wiresoma: What's going on here with Abilify withdrawal?

[Altostrata]

How did you go off the Celexa?

 

Taking magnesium regularly might help the "restless leg" symptom, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

Once you resolve that symptom, you're a double Success Story!

[wiresoma]

I was intitially at 40mg and dropped this way hovering at each dose for about ten days; 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, 0.

 

Thanks for the magnesium tip.

[flower]

wow, I wish I could drop that Celexa like that...Good Job and I'm soooo happy someone has gotten away from that awfull drug. Did you do that without anything for the anxiety? Hope I'm not being a pest..

[wiresoma]

I did not do anything about the anxiety and I did notice I was prone to my emotions running away with me. I had to stay very aware of my interactions with people to prevent an inappropriate response. I also have learned to quiet myself through meditation.

[Juliechka]

I have problem with Abilify too. It was good to find this post. Took 1.25 for 4-5 month for postpartum depression and anxiety. Decided to stop without tapering cuz my doctor said it is nod addictive medicine. 2 weeks later terrible anxiety, nausea diarrhea, depression. Doctor said that I am the first in his practice who has problems with Abilify. So, I am 4th day back on the 1.25 mg . Still very very anxious. Will it ever pass? Aldo I am taking Zoloft(50 mg) for 6 month.

[wiresoma]

Well, tell you're inexperienced doctor about my previous posts. Abilify was very, very, very difficult for me to come off it! I had to switch to the liquid form to finish my taper. Tell the doctor my last dose was .025mg. If s/he still doesn't believe it, find yourself a doctor who will. Keep me posted, will ya?

[Juliechka]

Right:-)) Thank you. Cuz i couldn't handle the huge anxiety and other symptoms after finishing Abilify, I started it again, but still not stabilize yet. And i am hate taking Abilify again soared that i am addicted to that drug. I have 3 little lids and the youngest is the baby, so....should somehow to find a peace

[Juliechka]

I am glad that u finished all tapering, my trully congratulations :-))

[Juliechka]

And, by the way, when I stopped taking my 1.25 dose, I am also thought that it is very small dose and doesn't need to cut it:-))

[Juliechka]

Updates: After staying on my 1.25 mg of Abilify for two weeks, i felt a little better (not completly)and cut again from 1.25 to 1 mg.  After just 3 days could't make it cuz of stomach upsettings and huge anxiety. And I cut only 0.25:-). I really don't wont to stay on this drug anymore because it is an anti-psychotic, but withdrawal is so severe. What kind of advice can u give me? Please:-)

[wiresoma]

I went from 2mg to 1.5mg to 1.0mg to 0.5mg with no major problems. Then I had to go real slow from there; .5, .4, .3, .2, .1, .05, .025 staying at each level for ten days. That was my story. You may be different. So, it seems you must make smaller changes from the 1.25mg to 1mg range. 

[Juliechka]

From 1.25 to 1 mg cut doesn't work for me? You said that when you had w/d symptoms you got back to 2 mg again and stayed there for several month. May be I should stay on my dose longer?

[wiresoma]

The second time when I tried to stop at .5 and the w/d was terrible, I could have gone back to .5 but instead I went all the way back to 2mg because I was that scared. Looking back, I might have just gone back to .5 and stabilized there before continuing with the taper from there.

[Juliechka]

Yes, but never know how long to wait, especially when u feel so terrible:-) thanks dear person:-)

[wiresoma]

Good point. I chose ten days because I based that on the half-life of Abilify which is three days. It takes three days for the amount of Abilify in your blood to drop by half. Also, I knew from past experience that after three days (like what happened to you) the w/d symptoms can start. So, I waited ten days to see if any w/d symptoms occurred before continuing on with the taper.

[Skyler]

Yes, but never know how long to wait, especially when u feel so terrible:-) thanks dear person:-)

 

Hi Julie... and welcome to the forum. You need to start your own intro thread, and someone will be along soon to give you more info.  But for now, you might want to read the thread about 10% reductions off each previous dose.  The suggested hold time is 4 to 6 weeks for each cut.

 

Are you on any other psychoactive medications? Please put a summary of your history into a sig line so we can better give you an assist.

 

Skyler

[Skyler]

Software is a little glitchy.. tried to insert the following above... oh well.

[Skyler]

I have problem with Abilify too. It was good to find this post. Took 1.25 for 4-5 month for postpartum depression and anxiety. Decided to stop without tapering cuz my doctor said it is nod addictive medicine. 2 weeks later terrible anxiety, nausea diarrhea, depression. Doctor said that I am the first in his practice who has problems with Abilify. So, I am 4th day back on the 1.25 mg . Still very very anxious. Will it ever pass? Aldo I am taking Zoloft(50 mg) for 6 month.

 

 

Updates: After staying on my 1.25 mg of Abilify for two weeks, i felt a little better (not completly)and cut again from 1.25 to 1 mg.  After just 3 days could't make it cuz of stomach upsettings and huge anxiety. And I cut only 0.25:-). I really don't wont to stay on this drug anymore because it is an anti-psychotic, but withdrawal is so severe. What kind of advice can u give me? Please:-)

[wiresoma]

Thanks for the assist Skyler. The regimen I used worked for me, but not everyone is the same.

[RedRobin123]

Thank you for sharing your success story. I am just starting to wean off Abilify and it was good advice.

[samanthaelizabeth]

On 2/11/2013 at 5:27 AM, wiresoma said:

It's been a long time since I last posted but I wanted to finish this conversation for those in the future who decide to taper off Abilify. It was very difficult for me and what I learned is that I had to go real slow and use real small doses to finally get off of it. I used the liquid form and had to taper down to as low as .3mg and then .1mg. It was almost humorous the aomunt of liquid I was using near the end. But I was able to finally finish it!

Awesome!

[RedRobin123]

On 3/11/2012 at 6:13 PM, wiresoma said:

I was on a 2mg dose of Abilify for about five months when I decided to stop it. Since 2mg was low dose, I just stopped without a taper. Terrible stomach pain/anxiety. Went back on and tried a taper several months later. Tapered 2/1.5/1.0/0.5mg and felt 0.5mg was a small enough dose to complete the taper. Terrible stomach/pain anxiety came back. Stayed off the med for 35 days and symptoms did not subside so went back on med and currently at 2mg. Is this a hypersensitivity to Abilify or is something else going on here? Has anyone else had that severe stomach pain/anxiety? Do I need to further taper down from 0.5mg slowly? Thank you for listening.

I also had the same problems when I tried to wean off abilify. I went back on and I am trying again at a slower pace.