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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 37. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 22:31:40
Just wanted to put in my two sense about Abilify. I have been on countless meds and it wasn't untill I added Abilify to my cocktail that my brain started reacting normally to other meds. Especially stimulants. I couldn't even drink coffee. I used to get horribly disphoric on stims which I need for ADD. I'm bipolar 11 and ADD. All I know is it seemed to heal what ever was broken up there and it feels great.
Posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:40:39
In reply to Abilify saved me, posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 22:31:40
> Just wanted to put in my two sense about Abilify. I have been on countless meds and it wasn't untill I added Abilify to my cocktail that my brain started reacting normally to other meds. Especially stimulants. I couldn't even drink coffee. I used to get horribly disphoric on stims which I need for ADD. I'm bipolar 11 and ADD. All I know is it seemed to heal what ever was broken up there and it feels great.
Yes, ma'am. Me too.
Abilify is sometimes referred to as being a dopamine system stabilizer (DSS). It really seems to live up to its billing.
I really hope you found your magic combination.
Mine is:
Parnate
desipramine
Lamictal
Abilify
- Scott
Posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:43:01
In reply to Abilify saved me, posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 22:31:40
Noelle,
How much Abilify do you take?
I take 20mg
- Scott
Posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 23:12:59
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » noelle, posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:43:01
just 5mg but I also take Lamictal, Lithium, and Effexor
Posted by Phillipa on January 17, 2009, at 23:36:21
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me-SLS, posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 23:12:59
Seems like abilify may be a good guy. Good for anxiety? Seriously? But such a high dollar. Phillipa
Posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 23:41:09
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » noelle, posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:43:01
only 5mg but I'm also on Lamictal Lithium and Effexor
Posted by iforgotmypassword on January 18, 2009, at 1:17:05
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » noelle, posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:43:01
sorry, i don't mean to interrupt. it's a drug i may consider trying if i could get it easily enough. in the meantime, the good news is i may be able to get nefazodone sometime in the middle of next week, hoping for luck there. both drugs seem to have poorly explained interaction with the 5-HT2C receptor, for better or worse, both, or no significance at all... wish things were clearer in that department.
Posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 3:49:20
In reply to any sign of it being released in canada » SLS, posted by iforgotmypassword on January 18, 2009, at 1:17:05
Good luck with nefazodone. I was unaware that Abilify exerted any effects at 5-HT2c. That is showing itself to be an interesting receptor. People sometimes overlook that Abilify is also a 5-HT1a partial agonist. The soon-to-be approved asenapine is an AP that acts as a 5-HT1a antagonist. I don't think I like that.
- Scott
> sorry, i don't mean to interrupt. it's a drug i may consider trying if i could get it easily enough. in the meantime, the good news is i may be able to get nefazodone sometime in the middle of next week, hoping for luck there. both drugs seem to have poorly explained interaction with the 5-HT2C receptor, for better or worse, both, or no significance at all... wish things were clearer in that department.
Posted by mav27 on January 18, 2009, at 4:25:05
In reply to any sign of it being released in canada » SLS, posted by iforgotmypassword on January 18, 2009, at 1:17:05
Sorry if this has nothing to do with what you were saying.. it just made me think of some stuff i was reading the other day but darned if i can find the site.. i did save the images though. it was about AP's and their effect on 5ht2c
http://members.iinet.net.au/~jkaufman/slide029.gif
Pic needs zooming in, but green line is d2 and purple is 5ht2c
Abilify is there at the end but it shows the 5ht2c binding not meeting a line saying functional activity.
> sorry, i don't mean to interrupt. it's a drug i may consider trying if i could get it easily enough. in the meantime, the good news is i may be able to get nefazodone sometime in the middle of next week, hoping for luck there. both drugs seem to have poorly explained interaction with the 5-HT2C receptor, for better or worse, both, or no significance at all... wish things were clearer in that department.
Posted by mav27 on January 18, 2009, at 4:31:45
In reply to any sign of it being released in canada » SLS, posted by iforgotmypassword on January 18, 2009, at 1:17:05
ah found where i read it
Posted by desolationrower on January 18, 2009, at 5:16:38
In reply to Re: any sign of it being released in canada, posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 3:49:20
Well thats bad in the sense of it makes it a dirtier drug, but some 5ht1a antagonists are quite helpful.
-d/r
Posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 5:33:55
In reply to Re: any sign of it being released in canada, posted by desolationrower on January 18, 2009, at 5:16:38
> Well thats bad in the sense of it makes it a dirtier drug, but some 5ht1a antagonists are quite helpful.
>
> -d/rPindolol?
Are there any other drugs you know of?
I hope you're right. If I were to have a problem with Abilify, I hope asenapine would be an effective replacement for me. Bufeprunox might not make it according to some of the things I've read. It, like Abilify, is a 5-HT1a partial agonist, only with a higher affinity for that receptor.
- Scott
Posted by iforgotmypassword on January 18, 2009, at 13:13:22
In reply to Re: any sign of it being released in canada, posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 3:49:20
it's depressing gepirone never came out. we could have got some hard in vivo human dopamine receptor occupancy data. maybe even some alpha-2 focused comparison with other drugs.
money, the alpha-2 blocking metaboite, and especially the D2 issue of buspirone were why i did not go higher with the dose, despite that theoretically it may have been able to help me.
maybe i will go back to it. i still think about it sometimes, but i really don't like messing with hard dopamine antagonists.
i am hoping that nefazodone helps mitigate excessive serotonergic input somewhere it needs to be addressed, or what i am truly hoping that it addresses it entirely, but it seems less likely to do anything at all about excess serotonergic input in the VTA, and may even likely increase serotonin there.
i feel strongly that my cluster of extrapyramidal symptoms is likely to be caused by harmful antidopaminergic effects of excess serotonergic input. but some days i really worry that it is a slowly progressing permanent neurodegenerative disease like parkinson's.
