just started taking Abilify??? HELP ME PLEASE!

[Jen1101]

My doctor just started me on Abilify 10mg for bi polar disorder. I took it for the first time yesterday at around 4pm and I felt kinda loopy, the doctor told me that it should be stimulating and not so sedating, and wants me to take it once a day. I am suppose to take it again today but scared to take it early in the day because I dont want to have that loopy feeling again. Does this medicine make anyone else feel loopy, or is it just me? Maybe the meds work differently on me? Also I am terrified of weight gain, I have heard both good and bad on the weight gain and the abilify. I have heard yes it does make you gain a ton of weight and then no it dont. I am getting tons of mixed signals from websites, my doctors, and pharmacist. I just need a little support from others taking this medication, so I can base my experience on others, rather than what I am reading on the internet about it. I really dont like taking medication of any type. I never use to take meds before not even Tylenol for a headache, and then a few years back I injured my shoulder, (tore the rotater cuff) and the pain was so severe that I took pain pills that were prescribed to me for the pain. The doctors were prescribing me large doses of the meds and before I knew it I became hooked on the vicodin, then the doctors started me on suboxone for the narcotic dependency, which was the worst feeling ever because it made me feel like a junkie, and addict of some kind. I go from never taking any kind of medication to becoming hooked on pain pills, and now they find I am bi-polar and have to go onto a new medication. The doctor also said I was bi-polar mixed with ADHD, but they have to stabilize my mood swings before they can fix the ADHD. It is awful, it really is. I feel like I am rambling right now, and everyone and anyone who reads this, will probably see how exactly how upset I am over this whole thing. Please if anyone could give me some advice or guidance that would be wonderful. Thank you to everyone in advance for taking their time to read my scrambled posting.
God bless

[Jen1101]

thank you so much for taking your time and helping me out. I realy do appreciate it. I feel a lot better now,. that I am giving actual advise rather than going on everything I read here and there. Thank you again so much and may god bless
Jen

[ILADVOCATE]

Abilify can be activating but it can also be sedating. Cognitive confusion as with many medications is common at first but it generally goes away. It is the least likely out of all the antipsychotics to cause weight gain though its still a possibility. It is not addictive in any manner. Give it a chance and if you are not able to tolerate it over an extended period of time you could ask your psychiatrist about other available options. But the side effects you are experiencing are normal and should get better over time.