Hi Julie,
Recently, my daughter switched from Risperdal to Abilify. I am hoping Abilify will be good for her, contrary to what I have heard. Do you have any information regarding the success of bipolar people on Abilify?
T.
Hi T.
Risperdal and Abilify are anti psychotic drugs. They are often used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. If a person is really manic or psychotic and has to go to the hospital, anti psychotic are often use to get the person to come down from the mania and psychosis. The dose is often very high. When my partner Ivan was so sick in 1994, he was immediately put on anti psychotics and mood stabilizers just to get him out of the mania, so this is common.
What a person takes depends on their symptoms. Many people with bipolar disorder do well on a mood stabilizer such as Lithium. I do well on a depression, rapid cycling prevention drug like Lamictal. I can’t take anti psychotics due to side effects. Anti psychotics are often used in combination with other bipolar disorder treatment drugs.
Abilify is a relatively new anti psychotic and is known to have less side effects than some other well known drugs such as Zyprexa, especially in terms of weight gain. This doesn’t mean it’s a better drug than Zyprexa- just that it’s a good choice for many who gain too much weight.
Abilify can be agitating, so that has to be watched. It just makes me sleep!
What matters is that the drug works. Finding a right dose can take a lot of time. It’s a balance between effectiveness and side effects.
So, this is a long answer to a short question- yes, people with bipolar disorder use Abilify. It works for many. It is not a treatment for depression, nor is it a traditional anti manic drug. It is mainly for psychosis.
I suggest your daughter uses her Health Cards for psychosis and sees if the drug helps.
Your daughter has to make sure she is on all of the right meds.
She is so lucky to have a mother who looks out for her!
Julie
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I have been on Abilify & Lamictal, as well as other meds, for bipolar 1 & acute anxiety for about 8 years. I think I started on Abilify when it first came out (had kidney malfunction on lithium, extreme sleepiness & dizziness on Geodon, Depakote helped with agitation but not the depression when I was in a mixed episode). The Abilify really helped as I did have delusional thinking & paranoia, but I unfortunately gained 50 lbs. on it.
Many other people in my support group have gained weight on Abilify, even though it is supposed to be “weight neutral.” I don’t think they designate it as that anymore, not sure. Consequently, I now have high blood pressure, high cholesterol & insulin resistance for which I have to take meds (not for the insulin resistance). My self-esteem (never much of a strong point) has hit an all time low so my doc has lowered my dosage of Abilify considerably & added Topamax (which is supposed to promote weight loss). I did lose 10 lbs. in the 1st month, but my mood has been unstable & some of the paranoia has returned so my Abilify dosage has been increased, though not to the previous level.
I am trying numerous “self help” things like WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), individual therapy & reading your books to get insight, motivation, encouragement, hope & specific “tools” to employ in my daily life.
I am convinced that the medication helps tremendously, but there are many ways that I can improve my quality of life as well.
I take abilify and it seems to be the best one ive ever taken, i dont put on weight…I don’t feel like a zombie and i seem to be stable, For me its great.