Any experiences with Abilify?

Hi everyone. I am an 18 year old female diagnosed with ADHD over the summer and I started taking Ritalin a few months ago. Although it helped me with focus and motivation, I have always been an impulsive person and I was partaking in impulsive behaviors that were putting my life at risk. When I told this to the psychiatrist a month after being on Ritalin he prescribed me 10 mg Seroquel as a mood stabilizer. After taking it for a week or two I stopped taking it because I couldn't function in the mornings, I was stoned out of my mind and I could barely get up or get ready in the mornings. I should have consulted the psychiatrist before I stopped taking it but my dad told me to just stop so I did. I went back to the psychiatrist and told him why I had stopped Seroquel and he prescribed Abilify. To be honest after researching the side affects of Abilify I'm not too thrilled about having to take it. I also saw that a possible side effect is gambling/sex addiction which is worrying to me because I have a history of compulsive sexual behavior. Also, this morning I was curling my hair and I guess I got overheated because I started feeling really hot and nauseous and my vision started blacking out, I recovered from it like 5 minutes later but the whole day I've just felt tired and bleh. I understand I was perscribed mood stabilizers to try and control my impulsive behavior but I feel like the medicine is going to do more harm than good. Does anyone have any experience with Abilify? I feel like my psychiatrist is just going to keep switching my meds and I feel like I don't really need a mood stabilizer but, I'm not a doctor I don't know. Also does anyone know about mixing alcohol and Abilify? When I plan on drinking I just don't take Ritalin that day but i think Abilify is different and to be honest my party is coming up and I was looking forward to having fun but I'm not tryna die... thanks everyone

I have taken Abilify: it was helpful for me in blunting my suicidal feelings. I can't say how it works for impulsive and dangerous behavior for sure, but it did seem to blunt things, so maybe it will help with that.

I do know that a lot of psych meds have side effects that fade with time; it might be that you just have to ride out the side effects to see if Abilify works for you.

I'm sure you doctor wants to help you curtail anything that is putting your life at risk. People in general will probably want to try to put a stop to that. If you don't want to take meds, then perhaps you could seek out other ways to stay safe.

I used to take I believe a higher dose of Abilify than you, later because of insurance I was switched to the generic form of it.

Well the only side effect I personally experienced was weight gain which most people don't experience on it. It's actually one of the least likely at least for the type of medication it is I've been told to cause weight gain but it did with me.

I was taking it for Psychosis from Schizoaffective Disorder which is when a person has symptoms of a mood disorder either Major Depression which is called Major Depressive Disorder either that or Bipolar Disorder along with prominent elements of Schizophrenia. The Schizo stands for Schizophrenia and the Affective stands for mood.

I also have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder With Dissociative Features. When I dissociate different things can happen. But when I do it severely and a lot, it gets to where I don't know where I am, what's going on around me, or what I'm doing (I don't hurt anyone) and I get really out of it. I took the Abilify and later the generic for both of those issues the Psychosis and the dissociation.

You may already know this, but Abilify is a type of anti-psychotic although it can be used for other things to help people that don' t have psychosis.

Of course merely because I didn't experience other side effects besides the weight gain doesn't automatically mean that you won't. Also just because I gained weight on it doesn't mean that you will especially considering that apparently at least the vast majority of people don't gain weight on it.

Anyway, I was recently switched to the generic of Seroquel because the Abilify wasn't working nearly as well as it used to. I took the Abilify and later the generic for a total of over five years.

Before that I took Risperidone which is the generic for Risperdal for a nearly a year about ten months and that eventually caused a facial tick (I gained weight from that too) that the Doctor that was prescribing my psychiatric medication at the time said would go through my whole body if I didn't stop taking it and it would also become permanent so that's when I got switched to Abilify.

I took 20 mg of Abilify for a while which is a high dosage for Abilify but in time I ended up needing to take 30 mg.

I'm currently taking a total of 600 mg of the generic for the Seroquel two 300 mg tablets at night before bed. When I started taking I was taken off of Trazadone 200 mg two 100 mg tablets before bed which I took for sleep because the Seroquel makes me sleep.

I took Seroquel the brand name before there was a generic in the past 10 years ago for around a year but I took less than 600 mg I took 300 mg for a while and I ended up at 400 mg or close to it shortly before I stopped taking it.

However back then I did not have the Psychosis, I had type two Bipolar which I ended up being diagnosed with and a Family Doctor and Mental Health Professionals were already thinking I had, but I wasn't diagnosed right away. Also, if I dissociated it was not known at the time.

I stopped taking it back then for multiple reasons including the cost since I had different insurance and it hadn't gone generic and the insurance I had made me pay 50% for medications that were not generic. A family member had been helping me but every time the dose got increased the price went up.

Anyway not too long ago I went back on it at a higher dosage as I mentioned for different reasons and now it's generic and I have different insurance anyway.

