Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1098631

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Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 5:54:19

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 4:39:54

All i am saying is that we should do whatever we can do. Is Saphris sedating at all? If Seroquel would be a 10 in terms of sedation, how does Saphris compare?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by SLS on May 28, 2018, at 12:32:18

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 5:54:19

> All i am saying is that we should do whatever we can do. Is Saphris sedating at all? If Seroquel would be a 10 in terms of sedation, how does Saphris compare?

I found Saphris to be mildly sedating during the first few days of treatment. After that, I hardly knew that I was taking it.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 15:47:54

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 5:54:19

and it gets the job of protecting you from mania and psychosis done?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by SLS on May 29, 2018, at 23:53:02

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 28, 2018, at 15:47:54

> and it gets the job of protecting you from mania and psychosis done?

That is very astute of you. That is my hope. I did not experience a single manic episode during the 13 years that I took Abilify for. I have had manic reactions to MAOIs in the past. With a little luck, Saphris will help with depression and prevent mania.

I performed an experiment with Saphris. I stopped taking it. I wanted to be sure that it was absolutely necessary before moving on to months of different drug trials. I was so excited that I felt better on Saphris, but I wanted to explore the possibility that my improvement was due to the discontinuance of Abilify. After a week without Saphris, my bipolar depression deteriorated rapidly. I restarted it this afternoon. I allowed several days to pass before I began to descend into the abyss. I pushed and pushed as my conditionn grew worses and worse. I guess I have my answer. Now comes allowing the neuroendocrine systems to settle down under its new conditions. Once I feel stable, I will taper and discontinue Parnate in preparation for taking Trintellix.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 2:55:41

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by SLS on May 29, 2018, at 23:53:02

It sounds like it is helping. Did you do alot of destructive stuff when you were manic/psychotic?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 3:05:23

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 2:55:41

Did your food cravings lessen? If not you can still try Metformin. It sounds like it could help you.

Are you still volunteering?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by SLS on May 30, 2018, at 6:04:10

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 3:05:23

Hi Lamdage.

My manias were indeed severe and overtly psychotic. Religiosity was the major theme. Mania for me is generally dysphoric. Parnate more so than Nardil. Although I was energetic and industrious at the beginning of each mania, the mania became destructive as it grew more severe. I lost my job and my marriage.

My depression has eased this morning. I took a 10 mg dose yesterday. It was too much all at once. I thought I could take a loading dose. I was impatient. I was left dizzy and sedated. It wasn't pleasant. I'm okay now, and will remain at 10 mg/day taken in divided doses.

Thanks for reminding me about metformin. If I have the same weight-gain and triglycerides issues with Saphris that I had with Abilify, I will ask my doctor about it.

I'm not volunteering right now. I left my position last August when my mother had spinal surgery. Afterwards, I had my bout with septic shock. The commute was getting too expensive, anyway. My guess is that I will feel employable later this summer as I eventually discontinue the Parnate and move on to Trintellix and Effexor.

Do you have a plan in place to treat your condition(s)? Have you reduced your dosage of Seroquel?

I always appreciate your kind concern.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 9:42:12

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by SLS on May 30, 2018, at 6:04:10

> Hi Lamdage.
>
> My manias were indeed severe and overtly psychotic. Religiosity was the major theme. Mania for me is generally dysphoric. Parnate more so than Nardil. Although I was energetic and industrious at the beginning of each mania, the mania became destructive as it grew more severe. I lost my job and my marriage.

I am sorry to hear that. I was destructive, too, but everyone involved forgave me. Also religious. You werent angry that a psychmed sent you into that? I was for sure.

> I'm not volunteering right now. I left my position last August when my mother had spinal surgery. Afterwards, I had my bout with septic shock. The commute was getting too expensive, anyway. My guess is that I will feel employable later this summer as I eventually discontinue the Parnate and move on to Trintellix and Effexor.

I watched your experiment with Saphris with some concern but i changed my mind. I hope the other change pays works out for you as well. I am kind of conservative. I rather not try everything because of the risks involved. It could be better with a new med, but it could also be worse. Thats kind of my thinking here. I am pretty stable and i dont want to mess this up.

> Do you have a plan in place to treat your condition(s)? Have you reduced your dosage of Seroquel?

