Misc abilify for treating depression?

[nancy145]

I'm not asking for a huge essay or anything (feel free to write one tho, i'd appreciate it), but can someone give me a summary of abilify treating depression? just a note before, im not schizophrenic or psychotic, and that's not why im getting on antipsychotics. anyway, my psychiatrist wants to put me on it, but I'm kinda hesitant to try another drug for depression since were really running out and trying anything that might work. he put me on citalopram, which i quit about 2 weeks ago because it was a disaster. it didn't help with my depression, and it made me groggy and sedated which ended up making my depression a lot worse. i know ability is a(n atypical, i think) antipsychotic, so it's different then SSRIs and SDRIs(like wellbutrin)(neither of which have ever worked), but not much more about it. ive been on trileptal before, which i think is an antipsychotic, and it didn't work either. would abilify be similar to seroquill(the only antipsychotic i really know anything about) in the sedating effects? that's what im mostly worried about, because sedation would worsen my depression. i got a gene testing thing done a few years ago that said abilify is more likely to work as an antidepressant for me, are these accurate or is it not really important? idk if this is relevant or not, but the gene testing showed i have genetically low dopamine too. So does anyone know how effective abilify is at treating depression? does it sound good for me? does it have any sedating side effects? are there any serious side effects i should know about? and one more question, does it interact with any of these following drugs? thanks
*adderall
*lamictal(lamotragine)
*5-htp
*L-tyrosine
*cannabis

 

[Kittycat5]

Abilify is generally used as an add on to conventional antidepressants when people are not getting adequate response to them alone. This is for patients with Major Depressive Disorder and doses are lower than those used for treatment of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. I am unaware of data showing benefit of Abilify as the sole agent for depression but it may be there. Nevertheless, it isnt normally used that way.

If you are bipolar, Abilify is often used as well but is much better at treament of and maintaining remission from manic episodes and less effective at combatting depressive ones.

Fatigue and tiredness are certainly side effects of Abilify but if you are using it adjunctively for MDD, the doses should be lower, reducing the risk. I dont see a big problem with any of those meds listed with Abilify.

 

[bingey]

Abilify is weird a lot of people don't get sleepy from it but more a kind of stoned stimulation if that makes any sense.

I'ts the only anti-psychotic I will seek out I like to take it before going tto bed and the rebound leaves me kind of energetic in the morning , I think it's much more usefull in combatting anxiety than depression , it could possibly even add to your depression by further blunting of your emotions and or sexual side effects.

 

[Hodor]

Abilify differs from other antipsychotics in how it acts as an antagonist at some receptor subtypes and as an agonist at others.
What this effectively means is that in a best case scenario, it will simultaneously decrease your anxiety and restore your energy and capacity for joy. Of course some people unfortunately experience just the opposite, and start feeling both tired and more agitated and anxious.

So yeah, it might go either way, but with treatment-resistant depression, it's usually worth a try.
But as Kittycat already said, it is usually used as an add-on to a conventional antidepressant, rather than as a stand-alone treatment.

 

[Ozle]

Abilify did jack shit for my BPD (suspected bipolar at the time) when I took it briefly, it just made me overly stimulated and edgy.