Re: Something new to try (Abilify)

[Guest guest]

I was on abilify two years ago for a few months, it's a partial

agonist of dopamine, which means that it raises it in some areas and

lowers it in others. I could not tolerate it due to severe akathesia,

but it did not change my libido up and down. It did have some

positive effects like slowing my mind/speech down and maybe a little

more focus though. Doctors will usually try and counter the akathesia

with amantadine if the patient gets it and lately they use artane,

which i hadn't tried with it.

>

> Hi guys,

>

> I saw my doctor again last thursday. We discussed the recent

> progress and tried to make a game plan for the near future.

>

> I'll start by taking Requip in three-day cycles. Three days on,

> three days off. I'm taking 1 mg three times a day. Then I stay off

> the drug for three days and hopefully I'll feel something positive.

>

> We are trying to re-stimulate what ever it is that causes the

> awakening libido.

>

> In two weeks I'll also start taking a new drug. It's something that

> was recommended by an 80-year-old japanese doctor. He's supposed to

> be a dopamine-guru, he's actually the person who has discovered the

> drug I'm about to try. My doctor met him in a congress and asked if

> he had any suggestions regarding my problem.

>

> The drug is called Abilify (aripiprazole). It was designed to help

> psychotic people by reducing the overproduction of dopamine. Recent

> studies show, however, that this medication also increases

> dopaminergic activity, when there's too little dopamine to begin

> with. For some reason,this drug seems to normalize the dopamine

> system.

>

> That's why I'll give it a try.

>

> I'm going to start with a very low dose and see what happens.

>

> Biker

[Guest guest]

Hi Biker,

Thanks for the update.

I'm concerned about your plan to take abilify. Abilify has only been

on the market a few years, but it is an antipsychotic and like all

antipsychotic medications it can have serious side effects that may

not go away after stopping. Things like diabetes or tardive

dyskinesia. It is also not just a dopaminergenic, it acts on the

serotonin system as well. I hope you will look into this carefully.

You are so close to getting better!

I also think starting a new medication so soon after starting

requip may make it more difficult to know what drug is having what

impact.

Velden

-- In SSRIsex , " bikercompany "

wrote:

>

> Hi guys,

>

> I saw my doctor again last thursday. We discussed the recent

> progress and tried to make a game plan for the near future.

>

> I'll start by taking Requip in three-day cycles. Three days on,

> three days off. I'm taking 1 mg three times a day. Then I stay off

> the drug for three days and hopefully I'll feel something positive.

>

> We are trying to re-stimulate what ever it is that causes the

> awakening libido.

>

> In two weeks I'll also start taking a new drug. It's something

that

> was recommended by an 80-year-old japanese doctor. He's supposed

to

> be a dopamine-guru, he's actually the person who has discovered

the

> drug I'm about to try. My doctor met him in a congress and asked

if

> he had any suggestions regarding my problem.

>

> The drug is called Abilify (aripiprazole). It was designed to help

> psychotic people by reducing the overproduction of dopamine.

Recent

> studies show, however, that this medication also increases

> dopaminergic activity, when there's too little dopamine to begin

> with. For some reason,this drug seems to normalize the dopamine

> system.

>

> That's why I'll give it a try.

>

> I'm going to start with a very low dose and see what happens.

>

> Biker

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, I agree. I would be very wary of taking an antipsychotic, even

if it is a so-called " atypical " .

Biker, are you still getting the fluctuating libido in synchrony

with the DA cylces?

V

-- In SSRIsex , " velden22 " wrote:

>

> Hi Biker,

> Thanks for the update.

> I'm concerned about your plan to take abilify. Abilify has only

been

> on the market a few years, but it is an antipsychotic and like all

> antipsychotic medications it can have serious side effects that

may

> not go away after stopping. Things like diabetes or tardive

> dyskinesia. It is also not just a dopaminergenic, it acts on the

> serotonin system as well. I hope you will look into this

carefully.

> You are so close to getting better!

> I also think starting a new medication so soon after starting

> requip may make it more difficult to know what drug is having what

> impact.

> Velden

>

> -- In SSRIsex , " bikercompany " <bikercompany@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Hi guys,

> >

> > I saw my doctor again last thursday. We discussed the recent

> > progress and tried to make a game plan for the near future.

> >

> > I'll start by taking Requip in three-day cycles. Three days on,

> > three days off. I'm taking 1 mg three times a day. Then I stay

off

> > the drug for three days and hopefully I'll feel something

positive.

> >

> > We are trying to re-stimulate what ever it is that causes the

> > awakening libido.

> >

> > In two weeks I'll also start taking a new drug. It's something

> that

> > was recommended by an 80-year-old japanese doctor. He's supposed

> to

> > be a dopamine-guru, he's actually the person who has discovered

> the

> > drug I'm about to try. My doctor met him in a congress and asked

> if

> > he had any suggestions regarding my problem.

> >

> > The drug is called Abilify (aripiprazole). It was designed to

help

> > psychotic people by reducing the overproduction of dopamine.

