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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:32:54
I was wondering if anyone could tell me their views on the medication Abilify...im using it for my unorganized thoughts and thinking. is it a good med? anyone that has good or bad experiences with it if you could please let me know...Im starting my first dose tomorrow morning. Plus..im starting 0.5 mg of Xanax...any advice on these drugs would be great. thanks.
AF
Posted by Phillipa on November 16, 2006, at 19:37:18
In reply to abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:32:54
How high is the abilify and what is your diagnosis? Love Phillipa
Posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:43:05
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Amandafran, posted by Phillipa on November 16, 2006, at 19:37:18
sorry that would help...:) I am starting on 5mg of abilify and 0.5 of xanax...I also take already Prozac 40mg, Lamictal 100 mg and Lunesta 3mg...but the abilify was just added this afternoon. I have major depression, anxiety and just started having panic attacks..plus I was just diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder...
Posted by med_empowered on November 16, 2006, at 22:00:36
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Phillipa, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:43:05
hi. to me it sounds like your "boredline personality disorder" sounds more like a form of bipolar (maybe type II)...with a lot of shrinks, it seems like a woman with bipolar="borderline".
Anyway...abilify can help that stuff, but it is still a neuroleptic which means risks (tardive dyskinesia, possible death from neuroleptic malignancy syndrome, EPS, it messes with your body's ability to self-regulate temperature) that aren't found with other meds. Its FDA approved for acute mania in Bipolar I, when used with conventional mood stabilizers (lithium, depakote) and for long-term schizophrenia treatment. Any other uses are speculative and "off-label," meaning there isn't always high quality evidence to support the use of the med for that purpose.
I think maybe instead of a neuroleptic you and your shrink should talk about optimizing the mood stabilizer..you can up lamictal, lower the prozac, add in depakote or keppra or trileptal or phenytoin...there are lots of options that don't involve using a neuroleptic. Also, you can try Klonopin (clonazepam) in place of the xanax; its also good for anxiety, and it can act as a mild mood stabilizer, which is a 2-birds-with-1-stone kind of deal.
I dont mean to second guess your shrink but...docs are spraying the new antipsychotics around like they're aspirin. These drugs may be more tolerable than, say, Haldol (that's really not saying much, by the way), but there are very *real* side effects to consider, and we won't know all of the effects until 10 years or so from now, especially w/ Abilify, which is so very new.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on November 16, 2006, at 22:19:36
In reply to abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:32:54
Abilify has made a nice dent in my depression when other things have not (well, Lithium has helped some too). I have not had probs w/ side effects thus far. I think it is worth a try.
Good luck!
EE
Posted by med_empowered on November 17, 2006, at 13:22:10
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Phillipa, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 19:43:05
i imagine the abilify could help its just...atypical antipsychotics are still very much antipsychotics. There's tardive dyskinesia to worry about, and neuroleptic malignancy syndrome, and tardive dysphrenia, so one and so forth.
I just dont see why a non-neuroleptic mood stabilizer can't be used, or even something like BuSpar (which kind of operates like a low-dose atypical anyway).
Posted by Amandafran on November 17, 2006, at 17:41:20
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax, posted by Emily Elizabeth on November 16, 2006, at 22:19:36
I used the xanax for the first time today and didnt feel it working at all. Does it take time to build in your system? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of stopping panic attacks? When I used to take ativan ...I felt relief almost immediately...but it took a long time for the xanax to work. Im on 0.5 mg... I know it is a well known fact that people can become addicted to anti-anxiety pills but I would never be able to tell with xanax...that is kind of scary. The last thing I want is to become addicted but I need the medicine at times to calm me...Im supposed to be taking 0.5 mg twice a day if needed...could I become addicted with that amount? I know that people abuse it because of hte euphoric high they can sometimes feel..but my point is..I havent felt that..but can I still get addicted? Im paranoid about becoming addicted..can you tell?
AF
Posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 19:14:48
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 17, 2006, at 17:41:20
It's as needed right? And you had better results with ativan then I would go back on that med. Love Phillipa
Posted by Amandafran on November 17, 2006, at 19:23:36
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Amandafran, posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 19:14:48
It is as needed...but like yesterday I counted at least 5 panic attacks..and so I woke up this morning and took one just in case.. When I was on the Ativan I took it for many months and it stopped working. So without the advise of my doctor I increased the dose to 2mg..and on up until I got to 6mg...I was scaring myself because I didnt need to be doing that and so I stopped taking the medication all together...but since then I have developed panic attacks..full blown. When I took the Ativan..it was just for anxiety ..not panic...
I am well aware of my potential to abuse if it were to stop working but I also know that I have the will power and strength to try and control myself to do what is right.