I have gone from 1000mg to 900mg. But i did not have the nasal congestion again. I have picked up frequent exercise again and besides that i am kind of waiting for stuff like Rapastinel to come onto the market.
>
> I always appreciate your kind concern.
>
>
> - Scott

Sure thing;)

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 13:24:01

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on May 30, 2018, at 9:42:12

And i do healthy eating and supplements. I believe that is a hugely overlooked factor. I feel so much better!
Of course its hard to live healthily when you take meds that make you crave unhealthy foods. For me Metformin fixed that.

Maybe i will open a new thread on healthy living. Where should i post?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by SLS on June 3, 2018, at 20:55:58

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by SLS on May 17, 2018, at 7:48:04

Hi, Folks.

> > I have been taking 15 mg/day of Abilify for quite a few years. I gained 50 pounds and my triglycerides are 450 mg/dL. I would like to reverse these conditions. I took my first 5 mg dose of Saphris tonight. My plan is to cross-titrate the two drugs. My hope is that Saphris will provide approximately the same antidepressant effect as Abilify, but without the weight gain and metabolic side effects.
> >
> > We shall see.

> So far, so good. I have been on Saphris 10 mg/day for a week, and discontinued Abilify 3 days ago. I feel better now than I did before making the switch. Of course it could be temporary. Abilify leaves the body somewhat slowly. Its half-life is 3 days. However, I remain optimistic. I have more energy and accomplish a bit more during the day. My thought speed and memory have improved. I am more social. My affect is less flat and my thoughts and feelings are more positive. I still suffer from laziness and a lack of interest and motivation. I also remain in a brain fog and stare off into space a lot. These things, while being symptoms of depression, are made worse by Parnate. This is my reason for wanting to switch from Parnate to Trintellix. I will do this once I have been stabilized on Saphris for a few weeks. Trintellix was my doctor's idea. I originally wanted to go back to Effexor, a drug that I have had partial success with in the past. His idea is much better. I am excited to make the switch.

So far, not so good.

Things have turned foul on me. Not only did I lose the improvement that I enjoyed during the first week or two on Saphris, but I am feeling decidedly worse. I'm pretty sure that I am in a darker place now than I was before adding Abilify to my treatment in 2002. I have decided to discontinue Saphris for now and plan to switch from Parnate to Trintellix. However, I don't plan to add back Abilify - at least, not yet. My main consideration for avoiding Abilify is that I am unhappy with the weight gain and elevated triglycerides it produces.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS

Posted by ed_uk2010 on June 4, 2018, at 16:38:07

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by SLS on June 3, 2018, at 20:55:58

Hi Scott,

Sorry to hear that asenapine didn't suit you.

How quickly do you plan to stop Parnate?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS

Posted by sigismund on June 4, 2018, at 18:52:59

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by SLS on June 3, 2018, at 20:55:58

>Things have turned foul on me. Not only did I lose the improvement that I enjoyed during the first week or two on Saphris, but I am feeling decidedly worse.

The effects of Saphris change with the dosage?

How can you know what dose might be helpful if the effect is not linear?

Just a thought.

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by sigismund on June 4, 2018, at 19:00:00

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS, posted by sigismund on June 4, 2018, at 18:52:59

There's a lot of 1s and 5s for Saphris on askapatient and not too many 3s. Doses from 5 to 20.

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » sigismund

Posted by SLS on June 4, 2018, at 20:04:40

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS, posted by sigismund on June 4, 2018, at 18:52:59

> >Things have turned foul on me. Not only did I lose the improvement that I enjoyed during the first week or two on Saphris, but I am feeling decidedly worse.
>
> The effects of Saphris change with the dosage?
>
> How can you know what dose might be helpful if the effect is not linear?
>
> Just a thought.

That's a very good thought!

Thank you.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010

Posted by SLS on June 4, 2018, at 20:15:08

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS, posted by ed_uk2010 on June 4, 2018, at 16:38:07

> Hi Scott,
>
> Sorry to hear that asenapine didn't suit you.
>
> How quickly do you plan to stop Parnate?

I have begun to taper the dosage of Parnate as of today. I've done this before, of course. One of the most prominent withdrawal symptoms has been profound fatigue. I guess it is similar to coming off of amphetamine. I might use Focalin judiciously to help create a bridge for the worst of it. Similarly, I can use Abilify as a bridge as was suggested by my doctor. I will try not to do this, though. One day at a time.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on June 4, 2018, at 21:42:11

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010, posted by SLS on June 4, 2018, at 20:15:08

That is why i have become more careful with med changes. I hope it turns out ok for you.