I also take three other medications for my mental health.

Lithium a total of 1,200 mg two 300 mg tablets in the morning and two 300 mg tablets at night.
Fluoxetine/Prozac a total of 80 mg two 40 mg capsules in the morning

Prazosin a total of 24 mg two two mg capsules in the morning and four five mg capsules at night. (This is a high blood pressure medication that can be used for night mares. Note that this is a high dose for a female for night mares, however my blood pressure is fine. Also my nightmares are horrendous and extremely persistant)

Like I mentioned the generic for Seroquel a total of 600 mg two 300 mg tablets at night.

These are all prescribed by a Psychiatrist.

I know you asked about the Abilify, but I thought that I would add since I'm currently taking the generic for Seroquel. That the Psychiatrist told me that it helps with different things at different doses.

In order to help with Schizoaffective Disorder and Psychosis as well as Dissociative Symptoms it needs to be 600 mg. Well, I'm not a medical or mental health professional. But maybe Abilify is the same way.

I hope that this post helps at least some. I also hope that things work out well for you.

When I said that maybe Abilify is the same way I did not mean amount of mg as in 600 mg. To be clear I meant that maybe it helps different things at different doses.

I take 30mg of abilify a day. It helps with my depression and helps to quiet the voices in my head. I don't think it helps with mania but over all I am happy with it. Abilify improves my quality of life.

I hated it profusely from weigh gain, tiredness, lack of libido (like all medicines always kill for me), panic attacks increased, etc.

When it comes to Ritalin, I've heard nothing but horror stories and tails of disappointment.

If the ADHD meds aren't helping your impulsivity, then I'd start researching and questioning whether another stimulant medication might be better.

I'm diagnosed with ADHD, and I take Dexedrine. It has a very calming and peaceful effect on me, compared to something like Adderall, which was great for motivation but it was always go-go-go get things done, with the occassional bout of extreme anxiety for good measure: not very peaceful if you ask me.

I've never tried Ritalin, but from everything I've heard, I wouldn't want to.

Abilify helps me with my psychosis and mania. I have been on it continually for five years. Without it, I was hospitalized. With it, I have been able to function quite well on my own. I take about 12 to 15 mg daily. It has made a difference. I always take Abilify daily and would not consider not taking it anymore.

i take abilify. i take abilify because i respond to it, it helps, and its easier for me to tolerate than many other options.

abilify is an atypical, but its still a tranquilizer. they're heavy artillery. if you don't need a tranquilizer, id try something else...a different stimulant, as one poster suggested, something.

some people do better on focalin than ritalin, or on an amphetamine. dexedrine, vyvanse, adderall, evekeo...there are options.

ideally, tranquilizers should be for chronic psychosis and severe mood disorders, and very, very few other indications. from what i've seen, it looks like there's lots of people who don't need tranquilizers being given them, 'off label,' while the truly sick are being ignored or pumped full of old school drugs, such as Haldol. not a good situation.

I take 15 mg of Abilify along with a load of other meds. I think it is supposed to help with my suicidal thoughts and I'm sure it does a little but I also do ECT every 2 weeks that helps too. The ability gave me no side effects.

good luck to you

I LOVE my Abilify...and Ritalin too! No horror stories here just very happy and functional with both. Also, taking Depakote which is an anticonvulsant/mood stabilizer...Abilify is an anti-psychotic.

I am diagnosed with Diabetes2 by an endocrinologist MD. I was given Abilify combined with my then antidepressent Celexa The Abilify raised by fasting blood sugar FBS to 325 The normal max for FBS is 135 max. It was the lowest dose for a beginning user That was the highest my FBS ever was. I soon quit and now exclusively on an antidepressant for my depression. I believe its helping my mood plus no sky high FBS.

I take Abilify. When I'm not on it I went manic and wound up in the hospital. So Ability has been amazing for me.

I'm now having the Abilify Shot which seems to be working better since the pills were not working nearly as well and Seroquel wasn't working well enough in pills.

I've had two shots two weeks a part given to me by a Nurse at my Psychiatrist's office and now it will go down to one shot every four weeks. For now I'm still on the pills but the dose has been cut down and in time I'll be off the pills. It takes some time for the shot to get into ones' system.

I'm still taking some other medications in pills.

Medications:

Lithium
Seroquel
Abilify (Shot)
Prazosin (High Blood Pressure Med for nightmares.)

Mental Health Conditions:

Schizoaffective Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Dissociative Features
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obssesive Compulsive Disorder

I took Abilify as an adjunct med for my major depression. DIdn't feel much different than without it. Only effect was it raised by fasting blood sugar to 320. i am diabetic However I never got even close to this number with my FSB.

I just went to my doctor today and he changed my insulin to humilin u-500. My fasting blood sugars are around 270 I have been on abilify for 8 months with no issues. I wonder if the abilify is now causing this.