> Recent

> > studies show, however, that this medication also increases

> > dopaminergic activity, when there's too little dopamine to begin

> > with. For some reason,this drug seems to normalize the dopamine

> > system.

> >

> > That's why I'll give it a try.

> >

> > I'm going to start with a very low dose and see what happens.

> >

> > Biker

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Abilify wasn't nearly in the same league in terms of bad side effects

as risperdal was. It is a massive improvement over that class, but

perhaps caution is warranted.

>

> Yes, I agree. I would be very wary of taking an antipsychotic, even

> if it is a so-called " atypical " .

>

> Biker, are you still getting the fluctuating libido in synchrony

> with the DA cylces?

>

> V

[Guest guest]

Are you going to take Abilify at the same time as Requip?

Luther

>

> Hi guys,

>

> I saw my doctor again last thursday. We discussed the recent

> progress and tried to make a game plan for the near future.

>

> I'll start by taking Requip in three-day cycles. Three days on,

> three days off. I'm taking 1 mg three times a day. Then I stay off

> the drug for three days and hopefully I'll feel something positive.

>

> We are trying to re-stimulate what ever it is that causes the

> awakening libido.

>

> In two weeks I'll also start taking a new drug. It's something

that

> was recommended by an 80-year-old japanese doctor. He's supposed

to

> be a dopamine-guru, he's actually the person who has discovered

the

> drug I'm about to try. My doctor met him in a congress and asked

if

> he had any suggestions regarding my problem.

>

> The drug is called Abilify (aripiprazole). It was designed to help

> psychotic people by reducing the overproduction of dopamine.

Recent

> studies show, however, that this medication also increases

> dopaminergic activity, when there's too little dopamine to begin

> with. For some reason,this drug seems to normalize the dopamine

> system.

>

> That's why I'll give it a try.

>

> I'm going to start with a very low dose and see what happens.

>

> Biker

>

[Guest guest]

I understand you all being wary of taking an antipsychotic. I am not

sure about it either. I just got the impression that my doctor really

thinks Abilify might make a difference.

The plan is that I'll go through a couple of Requip -cycles without

the Abilify, and then continue doing the cycles with a small dose of

Abilify.

I am still getting the positive fluctuations as I cycle Requip. I

tried staying off for a little longer, had three good days and then

went back to numbness. So now I'm taking Requip again, tomorrow is the

last day before stopping it for three days.

I wish I knew the right thing to do... Should I just keep taking

Requip on and off, or should I add Abilify to the mix?

Biker

>

> Yes, I agree. I would be very wary of taking an antipsychotic, even

> if it is a so-called " atypical " .

>

> Biker, are you still getting the fluctuating libido in synchrony

> with the DA cylces?

>

> V

[Guest guest]

Have you ever thought of doing a taper with requip? Like 3x/day for

the first three days of the on cycle, then 2x day four, 1x day five?

Or as a plan B you could try and take a " booster dose " of requip on

day two of feeling normal and seeing if that extends it, or you could

continue taking boosters here and there.

I have no idea if these ideas will work, just something I thought of

when I read your post.

>

> I understand you all being wary of taking an antipsychotic. I am not

> sure about it either. I just got the impression that my doctor really

> thinks Abilify might make a difference.

>

> The plan is that I'll go through a couple of Requip -cycles without

> the Abilify, and then continue doing the cycles with a small dose of

> Abilify.

>

> I am still getting the positive fluctuations as I cycle Requip. I

> tried staying off for a little longer, had three good days and then

> went back to numbness. So now I'm taking Requip again, tomorrow is the

> last day before stopping it for three days.

>

> I wish I knew the right thing to do... Should I just keep taking

> Requip on and off, or should I add Abilify to the mix?

>

> Biker

[Guest guest]

I would not take abilify. But it is ultimately your choice, of

course.

Vornan

> >

> > Yes, I agree. I would be very wary of taking an antipsychotic,

even

> > if it is a so-called " atypical " .

> >

> > Biker, are you still getting the fluctuating libido in synchrony

> > with the DA cylces?

> >

> > V

>

[Guest guest]

Better abilify than risperdal, though, that's not even in the same league.

>

> I would not take abilify. But it is ultimately your choice, of

> course.

>

> Vornan

>

>

> > >

> > > Yes, I agree. I would be very wary of taking an antipsychotic,

> even

> > > if it is a so-called " atypical " .

> > >

> > > Biker, are you still getting the fluctuating libido in synchrony

> > > with the DA cylces?

> > >

> > > V

> >

>

[Guest guest]

What was her reasoning for the risperdal?

>

> > Better abilify than risperdal, though, that's not

> > even in the same league.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

She sounds very irresponsible IMO.

The homepage for abilify looks kinda scary:

http://www.abilify.com/abilify/home/index.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Vornan

> > > > > > > Better abilify than risperdal, though, that's> > not> > > > even in the same league.> > > > > > __________________________________________________> > >