I just know that I really need the stuff esp. right now in my life and yet at the same time...I dont want it to do more harm than good..even if I am taking it correctly.
Posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 20:00:35
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Phillipa, posted by Amandafran on November 17, 2006, at 19:23:36
Well I don't know what your feeling are or your pdocs on seroquel but my Daughter is taking 50mg for sleep and functioning well at two jobs, and happy. She's never had psych problems but going through a divorce. Also stopping light drinking at the same time. I also have it and it will make you sleepy. There is a thread on seroquel for depression as monotheraphy. And a lot of posters are taking it instead of benzos. Love Phillipa
Posted by med_empowered on November 18, 2006, at 0:51:14
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Amandafran, posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2006, at 20:00:35
xanax is considered more addictive than ativan...ativan is actually a pretty clean drug, since it doesn't have much euphoria and is pretty mild. If you upped your dose b/c the prescribed dose wasn't controlling panic then that's not really "abuse"; that just means your anxiety wasn't being properly controlled.
Ask your doc about going for ativan instead...a lot of docs prefer it to xanax anyway, so switching shouldn't be a big deal.
Posted by Amandafran on November 18, 2006, at 20:20:14
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax, posted by med_empowered on November 18, 2006, at 0:51:14
I cannot go back on Ativan..because it did give me such a euphoric feeling..and I am scared of going back on it and abusing it. This is my issue now though...tonight I have been over stressing about whether or not I should take some xanax...I have been constantly worrying about what my T is thinking about me, and if he is thinking about me adn with what kinds of assesments good or bad he has made of me..and then I keep thinking of all the people I have irritated and about the fact that I feel like I cnanot trust anyone and that I am paranoid that NO ONE likes me. Now, my question is ...would xanax slow down my obsessing and help me to calm my thoughts or should i just suck it up and not take any until I feel like I am going to scream. I just hate having these thoughts and feeling like they are taking over my life. I know the Abilify is eventually SUPPOSED to tame the tiger..so to speak..and make it where my internal thoughts arent as messed up and annoying but im only on day 2 of the medication..so in the meantime..would xanax help?
Im just really confused and need some answers... Thanks.
AF
Posted by Phillipa on November 18, 2006, at 21:54:25
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 18, 2006, at 20:20:14
Maybe a call to the doc as he could maybe up the ambilify if he knows what a hard time you're having. Love Phillipa
Posted by med_empowered on November 18, 2006, at 23:42:30
In reply to Re: abilify and Xanax » Amandafran, posted by Phillipa on November 18, 2006, at 21:54:25
xanax will probably calm you down pretty fast. If you're afraid of your therapist--if being around him makes your paranoia worse, and you're afraid of what he's written down about you or what he thinks about you--you might want to find another therapist, one with whome you feel more comfortable. There's really no reason to allow yourself to feel uncomfortable; I mean, its therapy.
Posted by Phillipa on November 18, 2006, at 23:46:43
In reply to Abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 18:52:26
I think you'll get a better response if you post this on psychobabble board the main board on meds. Hope this helps Love Phillipa
Posted by TrishP on November 19, 2006, at 9:12:49
In reply to Abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 18:52:26
I actually take this combo now. I've had a lot of trouble with SSRIs and side effects. I am taking a very low dose of 2mg every night. Within 30 min I am asleep for 7 hours (which is great). I also take .5 of Xanax 1 or 2 times a day.
Abilify is a great antidepressant for me without all the terrible side effects I had with the ADs. It's weird in that it makes me tired at first (which is why I take it at night) and then the next day I feel a little hyper (which is where the Xanax comes in for anxiety). I also found that if I get that shaky feeling inside, Benedryl helps.
So far, it is a great combo. You have to give it a few weeks. And, if it does make you too hyper, skip a day. It has a long half life and you won't get any awful discontinuation if you skip a day.
Good luck. Keep us informed as to how it is working for you!
I take it for BP II.
Posted by Pluto on November 20, 2006, at 1:52:58
In reply to Abilify and Xanax, posted by Amandafran on November 16, 2006, at 18:52:26
Hi
Abilify can have start up anxiety until you get stabilized on it and its anxiolytic action starts to kick in. You may initially experience the anxiogenic effect of Abilify. It should pass. At the same time, take Xanax as prescribed. In my experience a low dose of Xanax 0.5 to 1 mg is not a big deal to worry over. Once the full potential of abilify is unleashed, it can have a calming effect hence you could reduce your Xanax intake.
Xanax is more fast acting than any other benzos out there. If you don't experience any effect after taking 0.5, up the dose to 1 mg and see whether it helps. I won't recommend more than it as far as I don't take more than 1 to 1.5mg at a time.
Cheers
PLS
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