For those of you that are taking Risperdal or Invega and have high levels of prolactin, adding even a low dose of Abilify to the mix, could decrease prolactin levels by significant amounts.
High levels of prolactin - and I know this from experience can diminish libido, lower teststerone levels, cause sexual dysfunction, trigger osteoporosis, cause females and males to ‘lactate’, cause gynecomastia etc…
Unlike most antipsychotics, which have antagonistic activity at the dopamine-2 receptors, aripiprazole is a dopamine receptor agonist. As such, it does not have the same dopamine-blocking effect – which allows dopamine to continue regulating prolactin production in the pituitary gland, Dr. Carlson said at a psychopharmacology update held by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Unfortunately I cannot take Abilify - it most likely worsens my psychosis - but for those of you taking Risperdal or Invega and have high prolactin levels which are causing unwanted side effects, talking to your psychiatrist about adding low dose Abilify to your cocktail - is worth a shot
Abilify is just as bad as the rest of the meds, atypicals and typicals. When i first started it i thought it would be my magic bullet, the best medication. Abilify is making billions and it’s just the same as every atypical and every typical, same shite different price.
Look, Abilify was not for me - I wish that I could add Abilify to my Risperdal, so the prolactin normalizes - because for me, I simply function on Risperdal and I never functioned so well on the others I tried.
I am so sick of the side effects ALL of the AP’s have.
I recently raised the Risperdal back up to a therapeutic dose - 2 mg, and I had a good day today - not ranting and raging like a lunatic, I even went food shopping by myself again - have not done this on the low doses.
I see my pdoc and I will be torn - I mean for me personally, Risperdal was a life changing medication - I can drive on it, food shop - reason on it - with the other meds, I was either a basket case or a nervous wreck - the newer meds are too activating for my anxious type of bipolar.
I mean if I leave the Risperdal - my hormones will normalize, if I go on to another med, I will be playing Russian Roulette with my sanity and physical health. I am going to ask my doctor, if I can live with the effects of a higher prolactin level - I am no longer ‘lactating’ since that day and it was very mild - like very tiny wet spot.
With some of the other effective meds - my blood glucose levels will skyrocket, and my thyroid will also pay the price.
I am also worried about certain meds being bad for the heart - I would rather live with low testosterone and higher prolactin levels - but not so high prolactin levels than having cardiac arrest or a stroke from taking another med - it is just too risky - not dealing with playing the medication game once again.
If my body will be damaged by taking these meds, I might as well take one that keeps my sanity intact!
I mean what is the use of taking a benign medication if it is going to destabilize me -
I just have to see what my pdoc wants to do with the Risperdal situation
I like your perspective. It makes me feel good to know that instead of my neighbors all being “against me”, they are all, in reality, taking care of me.
There are medications you can take to lower your prolactin. People take it who have brain tumors that cause high prolactin, and people have taken it because of antipsychotic as well…
I remember when I first posted this information I got a lot of criticism from people I think like being castrated from medication. Even though they are not doctors and the research I showed this did not affect psychopathology, they said high prolactin was good for schizophrenia.
I was on invega. Abilify 10 mg lowered my prolactin level back to normal. I still take abilify I don’t know if I can stop it or not though.
I have sexual dysfunction caused by invega and I’m not sure if abilify is causing some sexual dysfunction as well or not. I just want to stop any med.