DaMac1980: Staring Medication, Side-Effects, Abilify

[DaMac1980]

Hello,

 

I had a history of depression, moving randomly, quitting jobs randomly, etc. Eventually this culminated in a suicide attempt at age 30 (hotline saved my life, thank you to all who contribute). I was diagnosed Bipolar 2 shortly afterward thanks to family history (depression and anxiety diagnoses for mother, vague diagnoses but committed half her life mother's mother, suicidal death of mother's mother's father) and my behavior. I rejected this and self-medicated for years, volunteered overseas, used St. John's Wort (which was surprisingly effective) and other things but had a manic episode and went out of work for a while, which led me to finally getting psychiatric help long-term.

 

I had seen around seven therapists and all diagnosed me bipolar 2, but the psychiatrist says I am true bipolar since I had at least a handful of real manic episodes. He seems more worried about mania than depression, which is my real issue on a day-to-day basis. He first prescribed me 10mg Saphris, which made me woozy 24/7 and super sleepy. When I complained about being tired all the time with no benefit he quickly switched me to 5mg Abilify without much discussion. It also makes me super sleepy, plus I have insomnia (weird combination, always half-tired) and I feel more anxious, irritable and suicidal. I cannot see him again until Thursday but I think I might stop the abilify today, it's making me feel really on a knife's edge.

 

Reading it really seems like he is prescribing me all wrong. I feel I need an anti-depressant and a balancer, but he is just giving me antipsychotics. I don't know how to impress upon him depression is my main problem any more than I already have.

 

Thanks to anyone who read. Any advice would be appreciated and I will peruse the abilify threads for tips on how to handle how it's making me feel.

[brassmonkey]

Hi DaMac--  I think you may be in the wrong place.  Our sole purpose is to get people off of these drug is a safe manner, not to help then adjust their drug/dosage to get a combination that works.  Before you get too entrenched with these drugs I suggest you do some heavy research into their effects and nondrug alternatives for handling the situation you have found yourself in.  Best of luck with your search.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, DaMac.

 

As brassmonkey said, we're about going off drugs here. Your feeling "more anxious, irritable and suicidal" may be a withdrawal reaction from the cold switch from Saphris to Abilify, always a somewhat harsh way to change drugs. Quitting Abilify cold turkey may exacerbate the withdrawal symptoms.

 

You might review your drug history and see if your "manic episodes" may have been caused by an adverse reaction to drugs or drug combinations, or from going off drugs too fast. We see a lot of misdiagnosed bipolar whatever here.

 

For further reference: the Drug Interactions Checker http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

 

At any rate, you need a new doctor.