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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 radish on March 29, 2019, at 19:12:09
2 months ago, seroquel made me irritable and sleepy. now, abilify makes me irritable, sleepy, and potentially more anxious? i mainly have severe social phobia/anxiety and some general anxiety and depression on the side. antipsychotics do not perform for social phobia!! or at least my brand of it. my performance at work the past two days on abilify was atrocious, like i was brain dead. it took me a few minutes to do tasks that normally take 1 minute! part of this was from anxiety and part from being super cognitively slowed and dulled from maybe abilify.
i've asked him for an irreversible MAOI for months now, and every time he says he would do it, but then he never does!
Posted by rjlockhart37 on March 30, 2019, at 1:09:24
In reply to pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by radish on March 29, 2019, at 19:12:09
abilify all i know is bit stimulating because it's a partial dopamine agonst, but it doesnt have a stimulantion like stimulants, but also blocks other receptors in synapse
i was on it, made me more skiddish, i took zypreza and just stayed with it, sedating at first but works well with anxiety.....now if i don't take zyprexa i would have bad withdrawls ...
Posted by Christ_empowered on March 30, 2019, at 2:56:12
In reply to pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by radish on March 29, 2019, at 19:12:09
hi. i take abilify for...well, i need a tranquilizer, let's put it that way (Bipolar I to...possibly something more 'severe'..). having said that...
this off label antipsychotic use is getting crazy. you should ask him about tardive dyskinesia and if he'll monitor you. my shrinks get really uncomfortable when i do that, they clear their throat, etc. its hilarious.
what about just lyrica, a benzodiazepine, etc.? are those on the table?
Posted by Radish on March 30, 2019, at 8:58:22
In reply to pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by radish on March 29, 2019, at 19:12:09
CE, yeah I have a PRN rx for Ativan/lorazepam .5 mg. It is hard to say if it helps with anxiety or if it just slows me down more. I think it helps a little when Im otherwise comfortable and in an elevated mood. Maybe I should try clonozepam instead. I would also like to try lyrica.
The other day I went to a social event with some nice people and had about 1 mg of Ativan in my system, abilify, and had two drinks (one at the event and one before going in). My mind was utterly blank and fearful and I couldnt speak clearly without stumbling over my words and my mind going blank. I would forget things right after they were said and couldnt follow the conversation or keep up with its speed. I hate appearing so slow, its embarrassing. I started comparing myself to others and then I became very sad. Everything is so difficult. Social phobia is so depressing and leads to extreme self loathing and pain, for me. Thats why I cant believe doctors put me on meds thats have no literature that points to response in social phobics. Especially when Nardil exists and has tons of evidence for SP. Especially when Ive tried a dozen meds before that did not help, and I bring in printouts of the MAOI diet and drug restrictions, and I present myself as a pretty responsible, intelligent person (I hope). Its a kind of medical negligence imho.
Posted by Radish on March 30, 2019, at 9:00:59
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by rjlockhart37 on March 30, 2019, at 1:09:24
Rj, I wish I knew more about drug mechanisms of action like dopamine agonist, etc. Thats stuff flies over my head. I should spend some time researching. Ive heard other good things about zyprexa before and that it is pretty powerful.
Posted by SLS on March 30, 2019, at 9:44:26
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Radish on March 30, 2019, at 8:58:22
Nardil is the MAOI of choice for treating your symptom cluster. It is probably the best of all drugs for your condition(s).
Xanax (alprazolam) would probably help you more than Ativan (lorazepam) to treat your multiple anxiety states. Some people find it addictive, though. I'm not a big fan of Klonopin (clonazepam). I found it to be depressogenic and difficult to discontinue. I have seen Saphris (asenapine), an antipsychotic, help others to treat paranoia and depression without producing akathisia. It has helped a friend of mine who has schizoffective disorder. It acts as an antidepressant for her, and has allowed her to greatly reduce her need for taking Xanax. Saphris also helps to clear up her thinking. It's a pretty clean drug. Of course, two people can have opposite reactions to the same drug. I hope you find something that you respond well to.
- Scott
Posted by Radish on March 30, 2019, at 15:05:30
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy » Radish, posted by SLS on March 30, 2019, at 9:44:26
Thanks sls. I will ask my pdoc about switching to xanax next time I see him. I will get Nardil eventually I think... I just have to keep pushing this doctor, and maybe cold call some others if this one keeps stalling.
Posted by Schlepo on March 30, 2019, at 18:17:30
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Radish on March 30, 2019, at 15:05:30
I'v e heard that Abilify is activating at lower doses.
