I’m not an expert by a long way, pretty stupid actually, but? If Abilify has the opposite effect of increasing D2 Dopamine which most antipsycotics block does that mean it’s impossible to get off. Being fine without meds is a reality for a few it happened to me for a number of years before trying illegal drugs. So would it mean it’s impossible to get off???
I’m not sure what you mean… I was on Abilify for a while, and had to go off it because of losing insurance, and I’ve had no withdrawal symptoms. Right now I’m not on any antipsychotics, and doing just fine.
Or did you mean something else by “get off”? Because if so, that hasn’t been a problem either, lol.
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I’m not sure what you mean by “it’s impossible to get off”. Also Abilify is a partial agonist, which I understand to mean that it does not block D2 but rather “feeds” it with dopamine-like molecules that keep it from actually being activated by dopamine.
I’ve never found a reference saying that it increases the D2 dopamine receptors. Granted, it does not block them, otherwise I couldn’t take the drug because my D2 receptors seem to be directly connected to my ability to have menstruation and with a tendency to lactate uncontrollably which I have if I take a regular antipsychotic.
I’ve never found a reference of it causing addiction either, if that’s what you mean.
I’m glad you’re off random illegal drugs. It seems to be a mined field for those close to me.
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I mean get off the drug and not need another. Give your symptoms time to return my symptoms take 5 months to return after oral antipsycotics and 8 months after injections
Why would you want to give your symptoms time to return? Are you aware that in many papers it is argued that each relapse burns a certain amount of your neurons? Why would you experiment like that on yourself?
Not needing a new drug depends on what your illness really manifests itself as. Most probably, you will need several years of compliance to medication without relapsing before your doctor feels safe to let you off meds as a test. Some don’t do that ever, since it’s a bit weird to test on your patient, knowing that each psychotic attack has the effects it has and implies a risk which is not measurable.
However, please don’t get off abilify or other antipsychotic on your own. Not because it’s impossible, but because it’s not beneficial to you to not have medical support when you relapse, if you do. .
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I was replying to Rowan
And I was replying to your reply to Rowan then. 
@seriouslydisturbed What exactly is your question?
I was on Abilify for a while. It’s the only anti-psych I’ve taken that helps with negative symptoms. I had to get off it, though, because it got me a little too amped up. That is the case with a lot of people. It wasn’t hard to come off.
Abilify has the opposite effect on me as everyone else, my pdoc called me “upside down” on meds.
Abilify made me very sleepy, and I put on weight too.
No problems stopping it either.
I was on abilify for around 6 weeks.
When I got the nausea vomiting etc, so I had a blood test and was put back on Olanzapine.
I used to get so much more done on abilify as I didn’t sleep as much etc!
The meds change didn’t do anything other than make me sleep in and the sedation!
The Psychiatrist was happy and the Nurses jobs was a little easier, as I wouldn’t be up during the night pacing!
Abilify also makes me sedated, the opposite of manic. Compared to Seroquel it’s a lot more effective because Seroquel induced seizures and seemed to make me sluggish. It knocked me out but also made me extremely depressed. Abilify doesn’t make me depressed, but it does make me a little spacey and loopy. I would like to get on something else to be honest. It’s not completely stopping my symptoms, and I want to be on something that completely gets rid of them. It is effective for paranoia, but Seroquel was more effective for paranoia just not hallucinations. Geodon was to me, a fake drug. I thought Geodon was creating more symptoms than it was set out to control or block. I didn’t have certain symptoms until I started taking it so I seriously question it’s legitimacy. Most newer anti-psychotics aren’t all that their made out to be. I took OTC Lithium and it worked in combination with a B-complex multivitamin.
Was given 3 mg ablify with 6 mg risperdal for depression but didn’t do anything for depression. Since taking ablify i had to take my injection every 3 weeks instead of 4 weeks cause of anxiety rtc. Have been stressed a month ago then decided to taper off ablify… Started curting to 1.5 mg from 3 mg 3 weeks ago, currently taking a quarter of 1.5 mg. voices came back, lost appetite, have delusions again. I’m afraid it’s cause of ablify. Doctor doesn’t help.
I have Abilify 25 mg. I hear voices but paranoia and delusions are gone. I’ve been on Abilfy for 3 years. Same dose for 2 years.
Abilify makes me calm. I still have anxiety but I’m not fidgeting or pace around. I do not feel restless.
For some people Abilify work wonders for other not so. I can not tolerate Zyprexa. It made me come back to earth in a week but I had severe side effects.
I stopped taking anti-psychotics. The only reason I would take them is to become a zombie not to deal with life and I am tired of that. I know that everyone is different. I don’t need to medicate myself constantly; drugging myself with pills not to hear voices. Because I haven’t hallucinated since fully withdrawn from it, and I am feeling more rational.
On a side note; Abilify is one of the better anti-psychotics. It just seems pointless when you don’t need them if you have recovered.
I’m on Rexulti which is similar to abilify and it is a great drug for me. As a result I posit that Abilify is a good medicine.