Posted by theo on January 18, 2009, at 20:45:10
In reply to Abilify saved me, posted by noelle on January 17, 2009, at 22:31:40
What dose do you take? Do you take it morning or bedtime?
Posted by theo on January 18, 2009, at 20:50:41
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me, posted by SLS on January 17, 2009, at 22:40:39
How long now have you been on Abilify? Any signs of Tardive Dyskinesia? Abilify worked great for me but I freaked about that. If it helps dopamine isn't it differenent than other AP's that shut dopamine down?
Posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 21:32:02
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » SLS, posted by theo on January 18, 2009, at 20:50:41
> How long now have you been on Abilify? Any signs of Tardive Dyskinesia? Abilify worked great for me but I freaked about that.
Tardive Dyskinisia is thought to be less likely with Abilify, primarily because it doesn't accumulate in the motor centers of the brain located in the striatum. It is selective for the mood control centers in the mesolimbic cortex. So, basically, the areas responsible for movement control are not affected.
I don't know if any work has been done in this area, but some people have expressed concern that Tardive Akathisia is a possibility.
> If it helps dopamine isn't it differenent than other AP's that shut dopamine down?
Yes. It increases dopamine activity when there isn't enough and decreases it when there is too much.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on January 19, 2009, at 0:34:25
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » theo, posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 21:32:02
How does that work? Love Phillipa
Posted by Neal on January 19, 2009, at 21:40:15
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » theo, posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 21:32:02
Scott,
if you don't mind. are you straight depression, or bi-polar, or ________?
Posted by noelle on January 19, 2009, at 23:48:36
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » noelle, posted by theo on January 18, 2009, at 20:45:10
I take 5mg at night
Posted by SLS on January 20, 2009, at 7:29:07
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » SLS, posted by Neal on January 19, 2009, at 21:40:15
> Scott,
>
> if you don't mind. are you straight depression, or bi-polar, or ________?Definitely ________.
:-)
Bipolar:Chronic severe anergic depression with antidepressant-induced mania. I never experienced a spontaneous remission in 32 years. Not fun.
- Scott
Posted by Neal on January 20, 2009, at 16:25:54
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » Neal, posted by SLS on January 20, 2009, at 7:29:07
>
> :-)
>
>
> Bipolar:
>
> Chronic severe anergic depression with antidepressant-induced mania. I never experienced a spontaneous remission in 32 years. Not fun.Thanks Scott,
sorry to be so nosy i saved your med list in your previous post, but its useless - unless i know what it was treating.
-Neal
Posted by JayBTV2 on January 21, 2009, at 7:32:53
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » SLS, posted by Neal on January 20, 2009, at 16:25:54
I just came out of the hospital again after two manic episodes. Was in for 3 days in late December - then again for 8 days Jan 10th through 18th.
I had been episode free since 2006. At that point I was put on Lamictal (125mg) and Seroquel (100mg night). Those both seemed to work well until the last few months.
I have a problem with boredom I suppose. I'm on SSI and due to my illness I haven't done much but live w/ my parents (I'm 31 w/ a degree in Psych from McGill University).
Anyway the last few months I kinda slipped back into some drug seeking behavior. Started drinking beer daily at bars to talk to bartenders (at least something social). Then I got back into drinking Cough Syrup (DXM) which is really not too smart. Was actually doing it twice a week prior to bipolar support groups believe it or not (NAMI and MHI).....ugh
So yea I know I need to take responsibility for my mistakes and thus the hardcore episodes I just went through. Burned the back of my hands with cigs. Thought at times I was talking to a god/devil in the sun. Wondered how the brain syncs info as a baby when the speed of light is SO much faster than the speed of sound. Thought about time, magicians, and potential cheaters in the game of life. The ultimate chess player Vs a computer that was built by humans. You are what you eat - but no one eats humans.....on and on and on and on....
Sorry there was a point to this :)
Yea so in this recent visit to the hospital they finally put me on Abilify (15mg morning). It's only been about a week but it's really helped the way I feel. It's my first new medication since 2006 - and I'm really optimistic about it. I was weary of akathesia (which I had bad w/ Wellbutrin of all meds) but so far I haven't had any side-effects aside from some sleep disturbance.
It's also nice that for me it's definitely been pro-libido.
Just wanted to say thanks for those that have posted positive reports in this thread. I'm really hoping this turns out to be the boost I need to get on the right track again. It's only been a week but I've been able to stop all of my vices.....
Thanks for letting me share,
-Jason
Posted by Phillipa on January 21, 2009, at 19:44:38
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me, posted by JayBTV2 on January 21, 2009, at 7:32:53
So glad you're feeling better and med is working for you. Love Phillipa
Posted by linkadge on January 22, 2009, at 19:27:06
In reply to Re: Abilify saved me » theo, posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 21:32:02
Tardive Dyskinisia is thought to be less likely with Abilify because it is the latest antipsychotic on the market.
Linkadge
Posted by SLS on January 22, 2009, at 20:06:21
In reply to Re: Correction » SLS, posted by linkadge on January 22, 2009, at 19:27:06
> Tardive Dyskinisia is thought to be less likely with Abilify because it is the latest antipsychotic on the market.
Crap. And here I thought it was due to its inability to produce an upregulation of D2 receptors or an increase in expression of the c-fos mRNA in the striatum.Silly me.
- Scott
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