Kathya: tapering Abilify too fast - health and sleep issues

[Kathya]

Tapering Abilify too fast, now at 5 percent health issues and sleep issues

 

Hi there. Thanks in advance for reading this long post. If it helps you in anyway I am glad. If not please disregard. I am not a health professional or taper expert. What is good for me may not work for you. Tapering on my own because my old prescriber no longer felt I should. I am on a second attempt to taper abilify. The most I took was 7mg. I tapered at a 5 to 10 percent rate jumped off at .7 and wound up in hospital due to sleep issues hearing voices and mother who called ambulance because she. was worried (also was not aware I was tapering). I agreed with my doctor upon discharge to reinstate at 2 mg and lithium 600. I I was on that dose for about 5 months. For the first week took prn of klonapin .5 and seroquel 100(which I stayed on until sleep was normal and less anxiety for about a week then cut in half a couple days and then stooped. I was also taking 600 mg of lithium. When I decided to try a taper again I also switched to lithium orotate 15 mg, which I had done during previous taper over about 8 months. During that 8 month period I felt fine and that the taper was going well. For aches pains and mild anxiety I used cbd thc and kratom. On vacation I went off the weed traveling abroad for one week. Also forgot abilify so jumped off.  Upon return decide to stay off abilify. A month later upon returning felt anxious with some voice hearing with only a few hours sleep each night. I felt lost in need of help but unable to get it from either professionals or peers. Now I have a therapist who knows I am tapering and friend and family members who provide support as well as extra help I can call on in the form of a somatic therapist and a med free coach.

This time around I want to be smarter. My original cut was 25 percent which I was on for about 5 weeks. At that time I started having severe debilitating pain in my shoulder. I thought it might relate to an old injury. I was taking a turmeric supplement plus cbd and cannabis as was usual for me. I went to a chiropractor. The pain was only affected a bit. I also started pain in spine, back and other old injured areas. It has been a couple of weeks and in this time the pain moved to my gut. I stopped taking the turmeric and added some supplements to remedy my apparent inability to tolerate sulfur foods. Over the past few days I have noticed mood and cognitive issues and sleep issues. I slowed taper to 5 percent. I am off weed, cbd coffee alcohol too because I can barely tolerate food and I realize I am having withdrawal as well as gut issues possibly from the turmeric. I have had similar gut issues when not tapering in the past so I had a clue to look at sulfur/thiols issues.

 

Where I am now, why I am here, and what I am looking for.. Last night I broke down and took a seroquel 50. I took it because sleep is so important to me and I felt I was in a dire situation., iI did sleep for 4 hours so I took another 50 and woke about 4 or 5 hours later.. I also ate some rice with digestive enzymes that I researched and seemed safe. It feel like a relief and felt at one point like I felt safe for the first time in the past few days. I know seroquel is not the answer. I am motivated to heal my whole self. I want to be off abilify and antipsychotics and if possible all drugs because I want to be the real authentic me. I must say that through this process I have felt glimpses of that. More creative more intuitive more loving more sexy more compassionate. Today I feel okay (though I do not like affects of seroquel). I was able to eat with no pain. I feel relatively stable. My plan is to stay at the 5 percent taper at 1.95 using my digital scale. Which I take at 2 pm daily. I may take seroquel for a few days at 100 before bed with my lithium. The only other changes I plan is to add a probiotic similar to one I have taken before. I plan to stay 6 weeks at this dose provided things are ok.

 

I came here to share my experience and to seek support in any form, and just to say hi. I have read and posted before. Glad to be here. In solidarity, Kathy

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Kathya.  

 

There are moderate interactions between your drugs that you should be aware.  One of the possible interactions between abilify (aripiprazole) and seroquel (quetiapine) is abdominal cramping.

 

Using QUEtiapine together with ARIPiprazole may increase side effects such as drowsiness, blurred vision, dry mouth, heat intolerance, flushing, decreased sweating, difficulty urinating, abdominal cramping, constipation, irregular heartbeat, confusion, and memory problems.

 

and

 

Using QUEtiapine together with lithium can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances (for example, magnesium or potassium loss due to severe or prolonged diarrhea or vomiting).

Using lithium together with ARIPiprazole may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination.

 

and

 

Using lithium together with ARIPiprazole may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. 

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of current dose.  

