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Mental Health Excellent response to Abilify

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bees_knees

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Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
166
Early days yet (four days in) on 30mg Abilify. I kinda jumped the gun and was so sick of my state of mind that I just started on 30mg which is what we were going to go up to, instead of the 10mg prescribed. The only side effect was hiccups.

Clearer thoughts, almost no agitation, able to focus (maybe because the agitation is gone), perception 'makes more sense' ie. I'm processing information about the environment better, no racing thoughts.

The no agitation and no racing of my mind are the two big ones I think, thank God that's over with.

I'm schizoaffective and have been refusing treatment for years, they had to put me on an older injection and that was it, but now that I decided yes I am sick and tried Abilify, what an improvement!

Can't slam these drugs anymore...
 
Congrats man. I take Abilify too, albeit at a lower dose than yours, and it's an all around good antipsychotic. I like that it's mild too, milder than a bunch of others same meds imo.
 
It really is a big change! I have my hopes up that I will get my mind back in the coming weeks/months. They said 4 weeks for full effect, other sources on the internet say 2 weeks, either way I might ask to go up another 15mg, which is something they mentioned I could do a long time ago.

I am such a dunce for thinking my dysfunctionality was because of other reasons. I think too much...
 
So happy to hear that you're benefitting so nicely from the medication, my friend!! :)

I never got such positive benefits from it, even in conjunction with an SSRI/SNRI, so label me jealous ;)

I'd suggest speaking to your doctor before ramping the dose up any more, though. Remember, too much of a good thing inevitably ends up poorly, and being that Abilify's dosage increments are weighted at 5mg, increasing your already. Rey high dose by 3x the recommended starting dose could very well be dangerous. Please tread lightly; great things almost always take time. Now that you've been feeling better than pre-Abilify, doesn't it seem more reasonable to take things more slowly so you can get it *just* right?

Best of luck, and once more - wonderful news!!

~ Vaya
 
^I agree and wanted to post yesterday but didn't know how to put it. Good job. My (adult) daughter benefits from either 2.5 mg or 5 mg and when she briefly went up to 10 mg, started having side effects. A small dose of this med can do wonders.
 
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True, I'm just desperate to get out of this mess, and you know I think I am a big step out of it now. I will wait for the doc before going up any further for sure. He DID prescribe 10mg, it would be almost hilarious if I walked in there and said I'd been taking 45mg, especially given my history of non compliance, upping and lowering doses, arguing, intellectualising etc. hehe

Yeah I've heard of it prescribed at just 2-5mg, interesting, that must be great for social anxiety or something? Because I don't think it has much antipsychotic benefits at that dose, or so the doc seemed to say amidst his answer when I asked why we were starting so low.
 
2-5mg to augment other meds. By itself probably at least 5-10 would be needed. Also probably different for bipolar vs. schizophrenia.
 
Bees Knees when I started Abilify I think my dose was 30 mg as well. Then again, I was in a very bad state after having been off meds for nearly a year. But that's another story. I'm just here to say that I think it is great that A) you are feeling good and B) hopefully you are done being a pain in the ass to your doctor.

My dose has been 30 mg for the past 7 years. My antidepressant has occasionally fluctuated as needed, but the Abilfy has stayed the same. Since I started that medication I went from being homeless to finishing my bachelor's degree and subsequently getting a master's degree then landing a full-time salaried job. I don't have side effects, I have a sex life, and I smoke dank every day. I'm not trying to brag. I'm just saying that becoming med compliant pretty much saved my life.

Good on you for finding something that works. I hope you stay on it and are able to get your life back like I did. It may not be the same life but its life nonetheless.
 
That's awesome!

This morning I feel pretty much back to normal except for some motivational issues but that could be a habit or psychological, each day has been a sizeable step towards more normalcy. I am waaay more functional without this agitation!

Bah I've wasted quite a few years just because I had other ideas about my problems, just had to listen to the doc. I also was avoiding medication so I could trip properly, I don't know if I'll trip or trip that often anymore. It doesn't seem to affect the illness that much (mushrooms at least) but I won't be coming off Abilify for a good few years at least so I'll have to eat A LOT of mushrooms.

You say you've been on it for 7 years. Are you aware of how on Wikipedia it says studies have revealed it reduces brain volume in primates long term? What do you think of this?
 
I'd say it looks like it's going to be pretty close to what my old self was. I'm reluctant to say 'life' because I've never had real life just intense interests, but I sure haven't enjoyed those interests for a while.
 
bees_knees said:
You say you've been on it for 7 years. Are you aware of how on Wikipedia it says studies have revealed it reduces brain volume in primates long term? What do you think of this?
Click to expand...

I've heard that. I've also heard it can lead to diabetes, which why I get my blood checked periodically.

Honestly, as much beer as I drink and as much weed that I smoke, I'm prolly killing brain cells faster than abilify can reduce them.

But on a serious note, I would rather have my brain reduced slowly over time than live with all the symptoms I get when I'm off meds 8(
 
bees_knees said:
I'd say it looks like it's going to be pretty close to what my old self was. I'm reluctant to say 'life' because I've never had real life just intense interests, but I sure haven't enjoyed those interests for a while.
Click to expand...

Hey man, when I was sick and couldn't work, my interests were all I had. After I got off the streets and eventually out of the hospital, I lived with my parents and had the house to myself all day while they worked. It was a year before I was stable enough to get a part time job. I had to learn how to interact with people all over again. It was not easy and I was often suicidal without telling anyone. But my interests, particularly acoustic guitar and songwriting, are what kept me from offing myself out of sheer boredom. I wrote a lot of songs in those days but mainly because I didn't have anything else to do. I certainly wasn't going to let myself waste away in front of the television.
 
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