Letisha317-Introduction/Tapering off Abilify

[Letisha317]

My life was beautiful in every way, but I felt that something was missing from my 10+ years of being on Citalopram (dosage since Covid 15mg in the morning and 10mg at bedtime). I shared this with my PCP in July and she recommended I add Abilify as an adjunct.  My PCP retires and by September, I had found a psychiatrist to manage my medications.   After meeting with her, I had gone from 2mg-5mg of Abilify.  By October's appointment, I had gone back to 2.5mg because I had started having feelings of impending doom.  At November's appointment, I still wasn't feeling great,  so a decision was made to make a direct switch from Citalopram to 20mg of Viibryd 20mg.   That lasted all of 1 week, because I couldn't tolerate it. I went back to Citalopram and tried a small dose of Wellbutrin, still on the Abilify,  to see if that would help.  In December, I decided to taper off 2.5mg of Abilify, to 1.25mg in 6days and the CT 12/16. I just wanted to go back to feeling normal.  In there, my Dr. also switched half the dose of Citalopram to Lexapro to slowly transition me.  That lasted 3 days because  I destabilized on December 26th with symptoms that I had never in my life experienced. (crippling anxiety, deep depression, insomnia, sucidal thoughts)    On the 26th,  I  reinstated Citalopram 20mg (10mg in the morning and 10 mg in the evening) but by this time, my CNS was in shock and what I now believe to be withdrawal.    After 5 weeks of waiting for the Citalopram to fully stabilize me and not being functional in any capacity, my doctor asked me to reinstate Abilify at 1mg.  Since it was very activiating for me, I cut that in half and have been on .5mg since.  It's now been 2 months and although I am stabilzed and back at work, (not very effectively imo) I am a Zombie, completely disconnected from my family and my students and on average, only get 4-5 hours of sleep a night.  I shared this with my doctor and last week she recommended that I stop taking the Abilify.  

 

I would love to think that it was the mixing of all of these medications that caused the destabilization, but after much reading and research, I'm convinced that everything that I was feeling during the fall was from the constant changes with Abilify.   I shared the information with my Dr. and asked her to support me in a taper and she prescribed the liquid for me, which I was going to pick up tomorrow, but now is on backorder.   

 

I'm looking for suggestions on how to best taper off Abilify at such a low dose and still be able to function in my daily life.  After Abilify, I plan to tackle the Ambien and the Citalopram.  

 

Thank you. 

 

 

10+ years -Covid Lockdown:  20mg Citalopram ,  5+ years:  Ambien 5mg

Covid:  25mg Citalopram 

July to September:  Abilify  2mg as Adjunct, increased to 5mg

October:  Decreased to 2.5 Abilify

November 2022 Direct Switch from Citalopram to Viibryd 20mg (1 week)

December 3, 2022:  25mg of Citalopram with 18.75mg of Wellbutrin

December 2022:  Tapered down Abilify to 1.25mg in 6 days and then CT (last day 12/16)

December 22, 2022:  Directswitch from Citalopram to 5 mg Lexapro and 10mg Citalopram

December 26, 2022:  20mg Citalopram, Increased Ambien to 10mg

January 21, 2023:  Reinstated .5mg of Abilify 

 

Supplements:  400mg Magnesium Glycinate

Edited March 23 by Letisha317
did not finish it initally

[Altostrata]

Welcome. @Letisha317

 

Good choice to go off Abilify first, it sounds like it caused nothing but problems. Here are Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

 

You'll have to tell your doctor about your plan so you can get appropriate prescriptions. See How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?
 

Please let us know if you have any questions.

 

[Letisha317]

I was finally able to find the liquid abilify.  Since I'm starting from .5 mg (I split my 2mg pill in 1/4), how do I transition to all liquid?   The 1/4th is already a tiny piece.  Thank you.

 

 

10+ years -Covid Lockdown:  20mg Citalopram ,  5+ years:  Ambien 5mg

Covid:  25mg Citalopram 

July to September:  Abilify  2mg as Adjunct, increased to 5mg

October:  Decreased to 2.5 Abilify

November 2022 Direct Switch from Citalopram to Viibryd 20mg (1 week)

December 3, 2022:  25mg of Citalopram with 18.75mg of Wellbutrin

December 2022:  Tapered down Abilify to 1.25mg in 6 days and then CT (last day 12/16)

December 22, 2022:  Directswitch from Citalopram to 5 mg Lexapro and 10mg Citalopram

December 26, 2022:  20mg Citalopram, Increased Ambien to 10mg

January 21, 2023:  Reinstated .5mg of Abilify 

 

Supplements:  400mg Magnesium Glycinate/2.5mg of melatonin

[Altostrata]

I might start out with 0.5mg per day in tablet form alternating with 0.5mg per day in liquid form for a week, see how that goes, then gradually increase days per week taking 0.5mg in liquid form.

 

This is somewhat of an exception to the doctrine of consistency in dosing, but Abilify has a long half-life and this method should work to ease you onto the liquid form.

[FireflyFyte]

On 3/22/2023 at 7:36 PM, Letisha317 said:

I'm looking for suggestions on how to best taper off Abilify at such a low dose and still be able to function in my daily life. 

 

Once stabilized, taper slowly - no more than 10% per month. I do drops of 5% every two weeks to make the drop a little less drastic and have been able to continue working, caring for my pets, etc.