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

 

What supplements are you taking for your stomach issues?  Supplements that might be helpful to someone not in withdrawal can have an opposite effect on those of us with sensitized systems due to withdrawal.  We recommend starting only one supplements at a time.  Otherwise, if problems arise, you won't know the cause.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kathya]

Thank you Gridley for the welcome and  information! And congratulations on getting so far in your taper. The electrolyte issue is on my radar because it is something I have had issues with. I know you did not ask but today I took a half dose of electrolytes, called hydrant, as it is 100 degrees and I am aware of this change of being less tolerant of supplements.
I did add Molybdenum first and then a couple days later ox bile and yesterday betaine Hcl  They seem to be helping. Stomach pain greatly reduced.  After what you said I plan to wait and Possibly not take a probiotic. And if I do add it, plan to take the minimum amount. The one I ordered was sacchramyaces boulardi which helped in the past, though was not tapering at the time. 
I will look into other ways to promote sleep besides drugs and supplements. Thanks again!
 

[Kathya]

Last night I took 50 seroquel and seemed to sleep ok. I am planning on not taking it today. Also to stop taking betaine hcl as it is on the list of things to omit when avoiding high thiol foods. I am curious about any other members who have tapered abilify or neuraleptics. I feel better but very stressed. What have people done to cope with withdrawal symptoms? I have gotten headaches the last couple of days and putting a cold compress helped. Doing breath work in the morning is helping with stress. And a bath at night also relaxes me. Peace to you

 

[Kathya]

Abilify taper at 10 percent. At 1.35 mg

 

Hi I wanted to check in. I have been tapering at a rate of 10 percent every 2weeks. I have had one reinstatement and 3 holds.

 

I am currently taking abilify 1.35 mg and lithium orotate 15 mg. My highest doses were 7 of abilify and 1200 of lithium carbonate and was on a dose of 600 of lithium carbonate and 5 mg of abilify for the majority. I am not currently having withdrawal and my side effects are low. I do not notice my symptoms recurring. My appetite mood sleep and energy levels are all good. Sex drive and function seem okay. I gained 114 lbs on antipsychotics and was hospitalized multiple times trying to go cold turkey. I have lost 15 lbs of that weight so far. I have been on lithium for about 20 years and abilify for  about 3 years. I had previously taken Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Lamictal, Topamax,  zyprexa, Resperadol, Latuda , Seroquel, (and bentos for up to a month) Because I have been on abilify for a few years I am doing a conservative taper. I seemed to have no issues switching from lithium carbonate to lithium orotate.

 

I choose to be healthy and stay out of the hospital so I am going slow. The only supplements I take are d3, magnesium and occasionally b12  ps100 and melatonin. I smoke cannabis moderately. I plan to start a taper of lithium orotate at a rate of 10 percent every 2 weeks, a couple months after the completion of my abilify taper this summer. My plan is to mix the lithium orotate with water. Open to other ways and methods. Right now I am using liquid Abilify prescription. My prescriber is on board with my taper of abilify but I do not know if she will with lithium or if she will even be my doctor in the future. The nice thing about lithium orotate is I do not need a prescription. However if things go south I do not want hospitals overmedicating me and having to taper again. That is why I may keep seeing a prescriber but may or not have them aware I am doing lithium orotate taper depending on how open they are to it. I have been diagnosed with bipolar skitsoaffective, and schizophrenia. I am doing better on lower doses. I sometimes hear voices that are mild and unobtrusive. I work on trauma in therapy. It is hard for me to trust therapists because most are not worthy like my therapist who first sent me to psychopharmacologist.

 

thanks for reading 

 

Kat

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

Each member has only 1 Introduction topic.  This keeps your history in one place and is the best place to ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.  Please do not create any new Introduction topics.  Update your journey here.  Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

Please create your drug signature following these instructions:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

54 minutes ago, Kathya said:

I have been tapering at a rate of 10 percent every 2weeks. I have had one reinstatement and 3 holds.

 

It is better to go slower and not have to updose/reinstate.  Once you destabilise your nervous system with withdrawal symptoms you might not be able to get back to being as stable as you were or it might take a long time.  We have members here who have tried to go too fast and it has ended up taking longer to get off their drug than if they had done a steady taper.  Some of them have ended up on an additional drug which then has to be tapered.

 

SA's recommended taper rate is no more than 10% of current dose followed by a hold of at least 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.

 

Q:  Have you been tapering more than one drug at the same time?

 

SA recommends only tapering one drug at a time.  If issues arise and you reducing more than one drug you will not know what is causing the issues.