This is something I am embarrassed to admit to, but things are getting out of control. I’ve always enjoyed a punt on the horses, and playing online poker, but this last while it’s been getting out of control. I’ve had some big wins, so over all I haven’t lost a lot of money, but it’s becoming compulsive, I used to quit while ahead, but I keep throwing money at it even when I’m losing, and getting angry about it but instead of stopping I keep going. This seems to have gotten worse since I started taking aripiprazole, maybe because it’s slightly stimulating instead of sedating me like every other med has. I’m not entirely sure what I should do…
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Aripiprazole is known to cause impulsiveness such as gambling.
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This seems to have gotten worse since I started taking aripiprazole,
@Skims just mentioned this. Compulsive gambling is caused by abilify for some people. There was even a lawsuit about it. @Skims said her doctor added lithium to counteract it.
But you might need to change from abilify to something else. You could try rexulti which is abilify’s sucessor. But you could have the same issue with that as it’s closely related to abilify.
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It’s a listed side effect yet I don’t know why my pdoc denied it.
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Really?! I’d never heard of that… There is always a slight degree of ‘inner restlessness’ since I’ve been taking it, but this is a shock. I had no idea a medication could cause this, but then I’ve always been a ‘hobby’ gambler, it’s really worrying me that it’s becoming a real problem. I really don’t know what I should do, aripiprazole is the only med I’ve been able to tolerate as everything else sedates me to the point of being a zombie. S**t… I was on lithium before but had to come off it due to thyroid problem. THis is a real downer, I’ll ahve to speak to my psych. It’s not like me to be throwing money away and behaving so compulisively, its really hard to stop. I’ve been arguing with people online too, it’s like there’s something inside me that’s on hyperdrive, I get obsessed with things and can’t let go.
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From my experience doctors only know about the top three side effects of each med. they are really lacking - is not an exaggeration to say the patients know more than the doctors.
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I can totally agree with that Jimbob.
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Are you also diagnosed with bipolar (schizoaffectuve)
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Yes Ish, my diagnosis is schizoaffective.
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Yes that might be a reason to look into as well. Could be mania but i would consult a dr.
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It can be hard to tell sometimes if I’m manic, there is an inner restlessness just now, a real irritable energy but no ‘nice’ feelings, no ‘high’, just feeling down and annoyed at everything and getting obessed with things, I suppose that could be a sign, it’s not always easy to tell. Maybe a mixed episode, I’ve been bursting into tears a lot recently and getting angry but can’t sleep… Actually when I write this it does sound that way. Visit to the doc I think… I hate this 
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Inner restlessness (akathisia) is also a side effect of aripiprazole.
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My pdoc said my problems were compulsions caused by the abilify to eat, drink and shop, not mania as I have no history of it. @Turquoise I think obsessions are similar to compulsions.
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Ah ok, I’ve experienced akathisia as a horrible feeling in my legs so I can’t keep still, this is like an electric surge deep inside my core, I didn’t relate that to akithisia.
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Oh right. So it feels different. Maybe not akathisia then.
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I have the history of mania, but yes this is like a craving, it’s hard to figure out why.
What dose are you on?
I guess it could be if it comes in different forms, it’s almost like that same feeling but in my core, a real restlessness. It’s hard to tell.
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Only on 10mg at the moment…
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I think sometimes beta blockers like propranolol can help in these circumstances.
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