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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ruby on July 14, 2010, at 21:13:51
Hi all...It's been a while since I visited here but it is nice to return and see familiar names. Since I've been on complex med cocktails for treatment resistant bipolar depression the past 8 years, I've gained about 50 pounds. We're trying to address this as I am now pre-diabetic.
Right now I'm on Nuvigil 150mg, Levothyroxine 125mcg, Clonapin .5mg 4x/day, Trazodone 200mg, Nortriptylene 100mg...plus a bunch of supplements (NAC, fish oil, Vitamin D3 and C, adrenal rebuilder, diaxynol). I was on Abilify too.
The thought was to get me off Abilify and then start lowering the nortriptylene. I was on 5mg of Abilify, lowered it to 2.5 for a few weeks and then to 2 for a few weeks, then off of it. Seemed to go fine until I was off of it for about 10 days and I crashed badly on Sunday...superduper depression...like put me back into the hospital depression....so i'm back on 2.5mgs of abilify. It is working a little bit but not as much as I wish. Wondering if I should call the doc about going back to 5mg...but then the weight issue comes back into the picture. Not sure I want to stop lowering the nortrip while I am a bit unstable. The thought was to lower the nortrip 10mg a week until I got to 50mg and then stop there.
Wondering if others have had difficulty getting off abilify. Wondering if others have the weight gain thing going on. One doc, not my pdoc but a nutritionist, said it would be nearly impossible to lose weight while on the nortrip...I started the nortrip after having 6 ECT sessions in September.
ANybody identify with any of this...or have any thoughts or encouragement?
I surely hope folks are doing well and feeling stable. I'm so grateful to have this resource.
ruby
Posted by Zyprexa on July 15, 2010, at 5:00:44
In reply to Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene, posted by ruby on July 14, 2010, at 21:13:51
Each time I took abilify and stoped it, there was a period of feeling realy bad that seemed to last 3 times the length of the time I had taken it for. Each time I stoped the abilify I went back to zyprexa, and after the 3x the zyprexa would work again.
Posted by SLS on July 15, 2010, at 5:42:50
In reply to Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene, posted by ruby on July 14, 2010, at 21:13:51
I think Geodon can make a good alternative to Abilify in treating depression. It is less apt to put on weight than the rest of the atypical antipsychotics. I gained 50 ugly pounds on Abilify, which I am still taking. In addition, my triglycerides are elevated.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on July 15, 2010, at 5:44:03
In reply to Re: Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene, posted by Zyprexa on July 15, 2010, at 5:00:44
How has Zyprexa affected your body weight?
- Scott
Posted by Zyprexa on July 15, 2010, at 17:41:49
In reply to Re: Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene » Zyprexa, posted by SLS on July 15, 2010, at 5:44:03
Its gone up a bit, but stable for the last 3 years. Even losing a little but in the last few months. I'm 5'10" and 220 lbs. I was under weight before starting it 12 years ago. I was 145 lbs, and losing.
Posted by emmanuel98 on July 15, 2010, at 19:41:24
In reply to Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene, posted by ruby on July 14, 2010, at 21:13:51
5-10 mg of abilify wiped out depression for me. It was like a miracle drug for me. But I routinely gained 2-3 pounds/week without eating anything more than usual. Some of the atypicals cause crazy weight gain. I now take perphenazine, an older anti-psychotic which seems to have the same effect as abilify for me but without the weight gain. Of course, the old anti-psychotics have their own problems, but I'm taking a low dose, so hopefully won't have any issues with dyskinesia or akathesia.
Posted by Ruby on July 15, 2010, at 22:37:19
In reply to Re: Questions about Abilify and Nortryptilene, posted by emmanuel98 on July 15, 2010, at 19:41:24
Thanks for the confirmation on the weight gain issue with abilify, folks. It really does stink; I'm eating more healthfully than ever and still gaining weight. Sigh. But after being off the abilify for 10 days I crashed, so we are adding it back in. When I see my pdoc again, which might be soon given what is going on, I'll talk about alternatives.
Thanks all.
This is the end of the thread.
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