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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jerrympls on April 11, 2004, at 0:04:57
Especially for low motivation, lethargy, apathy, etc....?
Jerry
Posted by socialdeviantjeff on April 11, 2004, at 0:52:45
In reply to Anyone have luck with Abilify for depression?, posted by jerrympls on April 11, 2004, at 0:04:57
Well, it hasn't helped with all the probs, but I did notice a slightly higher energy and motivation. On the flipside, it causes insomnia and anxiety for me. I have a benzo for sleep.
Hope this helps...
Posted by utopizen on April 11, 2004, at 22:16:17
In reply to Re: Anyone have luck with Abilify for depression?, posted by socialdeviantjeff on April 11, 2004, at 0:52:45
> Well, it hasn't helped with all the probs, but I did notice a slightly higher energy and motivation. On the flipside, it causes insomnia and anxiety for me. I have a benzo for sleep.
>
> Hope this helps...I tried it for 2 weeks last winter, when it came out, and I developed akathasia. I remember feeling rather unusually motivated-- it could have been in my head, but I did go to the library rather often and such, odd for me.
I wish I stuck it out, but told my pdoc instead to take me off it the day I got restlessness on it (akathasia). I wish I tried waiting it out with some Geodon or Klonopin.
Now that I have Klonopin, I figure that should do the trick if I decide to try it again. I have ADD, and think it might help me.
I remember the day I felt restlessness, taking decent doses (800-1600mg) of Neurontin was helpful, but didn't tell my pdoc that because I was through with Neurontin in my mind because it makes me feel slow. So if Neuontin helped, I'm hoping Klonopin would just as well... if not, Geodon. I'm assuming restlessness goes away, as do many side effects, as my pdoc said, if you wait it out for a few solid weeks.
I now have a lot more patience these days and regret not waiting my meds out more whenever I got the initial side effects... I've become more mature with my meds these days, and would like to see myself take a stab at the potential for taking Klonopin only as needed some day and having more prolonged relief from a "real med" that helps me feel more in control of things.
Posted by AlexandriaS on April 12, 2004, at 11:26:17
In reply to Anyone have luck with Abilify for depression?, posted by jerrympls on April 11, 2004, at 0:04:57
Dear Jerry,
It sounds like your depression is similar to mine. My doctor added Abilify to Zoloft and Ritalin and there was some improvement with energy and motivation. However, I began to gain weight rapidly. It was so much weight, so fast, that we decided to stop the Abilify. After about four weeks off the Abilify, I sank into a suicidal depression. I started the Abilify and improved almost immediately. Although my doctor doesn't agree, I feel as if I am now dependent on the Abilify. It is the first anti-psychotic I have ever used and I regret having started it. I will not know for sure if stopping the Abilify caused the severe depression until I try to stop it again. To be fair, I did become suicidally depressed while taking medication one time before, but that was my first real "breakdown" and it came after my first year working full-time as an attorney. I attributed that episode to the stress of both working full-time and working as a lawyer. I suppose it is possible that this recent episode would have happened anyway it is just a coincidence that it occured at the same time as stopping the Abilify but I doubt it, especially in light of the fact that I improved so quickly after re-starting the medication. I wish I could go back to my level of functioning pre-Abilify, without Abilify. Even though it was not good, it would be preferable to gaining all this weight. Just think carefully before making your decision. Ask your doctor. I have read some research which indicates that people who have never had trouble with weight tend not to have trouble when using the new anti-psychotics. If this is you, maybe you would be fine. Good luck. It is so hard living like this, the lack of energy, motivation, it's almost as bad as severe depression.
Alex
Posted by cybercafe on April 13, 2004, at 16:32:48
In reply to Re: Anyone have luck with Abilify for depression?, posted by socialdeviantjeff on April 11, 2004, at 0:52:45
> Well, it hasn't helped with all the probs, but I did notice a slightly higher energy and motivation. On the flipside, it causes insomnia and anxiety for me. I have a benzo for sleep.
>
> Hope this helps...
yeah..... i started out on a really low dose... and then had to wait a while for the side effects to go away... but the motivation is still there! ... i already had anxiety probs so don't know if it effects this
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