Was abilify better or worse for you than zyprexa? How was sedation, energy, motvation, positive and negative symptoms compared on the two meds? I know people react differently to different meds, but I’m curious.
1 Like
Abilify has no side effects for me at 30 mgs daily. I was gaining a kg on Zyprexa every day. Plus, there was sedation on Zyprexa.
1 Like
How is your drive, motivation and emotions on abilify vs zyprexa?
I was on Zyprexa for just a month and even though I was on a mid level dose, it really didn’t work well.
It also caused my blood sugar levels to rise and it messed with my thyroid levels. I had to come off of it.
I was also Abilify when it first came out and stayed on it for many years.
It made me extremely anxious and paranoid, it also made me manic.
I am no longer on Abilify
2 Likes
Well, I took Zyprexa briefly, so I am not sure what to say about that.
1 Like
Abilify was a lot better, in the sense that I was more energetic, less sedated, had less negative symptoms, felt happier, did not crave sugar and sleep 24/7. I suspect it has less physical symptoms like hormonal and metabolic damage. Zyprexa withdrawals were a lot worse.
Only Abilify did not work. For me. 
It did not stop psychosis. Which was the only reason I took it. It also caused akathisia.
Had it worked for me though, I had preferred it over zyprexa.
1 Like
I read the switch from an antipsychotic like haldol to abilify sometimes doesn’t work. When you have supersensitivity psychosis (psychosis caused by antipsychotics).
1 Like
Ive been on both of them before.
Zyprexa was okay. I didnt like the sedation and weight gain. And these days when i take it i get really bad restless leg syndrome.
Abilify is pretty good i guess. For an antipsychotic anyway. Less sedative. Less weight gain. But some problems with compulsivity. And im not sure if its the abilify or not but i had hyperhydrosis. So i was sweating like crazy at the drop of a hat.
Now im on rexulti which seems basically the same as abilify so im still sweating. Overall all of the mental health meds ive ever taken inclusing antidepressants and mood stabilizers have been pretty underwhelming. But i guess they are a necessity for people with illness like this.
Oh and with the zyprexa, i had a general sense of wellbeing and good mood. Aside from the other side effects.
I tried Abilify as one of my first AP. I was extremely restless. Could not sit down for 30 seconds without moving. My auditory hallucinations were not silenced either.
Zyprexa was bloating me up into a balloon. Ove 2 months I must have gained 30-35 pounds. This med also did not silence my voices
Finally I was prescribed Clozaril, and it’s been great since. Only med to work for me to silence my auditory hallucinations and not have annoying side effects
Everyone is different. What doesn’t work for one, will work for another
1 Like
Can you tell me more about this? Is this something I should be concerned about switching from zyprexa 7.5mg to Abilify?
1 Like
I was on both.
Didn’t work
1 Like
Simplified.
One: a traditional AP works like a brake on dopamine. The body wants to go back to the old speed, and may do so by pushing in the gas pedal harder. And increasing sensitivity to dopamine. Thus to psychosis. But brake and gas pedal balance each other out when on the AP. If you take away the brake (AP), you are suddenly speeding intensely, because the gas pedal is still down. Rebound psychosis.
Or in more formal words: Antipsychotic-Induced Dopamine Supersensitivity Psychosis: Pharmacology, Criteria, and Therapy - PubMed
Two: Abilify works differently. It is partly a brake (“dopamine downer”) and partly a gas pedal (“dopamine upper”).
Or: “Aripiprazole is a third-generation antipsychotic with a dopamine receptor-binding profile distinct from other second-generation antipsychotics. Aripiprazole acts as partial agonist at dopamine D2 and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A receptors, stabilizing the dopamine receptor leading to improvement in symptoms.”
Three: Resulting in you suddenly have the gas pedal way down, and the brake gone. Which means you are highly sensitive to dopamine and psychosis.
Or: “Although antipsychotics such as haloperidol alleviate psychosis and reverse the elevation of D2High receptors, long-term use of traditional antipsychotics can further enhance dopamine supersensitivity in patients. Therefore, switching from a traditional antipsychotic to an agonist antipsychotic such as aripiprazole can result in the emergence of psychotic signs and symptoms.”
1 Like
Don’t go by my responses though. Really, discuss with the doc. I am a collector of rare side effects. My body overresponds to medication.
Apart from zyprexa making me hungry as an elephant, it was hella good for positive symptoms which is why i used it as a PRN for a good while (*only slight sedation, not as much as seroquel), i’m just starting abilify 5mg so i’m not too informed about it yet, still on my invega sustenna.
But so far no side effects, doesn’t make me hungry but it does make me spend a bit more money than i’d like (maybe that’s placebo, i always spend a lot)
I don’t have negative symptoms other than not showering as often as i’d like… but i read books everyday, take walks each day, communicate with friends pretty good, no self isolation etc.
Thanks for the description, appreciate it. So is this dopamine sensitivity permament? What if I change to abilify over a long period of time, maybe then it can reverse itself, no? (if I have it, which is not certain I’m guessing)
1 Like
Well.
I’m not entirely sure. I’m not a doctor! As I have understood, this doesn’t happen to everyone. People vary in their sensitivity to this effect. Wildly. So all may be smooth for you. It’s a possibility to keep your eyes open for, but not a certainty.
My personal opinion is that there is a lot they do not know yet. Like if and how fast and in whom this supersensitivity appears and disappears. I suspect it reverses itself slowly in some, and is permanent in others, and it’s trial and error.
If I were you, and I liked the idea of Abilify, I would try. But be a bit alert to this possibility. And let your doc keep his eyes open.
The article above says: “prevalence rates of SP remain high in schizophrenia (30%) and higher (70%) in treatment-resistant schizophrenia”. Or: a 70% there is no supersensitivity psychosis if you aren’t t.r.
1 Like
Ok, thanks. My doc mentioned nothing about this, maybe he just doesn’t know about it. If it was the case that I have it, I have faith in the brains ability to reverse itself, because I’ve experienced my brain reversing cognitive symptoms I got from psychosis over the span of just 3 months.
I’ve also been on 7.5mg zyprexa, which is not a very high dose, and I’ve been on it for 3 years. I’m hoping things will work out. Right now I’m having some psychotic symptoms while switching to abilify, symptoms that I haven’t had in 3 years before starting meds. I stay optimistic though.
1 Like
Yes, sure, by all means do assume it reverses itself. The brain is superflexible, and can heal itself wonderfully, often. They do see a rebound at first, and then improving of symptoms bit by bit. Perhaps Abilify, by the agonist action, even helps reverse the sensitivity…not sure…guessing. If it works one way, maybe it works the other way too (AP being the gas pedal, brain compensating by braking :)).
I’ve felt docs are a bit…in denial sometimes…about the less positive side of their medications. People like the idea that they are helping others. And not the idea that they are causing side effects.
1 Like
Yeah, I think you’re right. They don’t talk much negative about the meds at all. Some are more open about it though. Btw, I have googled the withdrawal effects of zyprexa and one of them is psychosis. Maybe that psychosis is in many cases the dopamine sensitivity that has increased? If my dopamine sensitivity has increased, I guess I need to do this cross tapering very slowly, just in case.
1 Like