Abilify4toolong: Second time around tapering off antipsychotic

[Abilify4toolong]

Hello everybody:

I'm in a struggle for my life with regards to taking Abilify.  The clinic I attend doesn't really seem to know how to taper me off the substance.  I myself don't know the specifics but I get the guideline that I should decrease by 10% per each taper event.  Unfortunately, Abilify only comes in 10, 5 and 2 mg tablets.  I'm currently at 10 mgs, and so how do I decline by 10% each time.  I could go to 8 mgs my first try at it.  That would be four 2 mg tablets.  

 

Would my or any insurance be cool with me getting a 120 supply of 2 mg tablets which would amount to a month at being at 8 mg dose of Abilify, and then in a month later ask them for 30 pill supply of 2 mg tablets with a 30 day supply of 5 mg tablets to reach a 7 mg dose?   Then, that is only for two months... I'm confused how I can decline incrementally.  The nurse practitioner said she wanted to go from 10 - to 7.5 - then 5 mgs all in four week's time.  That sounds again like a very dangerous decline, which will put me in the hospital again.

 

I'm already noticing sleep difficulties in falling asleep, followed by wakening within the hour, followed by falling back to sleep and wakening again.  The whole cycle repeating itself 2 times at sleep onset and then around 4 or 5 in the morning, I have early wakenings.  Although not so troubling, I have some muscle twitching in my hands between my index fingers and thumbs...and there are other areas where there is involuntary muscle twitching for shorter times.  I need people's and the administrator's input on how specifically I can go about a taper from 10 mgs down to 5 mgs for the time being.  I've only been at 10 mgs for the past two weeks, and I think if I go down another level tomorrow, that could bring about major sleep disordering.  Okay, enough for now.  Thanks for your valued input.

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, A4TL.

 

Here is our topic explaining how to titrate Abilify Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

 

For your insurance to cover 2mg tablets of Abiify, a doctor would have to write a prescription specifying a reason to take an odd amount, for example, "4mg of Abilify in a.m. and 4mg Abilify in p.m." Clearly, taking two 2mg tablets at a time would be the best way to achieve this dosing schedule.

 

What dosage were you taking prior to 10mg? If you've only been on 10mg for 2 weeks, you might be able to back down right away.