Abilify vs. Saphris

Hey all,

So I've had a couple experiences with mood stabilizers (the anticonvulsant Trileptal, Neurontin, and the antipsychotic Zyprexa) and for the most part, they were absolute duds, or the side effects were intolerable. I couldn't deal with the severe weight gain that came with Zyprexa, Neurontin made me unable to even finish a sentence because the dose was so high, and Trileptal was, to be honest, essentially an expensive sugar pill. I just read a comparison by Harvard and the two that stood out to me were Abilify and Saphris (and to a lesser extent, Risperdal.) My doctor doesn't really want to give me a diagnosis. Instead he suggested we just treat the symptoms as they present, which seems pretty fair. He recommended a low dose of Thorazine as needed to help calm me down, but I'm really more comfortable with the atypicals. They're much safer and I don't run as much of a risk of EPS. Anyway, Abilify and Saphris stood out because they both have a very low risk of weight gain, they both have a fairly low level of sedation, and the best part, I know that Abilify just went generic, and I think Saphris is generic too as of this week. But even if it isn't, if it's effective, insurance can help me cover my hide. So for anyone with experience with one of these medications, or preferably both, which worked better for you? I need something that will curb agitation and anxiety without making me a walking zombie. My doctor (ARNP technically) seems fairly against Abilify for some reason. Not too sure why. So at the moment, I'm leaning towards Saphris. I know it matters more for antipsychotics, so I'm in the U.S. so anything like amulsipride isn't an option. And for reference, I'd much rather deal with sedation than weight gain. I gained 35 pounds in three weeks on Zyprexa and I never want to repeat that ever again

Abilify is decent. I was on 10mg for a year or so. Risperidal is also not bad. Never tried Saphris. Would not take thorazine. Good luck and please let us know you experience.

moogs

Why wouldn't you take Thorazine? Even if it's on an as-needed basis? Just wondering.

I'm just scared of old APs for TD risk.

I've been on 30mg of Abilify for close to a year now and I can say it is decent. I also haven't tried Saphris.

That's definitely true. It could be an issue. But for some reason, my doctor seems adamantly anti-antipsychotic. Even when Abilify had its big shebang when it went generic, he still didn't like it. Even though I've heard it has a really modest side-effect profile. He only recommended the thorazine because I've tried the other big hallmark as needed medications, namely Vistaril and BuSpar. Vistaril just made me sleep and BuSpar made me so lightheaded that I couldn't even move my head without feeling dizzy. And since he's only an ARNP, he can't prescribe anything like Xanax or Klonopin. So it was either Thorazine or Haldol, and Haldol is pretty potent so it definitely has a greater risk for those kind of side effects.

30 mg is pretty far past the point where a lot of people say it switches from activating to sedating. I think for most people it happens around 10 mg. Has that been an issue or is that more of the old issue where people with more negative things to say are more vocal about something? I can deal with sedation as long as it's not to the point where I can't think. I'm starting college in the fall and the last thing I need is to be so doped up that I manage to fail college algebra.

If you need a prn AP go with Seroquel over Thorazine.

I'm not sedated at all with Abilify even at the high dose of 30mg.

I have been on Saphris for about 9 months. It is however very sedating. I take it right before I get in bed a get a good nights sleep. However, the good news is it doesn't leave me groggy the next morning. I haven't gained any weight while I've been on it. I don't care for the taste as you take it sub-lingual and it messes with my taste buds, but it has really been beneficial for me so I will continue to take it.

Hm... I heard it wasn't that sedating. I guess that I'll probably push for Abilify then. I'm hoping that it will go hand in hand with my Wellbutrin so I'm not always run down.

I have been on Saphris for a month and I've become pretty well adjusted to it. It tastes like soggy backside but it does the job. I take 5mg twice a day and I have been psychosis free for a month.

Honestly now that I think about it sedation isn't an issue unless it becomes more like a hangover. I was on Zoloft and I took it in the morning because a lot of people say that it's pretty activating. For me, it made me sleepy ALL DAY so I had to stop taking it. And trust me, nothing, and I mean nothing, could taste worse than Xanax when it dissolves. Or some brand of Wellbutrin SR. I took it for a month and begged to go on XL because the pharmacy by me had a generic manufacturer whose Wellbutrin would start to dissolve as soon as it hit your tongue. It was absolutely terrible.

I had some generic instant release welbutrin that smelled like a camels armpit. XL please!

Let us know about the abilify!

moogs

Saphris is saving my life right now! I take 20mg at bedtime and have never felt more normal. I'm symptom free on it.
It makes me sleepy but not too bad; everyone is different. I highly recommend it. I hope one day I won't need any medication at all.

Been on both. Saphris made me manic hardly slept. Abilify caused insomnia night eating and weight gain. I'm super sensitive to Meds so my experience is rare. Oh and saphris tastes like holding poop under your tongue for 5 minutes and then numbed my tongue and anywhere it happened to dissolve to for an hour after taking it. Nothing tasted right. But everyone is different. Two other Meds I had high hopes for.

Where did you hear that Saphris has gone generic?

The patent on Saphris ended in June so yes, there will be a generic.

abilify made me really agitated and have insomnia. saphris tastes really bad because you let it dissolve in your mouth. neither of them worked well for my symptoms but it sounds like you want them for anti-anxiety effects rather than anti-psychotic effects... is that true?

Please provide link for generic. I am unable to buy generic where I live (NC) and would love to...w/o insurance it is over $1000/mo. When I google for generic Saphris I don't come up with anything useful. Drugs.com says no generic until June 2020

I've been on Abilify for a few months. It is very activating for me...works great for depression, but sometimes raises my anxiety and causes agitation. My pdoc has given me some flexibility on the dose, so if I'm depressed, I have a range within which I can increase the dose. If it starts making me agitated, I have a range within which I can decrease the dose.

As far as generic Abilify, my pdoc told me there have been reports of it being ineffective or less effective than the brand. He's kept me on the brand name for now. Abilify does offer a discount program where you can get the med for a $5 co-pay...just ask your doctor about it.

Abilify increased my anxiety. It increased my agitation ( I was running around trying to hide from people ) and made my weight balloon up in one week.

Still no one on the generic Saphris? Anyone found it in their area? My research is coming up with it coming off patent in 2020...is this correct?

Im on 15mg of Abilify and after trying so many different meds, I have finally found the one for me. It isn't a cure all pill but has made such a massive difference in stabilising me. No munchies or weight gain from it at all! In fact the only side effect was for a few days after starting it where i had to sleep a lot.

Abilify is the only medication I've ever been on that mostly works and doesn't make me sick. I was on the actual thing for a couple years before my insurance stopped covering it, and now I'm on the generic. I haven't tried Saphris, so I couldn't tell you which of the two is better, but Abilify has worked just fine for me. I don't have any side effects as far as I can tell.