So here's the issue,

My current medication (3.5mg of Risperdal) is making my cholesterol really high, almost to the point where it's dangerous. My current psychiatrist is going to take me off this medication because I can't control my cholesterol even with diet changes.

The new antipsychotic that I was going to switch to has a lot of side effects that I don't know if I want to deal with. (Abilify. The major side effect that I'm worried about is death.) I know that the percentage of people who died while on Abilify is very low, I still feel irked about it.

Anyway, I really want to come off my medication, but my psychiatrist says I have to be more than a year without any hospitalizations/suicide attempts. He also said that since I've been hospitalized multiple times, I'm technically supposed to be on this medication indefinitely. In May it will have been a year since my last hospitalization. I feel like I'm ready to come off my medication, but my psychiatrist says that he wouldn't recommend me coming off my medication just yet.

So, would it be wise to come off my medication against my psychiatrist's recommendation? I've almost completed DBT (I've been in it for a year now) and I've learned a lot of new coping skills, so I think I'll be able to manage my so-called "psychosis" without medication. Or should I just continue on my medication for a while until my psychiatrist says it's alright for me to come off? And are there any other antipsychotics that are weight gain neutral?

[~JD~]

First: What your pdoc says is ONLY his/her opinion. It's not an order, and it doesn't need to be thought of as such. I have yet to let a single pdoc actually manage what I take, how much, or when. After experience with so many of them, there's just no trust. I only go to them to get a med I want and their personal opinion on something I'm planning on trying.

What I would recommend for you is to come off of Abilify, but at a slow rate so that you can measure your reaction to the lack of it. If you start feeling really down, or some previous conditions/symptoms reappear, then you know it's not time yet.

Also, please don't worry about the possibility of death via Abilify. It's not realistic enough to even waste time thinking about.

Best of luck!

[Miswimmy1]

All I can say, is to listen to your doctors I recently went about going against my therapists recommendation and going off all medications. as much as I hate to admit it, it was one of the worst decisions of my life. I over estimated my ability and I hit rock bottom. I suggest doing and seriously considering your psychiatrists advice.

About Abilify, I recently started it and all I have is good things to say. I guess my opinion is, if it's working stick with it.

Thank you both.
I'm still in the process of making a decision on whether or not to keep with the Abilify.
In the meantime, I'm reducing my Risperdal (as my psychiatrist prescribed) but I haven't started the Abilify yet. I think I still want to look into some other antipsychotics out there before trying Abilify.

[BFPIERCE]

most people who are on anti psychotics believe they dont need them this requires some serious thought

[cybermember]

For me, Geodon (Ziprasidone) has been weight neutral. Several years ago I came up with a brilliant idea to take myself off of my medication without pdoc or T knowing and it didn't turn out so well, so I would say to continue taking your medication. If you have a good pdoc he'll work with you.

[cool09]

I really want to come off my medication my psychiatrist says I have to be more than a year without any hospitalizations/suicide attempts. He also said that since I've been hospitalized multiple times, I'm technically supposed to be on this medication indefinitely. In May it will have been a year since my last hospitalization. I feel like I'm ready to come off my medication, but my psychiatrist says that he wouldn't recommend me coming off my medication just yet.

I never heard of a Dr. doing something like this. Is he in general a strict type person? He's willing to ignore your high rise in cholesterol? That doesn't send him any alarms? How long have you seen this guy? Are you overweight? Weight gain due to meds at all?

I think if a Dr. was going to keep you on risperadol he would at least send you to a Medical Dr. and see if you could get on a cholesterol drug. Whole thing sounds dangerous to me.

My first dose (1 mg) of Abilify made me light-headed and I passed out and never took it again. Ever try zyprexa? Zyprexa can cause weight gain but I think it's a very comparable anti-psychotic to risperadol. Seroquel is supposed to be one of the least effective newer atypical anti-psychotics.

^
Oh no, I'm probably explaining this all wrong, haha. He's taking me off my current medication because of my high cholesterol and he's prescribed Abilify.
I hope that clears things up a bit. I'm debating myself on whether or not I should take the Abilify or just try myself without medication.

And as of now I think I am overweight. I gained almost 30lbs since I've started taking medication. I'm only 18, so I know it's definitely my medication that's making my cholesterol wonky.

[~JD~]

Originally Posted by Lara Croft

^
Oh no, I'm probably explaining this all wrong, haha. He's taking me off my current medication because of my high cholesterol and he's prescribed Abilify.
I hope that clears things up a bit. I'm debating myself on whether or not I should take the Abilify or just try myself without medication.

And as of now I think I am overweight. I gained almost 30lbs since I've started taking medication. I'm only 18, so I know it's definitely my medication that's making my cholesterol wonky.

Honestly, don't expect to get any noticeable effects from Abilify.
Most people just have no reaction to it at all. Haven't heard of many
bad reactions to it.

Personally I would listen to pdoc as waiting the full year will drastically reduce your chances of relapse. The longer the episode lasts, the more likely relapse will happen and so the longer meds are recommended to be taken to try and reduce that risk. Personally I wouldn't want to increase my risk of relapse for the sake of a couple more months of meds.

I was on aripiprazole/Abilify for psychotic depression (with an anti-depressant too). I found it very helpful for eliminating voices, though it didn't touch the so-called delusions for me, but I only went up to 15mg (the recommended max dose is 30mg). At low doses it can be stimulating before it becomes sedating (for me that switch happened around 10mg). Between 6-8mg it made me very agitated - dunno if that was akasthisia or a mixed episode (as I'm now diagnosed bipolar 2), but it was quite unpleasant, though it only lasted 2 weeks.

I really wouldn't worry about death from meds (you have to try hard to ignore those thoughts and replace them with more realistic thoughts, thought I know this is difficult). The chances are really, really small and it may not have even be caused by the med (if someone died during the drug trial they have to report it even if the drug wasn't the actual cause of death).

Wishing you the best of luck with your med journey, and hope your cholesterol decreases off risperidone/Risperdal

*Willow*