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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by B2Chica on December 1, 2010, at 21:46:27
So i have psychotic depression, and i'm currently on:
10mg abilify
2mg klonipin at night for sleep
and 100mg gabapentin x4 a day
i'm wondering if my taking the 10 of abilify all at once was the problem?
i've been splitting the dose and thought its still not the best for my depression, i dont seem near as crazed at night.
i take one in morning about 9 or 10 and the other 12 hours later.my question, what is an ave dose for person with depression (not necessarily bipolar or schizophrenia) and do those who are on abilify take it once or twice a day?
b2c.
Posted by Christ_empowered on December 2, 2010, at 4:13:58
In reply to Abilify, dose and hours take?, posted by B2Chica on December 1, 2010, at 21:46:27
I think Abilify can be given in doses as small as 2mgs and as high as 15mgs/day for depression. Keep in mind that "depression" covers a lot of symptoms, so the dose really depends on what you're dealing with and what other med(s) you're taking (taking abilify w/ prozac, for instance, would mean you'd want to cut your dose in 1/2 b/c of drug-drug interactions).
Psychotic depression is pretty hardcore; it seems that the usual approach is to use a full-dose antipsychotic (and Abilify's lowest effective dose for psychosis is around 10mgs) plus some sort of drug for mood, usually an antidepressant (they still use tricyclics for this), but sometimes lithium.
In terms of dosing, I'd do whatever works best for you, just keep in mind that Abilify can be activating, so you might want to avoid a dose near bedtime. Personally, I take my full dose in the AM w/o any problems.
Posted by emmanuel98 on December 2, 2010, at 19:35:05
In reply to Abilify, dose and hours take?, posted by B2Chica on December 1, 2010, at 21:46:27
I always took it once a day in the morning. I believe it has a very long half-life, so twice a day dosing is not necessary.
Posted by KathrynLex on December 2, 2010, at 19:43:02
In reply to Abilify, dose and hours take?, posted by B2Chica on December 1, 2010, at 21:46:27
When I was on Abilify I took 10mg once a day. That's not to say that twice a day wouldn't work for some people. I split my Klonopin (.5mg in the a.m. and the same amount in the pm) and it's far more effective for me than simply taking 1mg in the morning. Good luck to you.
Posted by B2Chica on December 3, 2010, at 14:50:23
In reply to Re: Abilify, dose and hours take?, posted by Christ_empowered on December 2, 2010, at 4:13:58
thanks CE
im bad, real bad right now. cant seem to stop crying. the abilify isn't working, and for the last three days i've been contemplating the worst.
i see pdoc tonight but even that seems like forever.i think i need to either get off abilify or add pristiq back into the picture as it worked before.
i'm avoiding my old stand by of zyprexa due to the weight gain. course i probably wont be around unless i do. so fat or non existant...
i used to say when i was better i was fat and happy. people would laugh but they didnt know how really serious i was.thnx.
and i actually hope he puts me in the hospital for the weekend and can change meds quickly.
while i can still say..."i dont really want to die".
b2c.
Posted by Christ_empowered on December 3, 2010, at 14:56:13
In reply to Re: Abilify, dose and hours take?, posted by B2Chica on December 3, 2010, at 14:50:23
Maybe you should go back to zyprexa. Zyprexa works really, really quickly for a lot of people, so I wouldn't worry too much about being ill for much longer.
Have you tried metformin? Its an old diabetes (I think type II) drug that they've used w/ zyprexa in some people to treat/prevent weight gain and metabolic problems. It seems to curb weight gain, w/o any major side effects (its also cheap and its been around forever, so docs know what to expect from it).
Also, I've read that using the Zydis instead of the usual pill form of zyprexa seems to help reduce the weight problems...something about bypassing the gut and getting straight into the system that prevents a lot of problems from happening.
I'm glad you're taking the time to talk to your doc so you can get everything squared away. I know its cliche, but remember...this, too, shall pass. With proper treatment, you'll be doing fine pretty soon.
:-) Good luck
This is the end of the thread.
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