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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by oceansun on October 27, 2014, at 22:54:27
I'm at 2.5 mg from 15 mg and I kind of feel depressed and emotionally numb at the same time. Are these discontinuation symptoms from Abilify? I thought withdrawal symptoms were not common due to its long half life.
I've also raised Lamictal from 400 mg to 450 mg -- Lamictal didn't cause these symptoms ever before, but I'm wondering if it could be causing the emotional numbness.
Posted by Christ_empowered on October 28, 2014, at 14:55:05
In reply to Abilify discontinuation?, posted by oceansun on October 27, 2014, at 22:54:27
I would think that riasing the lamictal could cause some problems....my own experience with anticonvulsants is that you reach a point at which they cause noticeable cognitive problems and emotional dulling, and sometimes depression.
I would think Abilify discontinuation could cause problems. 15mgs/day Abilify=200mgs/day Thorazine, according to a little abstract I found via The Google. 2.5mgs/day=about 34mgs/Thorazine. That's a big dose reduction. 200mgs/Thorazine is enough to quell (hypo)mania, to put that into perspective. Also, Abilify has some mood elevating properties, so...maybe its sort of like a combined antipsychotic and AD taper, plus the Lamictal increase?
I dunno. I've also found that when you reduce meds, you feel things more intensely. What's going in your life? What issue(s) have led to psychiatric treatment? That's personal stuff, of course, but....just something to think about.
Good luck!
Posted by oceansun on October 28, 2014, at 20:25:53
In reply to Re: Abilify discontinuation?, posted by Christ_empowered on October 28, 2014, at 14:55:05
Okay, now I know I'm officially depressed and a little paranoid. Probably from the Abilify discontinuation. Depressed but not anxious like the first time I discontinued it. Numbing can be a part of depression for me, so that might explain the emotional blunting. Probably Lamictal doesn't help in that regard.
So, can't get an appointment with pdoc for another two weeks, so tried Viibryd again today, stupidly just because it was there and I'm not exactly the patient type ;). Premedicated with Zofran and Immodium, so the GI effects are less but I'm having some other wacky side effects -- major clumsiness and vision problems. No heavy machinery for me ;).
BUT I feel remarkably better. Probably placebo. Probably because I read an article recently about how SSRIs have an immediate effect on the brain. Probably because I read it can have an antidepressant effect in a week. Probably just because I'm doing something to help the depression. Still, makes me wonder...stupidly?
And I wonder why no one here is taking Viibryd anymore. Doesn't work? Poop out (literally and figuratively)?
Posted by SLS on October 29, 2014, at 7:40:16
In reply to Abilify discontinuation?, posted by oceansun on October 27, 2014, at 22:54:27
> I'm at 2.5 mg from 15 mg and I kind of feel depressed and emotionally numb at the same time. Are these discontinuation symptoms from Abilify? I thought withdrawal symptoms were not common due to its long half life.
>
> I've also raised Lamictal from 400 mg to 450 mg -- Lamictal didn't cause these symptoms ever before, but I'm wondering if it could be causing the emotional numbness.Dropping Abilify so quickly might be counterproductive. The half-life is 72 - 96 hours. Compare that to the 7 - 9 days of Prozac. You have effectively dropped down to 17% of your previous dosage. Such an abrupt reduction might produce a rebound depression with anxiety.
How about bringing the Abilify up to 10 mg/day temporarily while you optmize your dosage of Lamictal?
- Scott
Posted by oceansun on October 29, 2014, at 19:14:46
In reply to Re: Abilify discontinuation?, posted by SLS on October 29, 2014, at 7:40:16
Huh, for some reason I thought it took a month for Abilify to leave your body! I went from 15 mg to 2.5 mg in about 2 weeks, so now it makes sense that I would be having withdrawal depression. I would love to raise it but my pdoc wants me off it ASAP due to mild EPS.
If I were to add a low dose of Seroquel, which has apparently a lot less risk of EPS/TD, in the meantime, would that make me gain weight in the short-term? Is it harder to get off Abilify than Seroquel?
Maybe I should increase my Lamictal dose more rapidly. Going in 50 mg intervals didn't bother me the last time I had a dose increase. But it took me 2 weeks after the 200-mg increase to feel any benefit. Or maybe that's contributing to emotional blunting. What was your experience with Lamictal?
I'd like to get rid of this depression sooner if possible (wouldn't we all ;)).
Thanks!
Posted by phidippus on November 3, 2014, at 21:30:25
In reply to Abilify discontinuation?, posted by oceansun on October 27, 2014, at 22:54:27
You dropped too quick on your Abilify. Its not the Lamictal. I agree with Scott-go back up to 10 mg on the Abilify and then mess around with the Lamictal.
Eric
Posted by herpills on November 7, 2014, at 8:03:47
In reply to Abilify discontinuation?, posted by oceansun on October 27, 2014, at 22:54:27
When I discontinued Abilify (5mg) I did have some withdrawal depression, it lasted about 3 weeks, then I felt better.
Posted by Zyprexa on November 12, 2014, at 3:11:05
In reply to Re: Abilify discontinuation? » SLS, posted by oceansun on October 29, 2014, at 19:14:46
I went off it cold turky everytime. You feel increadably worse for a long time then it starts to go away. Abilify has horable withdraw. But I also could not tolerate being on it.
This is the end of the thread.
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