Is anybody on less than 10mg of abilify (with nothing else)

If you are on less than 10mg of abilify for schizophrenia (and not on anything else):

  1. How did that happen(e.g. Doctors decision/ your decision)

  2. How long have you been on less than 10mg

  3. How is it working out for you?

I was on 5mg for years. 10mg came with side effects like heart problems for the few months I was on it. So my dose was reduced to 5mg. Recently changed to 7.5mg due to depressive symptoms but it’s working brilliantly. No symptoms whatsoever.

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I had an episode 5 years ago. Was on 10 mg a couple of months and on 5mg a few years. Only changed to 7.5mg less than one year ago.

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I’m on 20 mg abilify…tried 10 mg a day but became psychotic within 5 days. I think in the past i was on 10 mg but got it increased after i got worse.

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@Daisy79, how do you take 7.5mg? Abilify doesn’t have 0.5mg tablets, or are you on the injectable?

My experience is very similar to ish on this. I break 5 mg tablets in half to get 7.5 mg. Abilify has such a long half life that a little variation doesn’t matter much.

This was my doctors decision, he first had me take 5 mg on the weekends, but switched to 7.5 mg every day. Said something about less oxidation with a lower dose.

I don’t notice much difference other than I don’t sleep as long on the lower dose, which for me is good.

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@Maggotbrane , so is that for schizophrenia? And how long have you been on 7.5mg?

I’ve been diagnosed both sz and sza by different doctors. My brother has bipolar disorder so that may have something to do with it. I identify most with sz. I’m pretty distinctly different than my brother and have only had one depressive episode which I think is perfectly understandable considering the nature of adapting to life with sz. I was on Risperedal at the time and it cleared up after I went off it.

I’ve been on this dosage almost a year. I think some people get way too hung up on what’s a “sub therapeutic dosage” or not. I’ve talked to my pdoc about this, and he says these are recommended averages which mean a certain number are above and some below. Everyone is different anyway. He says a 300 pound linebacker could require much less than a 90 pound ballerina, you can’t be sure until you try or get an estimated equivalent dosage of another drug from a chart. Even that varies. The bottom line is it takes an expert to know the difference.

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It happen after a series of event

I have been on less than 10mg since 2011,so it’s 4 years

It’s working okay,not as good as I hoped for though

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I cut 15mg in half.

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Oh,I am actually on 5mg…I think it would be better to listen to your psychiatrist advice,I was a little disobedient when asked to take meds but now I am better as in I am more obedient

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Yes, I think 5mg might be too low. If I go back on abilify I think I’m going to try 7.5mg. 7mg would be much easier though, as they make 5mg and 2mg pills. I just couldn’t tolerate 10mg, and am currently off meds. Abilify withdrawal is pretty severe. Hellish in fact. I hate the idea of going back on abilify just because of withdrawal. But at the same time, I’m terrified of a relapse too, so have to make a decision soon.

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Hope your decision will benefit your future and health…good luck

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I’m getting on 5mg abilify this week, while still taking 400mg seroquel. anyone got an opinion or experince with this?

I think 5mg abilify is normally used as more of an antidepressant than an anti psychotic. 10mg is the recommended dosage as an anti psychotic. I’m hoping to get lucky with 7.5mg the 'in between ’ dose.

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I now take only 5mg of Abilify for psychosis with my pdocs approval and it has only been one day at this dose hopefully everything goes ok.

I got to this dose because I seem to have sexual problems and was tired alot during the day / no energy on 10mg.

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I was on 5mg (i think) for about a year. My psychiatrist was the one who suggested it
it worked out wonderfully! was the best med I’ve ever taken!!
then i got gastroparesis and my doctors thought it caused it so I had to stop taking psychotropics.
my primary care doctor plans on getting my stomach fixed so I can take psychotropics again.

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I posted this thread, and now I’ve joined the 5mg club myself. It’s only been about 10 days I think, but so far so good. I was off meds for 6 weeks previously. I’m not going to count my chickens before they’ve hatched though, it’ll probably take a few months to really see how it’s going.

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I truly hope it works for you because it was a miracle medicine for me.
*I don’t believe what the doctors said, the abilify did not cause my illness. I believe it was the benzotropine.

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I am on 5Abilify and 10 Lexapro right now I cut the Abilify10 in Half was taking up to 15Abilify which really knocked me on my butt being on such a high dose all I wanted to do was sleep and the weight gain was terrible why do we all have to have weight gain on these drugs or on certain meds its ridiculous?But the Dr did give me hope in saying the side effects are even more less when on a lower dose I forget how he put it but I guess what he means is I wont have as many side effects on the lower dose and that included the amount of weight I gain which isn’t a lot on Abilify I gained like 6 pounds or so then lost it when I went off it that’s how I know that I just gained like six pounds on Abilify.

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