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on June 4, 2018, at 21:54:42

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010, posted by SLS on June 4, 2018, at 20:15:08

So what is the plan now? You are changing two parameters at the same time?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by SLS on June 5, 2018, at 13:06:11

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on June 4, 2018, at 21:54:42

Hi, Lamdage.

> So what is the plan now? You are changing two parameters at the same time?

The plan is to switch from Parnate to Trintellix. Right now, I am not taking Abilify or Saphris. Having already gone through the bulk of Abilify and Saphris withdrawals, I am reluctant to return to either one of them. My doctor suggested that I could go back to Abilify and use it as a temporary bridge if necessary as I taper Parnate and wait 7-10 days before beginning Trintellix.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS

Posted by ed_uk2010 on June 5, 2018, at 15:09:45

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010, posted by SLS on June 4, 2018, at 20:15:08

>I have begun to taper the dosage of Parnate as of today.

How long do you think it will take Scott?

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010

Posted by SLS on June 5, 2018, at 18:03:44

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS, posted by ed_uk2010 on June 5, 2018, at 15:09:45

> >I have begun to taper the dosage of Parnate as of today.
>
> How long do you think it will take Scott?

I am hoping to discontinue Parnate in 10 days. I'll be pushing it. However, I am allowing myself flexibility in the taper period. I don't know what to expect with respect to the severity of depression. I am expecting profound fatigue, though. This is what I've experienced in the past. I'm guessing it is similar to amphetamine withdrawal.

My doctor will let me go with a 7-10 day washout period. Serotonin syndrome is a concern as I prepare to begin Trintellix treatment.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS

Posted by ed_uk2010 on June 6, 2018, at 0:45:00

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010, posted by SLS on June 5, 2018, at 18:03:44

Hi Scott,

That is a fast withdrawal! But if you allow yourself flexibility it should be ok.

I can see why you would be keen to start something new, so it makes sense.

Hope it works out well. Let me know.

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010

Posted by SLS on June 6, 2018, at 8:32:28

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS, posted by ed_uk2010 on June 6, 2018, at 0:45:00

> Hi Scott,
>
> That is a fast withdrawal! But if you allow yourself flexibility it should be ok.
>
> I can see why you would be keen to start something new, so it makes sense.
>
> Hope it works out well. Let me know.

Thanks, Ed.

:-)


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris.

Posted by Lamdage22 on June 25, 2018, at 10:27:06

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » ed_uk2010, posted by SLS on June 6, 2018, at 8:32:28

Hey Scott,

how you doing? You are brave. Are you fully withdrawn from Neuroleptics? Just watch out before you get another destructive Mania/Psychosis phase. I think you have lost enough relationships to Psychosis. Me too :(

Keep us posted.

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » Lamdage22

Posted by SLS on June 25, 2018, at 13:02:46

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris., posted by Lamdage22 on June 25, 2018, at 10:27:06

Hi Lamdage.

> Hey Scott,
>
> how you doing? You are brave.

:-)

> Are you fully withdrawn from Neuroleptics?

Yes.

> Just watch out before you get another destructive Mania/Psychosis phase.

That's great advice. Thank you. I'll try to be careful. I am relying on family members to recognize the emergence of mania. They know what to look for. I can only hope that I am receptive to their advice. So far, the only manic episodes I've had have been in association with MAOIs. It is likely that Abilify acted as a prophylactic against manic reactions to both Nardil and Parnate. Latuda maybe?

I have mostly recovered from withdrawal effects for having discontinued Abilify and Parnate. I didn't expect that I would be hit so hard. There is some residual anxiety, but the depression has stabilized. I am on day 4 of Trintellix treatment. I'm taking 5.0 mg/day. I felt numb and slowed-down initially, but that seems to be subsiding.

I needed to do something. I was stuck for too many years.

Thanks again.


- Scott

 

Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » SLS

Posted by Robert_Burton_1621 on July 2, 2018, at 4:42:08

In reply to Re: Switching from Abililfy to Saphris. » Lamdage22, posted by SLS on June 25, 2018, at 13:02:46

I do hope the substitution of vortioxetine for parnate does the trick, Scott.

I tried vortioxetine between stopping parnate and then resuming it, unsuccessfully - the main effects were agitation and hyper-sexuality. However, my psychiatrist at the time, a specialist in TRD, had done his own study of the drug with 100 of his own TRD patients, and overall it was successful.

At one point I had looked into the properties of the drug, and it seemed to be rather similar to Abilify *without* the dopamine antagonism. That was only my initial impression.


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