to it, you can't do much about it.

I recently went on aripiprazole. First 10 mg, then 20 mg a week later. I think it had the worst side effects from any antidepressant (I know it's not technically) I've been on, SSRIs aside. I had most of the textbook side effects: vomiting, dizziness, inner sense of restlessness/need to move (akathisia), insomnia, restlessness. The insomnia lifted after two weeks, to be replaced by tiredness, but I feel things are returning more to "normal". Can't say much more about it at this stage.

I would assume that after a month, the side effects will have ceased or have minimised, so I wouldn't call apathy a side effect, more a case of the drug not working for you as it "should" (I've had a lot of meds that cause this apathy, particularly imipramine).

I have no idea what drugs can be added to aripiprazole yet but I've had good results with clomipramine in the past which I still take a bit of as I have some left from my previous prescription (it's gonna be scary when I run out). This can be good for OCD and though it made me tired initially, I actually felt it lifted me up afterwards. Same with ziprasidone, which has been wonderful but hasn't been added back into my cocktail yet.

But maybe standard SSRIs can be effective in energising and combating apathy? Not my preferred choice, but they work for some people and will probably be safe to use in combination with aripiprazole. In fact I assume most drugs will be because it is mostly a partial dopamine agonist with no serotonin reuptake inhibition, but ask your doctor.

By the way, I must say this akathisia hasn't been getting any better. It's been three weeks now and I can't sit still for 5 minutes unless I'm doing something. I've tried taking quetiapine and clomipramine but none sedate me enough to stop this inner restlessness. I really hope it subsides soon.