Abilify - not working out

I’ve been on abilify for a few months now. I’ve been feeling a lot of dread and anxiety that creeps up at night, as well as some depression. Have any of you also experienced this on abilify:? I did not feel this way on my previous medication and I am pretty much on a full dose of abilify. What do you guys think of abilify?

Can you think of any reason for the dread and anxiety? Is there anything going on in your life to make you feel that way? Any stresses?

I was on Abilify for many years - I was taking another med/mood stabilizer that lowered the dose of Abilfy in my blood stream so I dont know if this interfered with the efficacy.
With that said, Abilify was very activating for me, it also caused akithisia - I was always on edge and anxious, it also increased my paranoia. While I was on Abilify I frequently woke up in the middle of the night and did feel dread - it felt like someone was in the house other than myself or family. I was so paranoid and anxious I had a hard time walking a few feet from my house! Not the drug for me - there was a point in my life where I wanted to give it another chance, but I changed my mind - I actually lost weight on Abilify- it did not affect my physical health

I have reasons to be stressed, but it is the same situation as when I was on the previous medication.

I’m on a low dose of Abilify, but they also have me on Sertraline to combat anxiety and depression. I have noticed an increase in paranoia, though overall everything is manageable. I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with your meds, I hope something gets worked out for you soon.

Hi honey bug
I tried abilify but it gave me unbearable anxiety and I had to quit.
Shame because it doesn’t cause weight gain and good against paranoia but I couldn’t function with anxiety it caused

Abilify was the only drug that helped with my negative symptoms. I actually got an increase in physical strength from it. But, like you, it got me a little too agitated. I stayed on it as long as I could, but in the end I had to go back to Geodon.

It was awful for the first several days on abilify for me. I was extremely agitated and paced around constantly. Then it leveled out and has been working pretty good.

the first time i tried it i was the same but this time i’m taking propanalol to go with it and i’ve been absolutely fine. it’s not doing anything thus far but it’s early days i guess. ask for propanalol to go with it and you’ll be fine xxxx

@Daimon I’m on Abilify for about a year now. In February I relapsed on 15mg and was increased to 30 mg. I’m down to 25mg now. Abilify is the only meds that have helped with my negative symptoms. I don’t experience any anxiety on it.I use it with a mood stabiliser Epitec.

Ability is a dopamine agonist, unlike all other antipsychotics. For this reason I have refused it in the past in fear of it backfiring and making me crazier, to put it simply.

The drug is not bad, but it is more of a catch all drug for a number of imbalances and I do not trust it. But hey, if it works otherwise, I would just tell your doctor about the problems and see what they say. You may want to know that symptoms do increase at night, that is a fact. I get a little messed up every night and eventually shut up and sleep.

I can’t really speak for the drug much more because I have never taken it. Just remember that it is also used for depression and mood stabilizing if that tells you anything about it. Again, it sounds too fishy for me, so I agreed on Geodon due to its profile and side effects. And oh Thor I could and probably will write an essay on Geodon some day, so let’s not get me started on that. I plan on getting reevaluated after graduation and comparing my MMPI scores for shits and giggles. I’m a psych student and have taken some neuroscience classes so I have an interest and also a skeptical outlook on medications.

Other options are out there- Geodon, NOT zyprexa unless you are ok with shitty side effects, clozapine is sometimes used but it takes a liberal doc to prescribe it as it is no joke and usually a last resort, risperdal is zombie hell for some people, Latuda works like a charm for some or it is like a sugar pill that causes tremors for others…ok I’m just gonna say that Geodon and coffee is my favorite. And a couple other meds for anxiety and tremors which aren’t antipsychotics. I’m addicted to caffeine which is sort of well duh all pscz are

i got out my drug book because I got curious after reading everyone’s response. In addition to being a dopamine agonist its also a serotonin agonist. It says that “7% of the population may be poor metabolizers and may have significantly increased drug concentrations and an increased risk of adverse effects ( decrease dose by 50%)” Also fluoxetine, paroxetine, quinidine increase the effects of abilify.

All antipsychotics have side effects - including Geodon - Geodon is well known for its potential to change your heart rhythm

yeah it has changed mine. It’s just less sedating and less likely to cause weight gain which is why I think it is remarkable- but Latuda is even less sedating and also less likely to cause weight gain. Geodon seems to work well for people who highly function- they usually don’t sleep too much or feel like zombies. It causes me akathisia which is a nuisance but hey it otherwise works well, despite messing with my heart rhythm which I can see when my vitals are observed.

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I never heared Fluoxetin increase the effect of Abilify. I had both this summer. I felt on top of the world. Then I stopped Fluoxetine because I did not feel down anymore. But then I got more voices and bad sleep. Maybe I should try to combine them again. How much does the effect increase? I have 20 mg Abilify now.

Edit: not manic top of the world. I felt great. Everything went smoothe and I was happy.

Abilify makes me calm. But I also have tourette’s syndrom and ADHD.

It’s not great on voices. But I’m less paranoid and can stop my mind from spinning the paranoid thoughts that are coming. Also I have no delusions…other than that I will be fully recovered and go back to my life I hade before I got ill.

Sorry the book only says that their is a drug interaction between the two.

Abilify is great for mood, althugh it gave me hoorible side effects.

I was on Abilify for 6 weeks, when I was admitted as they didn’t want to put me back on my previous meds.

I had to come off it in a hurry because I started feeling nauseous dizzy and vomited on the ward (not sure if it was the drugs or weather related), but I have friends that swear by it!