[*Beth*]

Hi, I was taking 10mgs. of Abilify. My pdoc raised it to 15mg. The night that was to be my third night of taking 15mg. I suddenly experienced acute agitation. I mean, so severe it was scary. I could not sit still. No matter how hard I tried my attention and my body were wired beyond anything I have ever experienced. I thought, "Uh-oh...something is seriously wrong."

I have some questions (with the knowledge that meds affect people in different ways).

What do you take Abilify for (why is it prescribed to you)?

What is your dosage? How do you know if the Abilify is working for you (or not)?

Have you ever experienced agitation from Abilify?

Thanks in advance.

[GSC2019]

Originally Posted by BethRags

Hi, I was taking 10mgs. of Abilify. My pdoc raised it to 15mg. The night that was to be my third night of taking 15mg. I suddenly experienced acute agitation. I mean, so severe it was scary. I could not sit still. No matter how hard I tried my attention and my body were wired beyond anything I have ever experienced. I thought, "Uh-oh...something is seriously wrong."

I have some questions (with the knowledge that meds affect people in different ways).

What do you take Abilify for (why is it prescribed to you)?

What is your dosage? How do you know if the Abilify is working for you (or not)?

Have you ever experienced agitation from Abilify?

Thanks in advance.

This drug is known for this. It is an "activating" aap. It could be a temporary side effect or it may not be the drug for you.

- I'm a PharmD

[*Beth*]

Thank you, GSC2019. Very much.

[still_crazy]

hi. i take 15 with 20 prozac. the other D2 partial agonists...vraylar and rexulti, I think...also have activation and akathisia more frequently than the other atypicals. :-(

could be the dosage increase. i was doing a-ok on 20 abilify and 20 prozac, then i was all jitters, 24/7, even though my mood was better. pscyh said go to 15 abilify, because prozac boosts blood levels. im OK now.

10mgs is sufficient for maintenance for a lot of people. 15 i think was the 'target dose,' years ago, but...thanks to brain imaging and such, its now clear that a lot of people can make do with less.

[*Beth*]

Thank you, still_crazy. Yeah...I'm thinking stick with 10mgs. And since it's not helping my sleep, I'm not sure I need to be on it, at all.

I took up to 30mg (I think that's the max dose?) at one point. It wasn't effective for me. It just pooped out after like 6 months.

I don't remember getting agitated on it at 30mg, BUT I did become agitated and suicidal on Seroquel XR when I reached 250mg, so I know that APs in general can DEFINITELY cause agitation. It's no joke.

Personally, I would not try to wait this agitation out. I started off agitated on Seroquel and then the agitation turned into suicidal thoughts shortly thereafter. I'm not saying that'll happen to *you*, but there's always the risk that it could get worse, and I don't think the risk is worth it based on my experiences.

If you're adamant about waiting it out, I'd say give it a week tops. Usually symptoms resolve within 1-2 weeks, but 1 week should give you better idea of how the agitation is going to play out.

Also, FWIW... most people don't take Abilify at night. They usually take it in the morning because it's "activating," as others have said. So I would not expect Abilify to help with sleep whatsoever if you take it at night. I mean, some people can and do take it at night (I did), but I think most people prefer the morning.

[*Beth*]

Thank you, blue. Your post is so helpful.

Nope, I've decided not to wait it out. That episode of such extreme akathesia was freaky. Like you say - no joke. Oh - and I've been having killer muscle cramps, which are not fun.

The effect Abilify is having on me reminds me of Geodon. Falling asleep all day and wired, but exhausted, all night. It's too bad, because the Ab. is helping calm severe anxiety and the crazy mixed states.

I'm thinking that dropping back to 5mg. in the morning would be an excellent idea...maybe increase it to 7mg. after a month.

[peacelizard]

Originally Posted by GSC2019

This drug is known for this. It is an "activating" aap. It could be a temporary side effect or it may not be the drug for you.

- I'm a PharmD

Depending on the person and typically at lower doses; at higher ones, some people actually complain about sedation.

[GSC2019]

Originally Posted by peacelizard

Depending on the person and typically at lower doses; at higher ones, some people actually complain about sedation.

I haven't seen it often but you are correct.

[still_crazy]

one of my (many...) former shrinks said lower doses are/were "activating" and higher doses "calming," which...would explain my Rx for 30mgs. I do think each person has a "sweet spot," both with abilify and other neuroleptics...gets the job done, no major impairments, etc. it just...varies, person to person, drug to drug.

[*Beth*]

Well, gave the Abilify 5 weeks and it's just not working out. Dr. W. switched me to Zyprexa yesterday. If I could just get rid of the agitation/anxiety sensation I would be immensely grateful.