Abilify anyone?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2006
Abilify anyone?
6
Mon, 10-09-2006 - 6:55pm

Anyone have experience with Abilify? I made an appointment with pdoc today (unscheduled) because everyone is driving me nuts (well, I'm driving them nuts so they are driving me nuts telling me about it). Tdoc called pdoc today and left a lengthy message about all her concerns with my changes since on the meds. When I went to see pdoc he said he didn't talk to her directly but was concerned about what she told him. I handed him a paper about what was going on and also had written on it what my dh's concerns were. When I first walked in the office he asked "so what brings you in?" I told him I missed him. He didn't much appreciate that...oops. He said he is also noticing how my attitude is quite different in meetings lately and on the phone when I call him. He feels the topamax is not working (gee, ya think so?) so he wants to take me off of it. Well, that's just f*cking great-I just got a 3 mo. rx in the mail for $75 and now I can't take a single pill! I guess I'll just grow some more money on the tree in the back yard. He noticed how I really don't care about much right now, how I have little inhibition and my attitude pretty much stinks. SO, he is taking me off of the topamax and switching me to abilify. He was going to go with seroquel and I said NOPE, I would like to wake up in the morning! I am not happy about it, but hey whatever. He asked about my drinking again. I told him again how much I drink. He asked what it will take to stop. I informed him that it is moderate drinking by all standards. He informed me that is true only I have a mood disorder that is being attemped to be controlled by medication, which exempts me from that category of moderation...do I need to be locked up? I just looked at him, said, no, whatever. I need to get a clue and fast or my butt's gonna be outta here. When I came home and told dh what happened I was actually laughing about the whole situation. How pathetic is that?

So, if anyone can tell me the good the bad or the ugly about Abilify, I'd appreciate it!

Peg, the rather messed up board member...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Mon, 10-09-2006 - 11:28pm

I am glad to hear your pdoc is at least trying something new. I have heard alot of good things about Abilify. I took it but it didn't agree with me. It made me very tired and hung over, but so did the Seraquel. I am very sensitive to anti-psychotics. I talked to a couple people where I go for counseling and they told me they liked Abilify over Seraquel. The one lady who had a hard time with mania said it helped her think more rational and more clearly. Maybe some ladies here can shed some info of their own on the Abilify. I hope it works for you. I would definately give it a try for a couple weeks straight.


I know you know this, but drinking is only interfering in your treatment and it isn't helping you get any better. Why do you drink? Can you stop on your own? It seems you are having a very hard time with quiting. Have you tried A.A? Do you get the shakes when you try to quit? If you need help with quiting there is NOTHING wrong with seeking help for it. From your posts I can see the drinking isn't helping you cope with anything.


Maybe laughing when you told your dh about the session was a defense mechanism. Trying to make light of a serious situation.


You are important, Peg, but you have to believe that.


Peg, your not messed up, you have an illness that needs treatment.


Hugs


Tina




     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2006
Tue, 10-10-2006 - 3:54am

Hi Tina,

I was not supposed to go back to pdoc until the 23rd but when I called him last week to see if he'd up my xanax (having a lot of anxiety issues with the PTSD) it had been the second time I called him that week and he could hear in my voice that each time I call him I sound worse. I told him how frustrated I was because it seemed like he wasn't listening since dh wanted to talk to him and tdoc was saying things weren't good. He told me that if I needed him, he was there. He still wanted to give the topamax time but if things got too bad, call and we would add something or make a change sooner. Well, Fri was bad and the weekend wasn't much better so I called and went in.

As for the drinking. Why do I do it? Good question. It typically starts with a physical craving that I can only resist for so long. Often I can have just a drink on occasion and that satisfies me, end of story. Other times, it gets a little more complicated than that. In the spring I was binge drinking for a few weeks, but was able to stop without too much trouble, but I was not on any medication. That was brought on by a major craving that tdoc was told about well before I started to drink. We talked about it a lot and tried many ways to overcome that issue. This time there was a craving, not quite as strong and I am not drinking as heavily but stopping is a major issue. Although I have only been steadily drinking (most nights, but not all) for about 7 weeks, and only drinking one drink, I often get shaky by dinner (I have my drink in the early evening after the kids are in bed). If I skip drinking one night, by the time I go to bed I have a headache and the next morning I feel rotten. I will feel nauseous the entire next day, shaky and have a headache until I have a drink that night. I have trouble thinking that I could be physically dependent on alcohol with drinking such a small amount for such a short time. But, who knows what the meds can do. No, I have not gone to AA. I've read about it, looked at some online groups about it, etc. but, of course, don't see myself as needing it, just as I told pdoc he can't lock me up for it because I don't fit the dsm for abuse or dependence (I'm a real smart a$$ right now-not a good mix with a pdoc). And, no, it doesn't help me cope. If anything, it's just slightly relaxing.

Typically, I do use laughing as a defense mechanism. But, oddly, right now, I really don't care much about anything. If I knew my kids would be taken care of, they could lock me up in jail and it wouldn't bother me. I would welcome it because I think the family would be better off.

Even though I started a new med tonight and had no idea how it would interact with alcohol (it was a sample pack so no warnings) I felt like crap from not drinking the night before so I had a drink- even after the threat of being put in rehab. Then I took my pill and went to bed. As I was brushing my teeth, I just thought to myself "I just hope they don't find me dead"- not because I was afraid to die, but because it wouldn't be fair for the kids to find me since Rick would be at work already. Now, that's messed up-no matter what you think. Then, when Rick went to work and I said goodby to him I thought to myself "well, you didn't kill yourself, guess this stuff isn't too bad with alcohol". Oh, and when I got my lab results back today for my lupus stuff they all came back great, which is wonderful, but the thought going through my head was "well, now tdoc and pdoc have no reason to bust on me about drinking- there are no problems with my liver or any other part of my body checked by labs". I hope this medicine gives me my brain back. I don't know what happened to mine. I feel like sponge bob when plankton took over his brain- I don't know who's in there but is sure isn't me.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-22-2006
Tue, 10-10-2006 - 7:46am

Hugs Peg and lots of them. I hope the new med works. How long till in kicks in?

Love, Kelli





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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2005
Tue, 10-10-2006 - 9:12am

Peg, you don't have to be drinking heavily for you to have an alcohol problem...one drink every night, that's all it takes.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Tue, 10-10-2006 - 9:39am

One of the main

     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 10-10-2006 - 12:18pm

Hey Peg. I know you've heard this too many times...but I have to say it.

BP MEDS WILL NOT WORK WHILE YOU ARE DRINKING! Plus, you are hurting yourself. I know its hard...I was addicted to certain other drugs when I was dx'd and I didn't stop them until it was POUNDED into my head that I WAS SABOTAGING MY OWN RECOVERY by self medicating.

I know you feel like crap. And you may feel even worse. But you HAVE to stop drinking...even just one. You're still addicted. Don't fool yourself into thinking your pdoc won't put you i/p quick if you don't stop. They will. I've seen it firsthand when I was i/p.

Abilify is a good med...if you will just let it work for you. We do care for you here and I sooo know what you are going through. But I also know you have to want to get better before you will.

Hugs,

keli