Posted by SLS on March 31, 2019, at 9:02:43
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Schlepo on March 30, 2019, at 18:17:30
> I'v e heard that Abilify is activating at lower doses.
In what way? Does this activation disappear at higher dosages?
Some doctors see Abilify dosing as having three tiers.
5 = depression
10 = bipolar disorder
20 - schizophreniaI haven't seen that the antidepressant effect of Abilify at low dosages disappears at higher dosages (as happens with nortriptyline). That wasn't my experience. However, I did find higher dosages to produce a dulling of cognition and a reduction in motivation.
- Scott
Posted by baseball55 on March 31, 2019, at 17:51:34
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy » Schlepo, posted by SLS on March 31, 2019, at 9:02:43
1 mg ativan and 2 drinks will space anyone out.
Posted by Radish on March 31, 2019, at 19:28:16
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by baseball55 on March 31, 2019, at 17:51:34
I see, well I do find that a little encouraging. I dont know much about Ativan or how other people respond to it.
One side effect of Abilify for me is it makes me yawn all the time yet doesnt make me noticeably sleepy. May be helping to increase my appetite.
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 2, 2019, at 8:01:55
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Radish on March 31, 2019, at 19:28:16
as neuroleptics go, I rather like Abilify (for me). do see about an AIMS evaluation now and then, for TD. its worse (the TD risk) if you are: female, over 40ish, have a mood disorder, are on a cocktail, show early signs of EPS, etc....
so, yeah. I hope it works, but do press your doctor for proper monitoring, please. :-)
Posted by Radish on April 4, 2019, at 6:48:13
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy » Radish, posted by SLS on March 30, 2019, at 9:44:26
As this is the second AP my doctor has put me on, I have to wonder if he believes in treating my social phobia like it is a type of paranoia. If so, thats an interesting line of thought, and one could definitely describe me as socially paranoid. Yet I havent read any medical literature that shows SP can be pharmacologically treated like schizophrenic paranoia (unless a patients SP is borne out of schizophrenia).
Seems much more logical to stick to the drugs that have been proven to work for SP. SP, especially when severe and comordbid with depression, is a curse and sufferers cannot waste any more time on clean but ineffective drugs.
He may instead be trying to treat my depression with the Abilify. I dont think Ive read much at all about Abilify or APs used as monotherapy for depression.
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 4, 2019, at 8:22:00
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Radish on April 4, 2019, at 6:48:13
"antipsychotics" are also...tranquilizers. low doses are used in: ocd, anxiety, personality disorders, aggressive behavior, on and on it goes. vets use low doses of the older ones in animals, to make them more managable.
abilify can boost mood, sometimes...maybe that's part of it?
personally...id go for lyrica or gabapentin, long(er) term, over an 'off label' tranquilizer. not ideal, but...probably less problematic, not to mention less expensive.
Posted by Radish on April 7, 2019, at 15:50:27
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Christ_empowered on April 4, 2019, at 8:22:00
Ohhhh yes thats true.
Well this weekend I have felt okay all things considered despite my circumstances. Which is an improvement. I was able to carry out some chores without existential pain and dread. What is life for the working class but work and chores? Anyhow I wonder if I can attribute it to having been on abilify (2 mg per day] for over a week. Or if it is the fact that this is the first weekend in over five months that you can wear shorts outside where I live.
Posted by radish on April 15, 2019, at 18:08:58
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by Christ_empowered on April 4, 2019, at 8:22:00
follow up 2
well i raised my dose as of a few days ago. i feel slightly (15%) less depressed, i think? my anxiety has not responded though. again, the weather here is finally improving so that may play a role.
---
i would also like to add, tangentially, that i noticed recently that small doses of dxm slightly improves (10 to 20%) social anxiety via its dis-associative properties. i feel less rooted in myself and stuck in my pathological self-consciousness. not a good therapeutic option, just an observation i had while sick.
Posted by Radish on April 25, 2019, at 20:58:37
In reply to Re: pdoc put me on another antipsychotic, abilfy, posted by radish on April 15, 2019, at 18:08:58
Follow up 3
Still on abilify 4 mg daily. I feel very depressed again and am having severe cognitive impairments and social anxiety. I can never tell which symptom leads to the others, like if my depression leads to SA or vice versa or if it doesnt work that way at all. Im irritable and am dissociating too which are signs that things are bad. But Im starting an MAOI probably late next month so I am hopeful about that. I may start exercising again but in my experience exercise can make me feel more depressed because it encourages body dysmorphic disorder for me. Of course everyone says depressed people need to exercise, but its not a one size fits all situation.
This is the end of the thread.
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