The Abilfy has not arrived via mail yet. I have been thinking about something my psychiatrist told me once during an office visit.
She said that if I ever was to take Abilify that she would be getting me off of the Lamictal - my very stimulating antidepressant mood stabiizer.
This makes sense to me - the Abilify is very stimuating for me and the Lamictal is very stimulating, taking 2 very stimulating drugs with antidepressant properties could prove to be too much for me to handle.
It could raise my anxiety levels to the roof, could cause panic attacks or send me into Mania!
I called and left a message on her phone to clarify the situation, I am really hesitant to take both stimulating meds at the same time.
She, her self said that she would not prescribe me both meds at the same time - all I would need is the Abilfy to control my depression. It worked great for depression in the past for me.
When I spoke to her on the phone the other day and she prescribed me the Abilify, she never mentioned what I should do about the Lamictal. A couple of months ago she told me that she would not be prescribing me both at the same time.
I think that @bridgecomet is right about her, she has too many patients, and forgets important details about her patients.
I am going to call her again today - a few times until I reach her, this is too important.
I am not going to take 2 stimulating drugs at the same time, if she tells me that I need to take both, then I wont be taking the Abilify - I already know how stimulating this med can be for me
It’s good that you’ve got the experience to know how the meds will affect you. Good luck wave sorry you hit a rough patch and started lactating. Every couple of months or so I look down and notice how much more breast tissue I have. Risperdal and respiridone suck. Unfortunately it’s the most affordable.
Thanks Bryan - In my opinion Risperdal was very good for my mind, unfortunately it proved to be damaging to my body.
I still think that Risperdal is a good med, if you can tolerate the side effects.
Some people don’t get a lot of side effects from it, others like me need to get off of the med immediately because of the side effects.
Good luck to you on whatever you decide to do with your medications
Same here. I took Risperdal for 10 years and switched over to Abilify 4 years ago because of Prolactin side effect.
Yes, too much antidepressant had caused me mania in the past. --I took Epilim(?) and Abilify together.
I have been seeing psychiatrists and psychologists at an early age - I know how the psychiatry game is played.
If one has the ability to advocate for themselves - then by all means do this.I have learned my lesson - I never blindly say yes if I feel that a medication has the potential to harm me.
I know enough to keep up with the medications - and know what they can and cannot do.
Many psychiatrists are so busy - and so caught up in their business - they tend to forget about the individual needs of the patient.
I will be calling her again on this, I frankly don’t care about ‘bothering’ her. She is my doctor and I make sure that she explains things to me - and I also make sure that she knows what I can or cannot tolerate.
I am not going to play a chance game with these meds - too much is on the line
Yeah I would clarify with your doctor. I mean just breath and take it slow while you wait for the medication, and if you have to continue risperdal to step off it gradually so you don’t shock your system. You said something about interchanging the medication? Do you mean you are going to take risperdal and abilify? Have you worked out a plan so that you can know exactly what and when to take it? I wouldn’t suggest being on two anti-psychotics at once, but I know lots of people probably are with various more serious considered illnesses. I think psychiatrists though recommend to be on the bare minimum of anti-psychotics to relieve tension, side effects, and prevent risk to health. Maybe the relief will come after you adjust to this, and find you no longer have the symptoms from risperdal. Since you noticed it you may have prevented it from being worse or permanent. I hope that someday better medications come out, but till then I’m hoping that my medication doesn’t deteriorate my health. I feel it has enhanced it. But most other anti-psychotics had the opposite effect for me. Being off Seroquel was a huge relief! I lost the weight, could write a poem, could form sentences that made sense and it wasn’t even helping because it was causing minor epilepsy triggering voices etc.
I recall I had a full blown seizure when the doctor carelessly told me to step up from 200mgs to 400mgs, he was kinda old and forgetful, and just said to take the full dose. Then I literally began convulsing when someone switched a light, or the computer was on, I was having true epileptic seizures. So I stopped all of it real fast.
Geodon, now IDK what that’s supposed to do but it never worked for me. It might be more activating than Abilify, so I avoid it now. The good thing, Abilify is the only medication that doesn’t IMPAIR my life. So I refuse to take anything else. I’ve never been crazy on Abilify, ever, therefore it’s the safest fail safe for me against insanity. If I can’t acquire it I’m screwed. That’s why I have to pay for it, it’s a necessity to function with it. I’ve been on Abilify for almost 10 years and if I’m not able to access it I’ll just be a fruit-loop and have nothing to contribute to the world.
Sometimes I do feel like it is a social conditioner, but other times in crisis it’s a life-saver. I am not suicidal on Abilify. I would probably be much worse without it, it allows me to just be me.
Hey @StarryNight - No I will be on just one antipsychotic, the Abilify.
There will be a period of 3 weeks or so where I will be cross titrating between the Risperdal and Abilify - but I will take it slow during this period.
I just left another message with my pdoc - and she has the habit, like most psychiatrists not to call back right away - sometimes I have to leave 2 or more messages with her, before she responds. This will be the second message - so we shall see.
I was on Abilify for many years - took it when it first came out. I am going to revisit again - hopefully I will be able to manage the activation it gives me.
Its good that you found a medication that you can live with -
I left 2 messages with my psychiatrist so far - one today and one 2 days ago - still no call back from her.
This is ■■■■■■■ criminal. If this kind of ■■■■ continues, I am going to fire her ass and hire a more caring and responsive doctor.
With the next message I leave her on Monday, I am going to flat out tell her on her answering machine, that I am not going to take the Abilify until she calls me back.
There is no way that I am going to subject my bipolar brain to 2 powerful stimulating medications!!
Yeah, I would not if you know how your body reacts.
I know those doctors are slow calling back! She should be calling you by Monday. Is there a doctor on call, or does she have an answering service?
If you feel urgent-call your family doctor.
Hope you can talk to her soon.
I never had a problem with my doctor calling back… He usually has somebody take his place. He just went on vacation for five days and we were told when he would return.
My doctor has many patients, a lot for a private psychiatrist - She did and does call me back when there is a real emergency. She called me back the same day when I had a major side effect with my meds.
I know that she is the type of doctor that does not like to use the phone so much for non emergency situations.
I guess I can wait to see her at the next appointment - but I am going to call her on Tuesday (she doesnt work on Mondays - and ask her if I can see her in her office and make an earlier appointment)
If she cannot take me earlier than my regularly scheduled appointment, I will see her in about 2 and half weeks anyway - I tend to obsess and over react, especially when I am a bit off of the mark