abilify gone bad

[needhelp4me434]

does anyone take abilify. if so, what is your dose.
i started on 2 mgs. was pretty wired for a few days, but began to feel alot better.

i was focused, had energy, could'nt sleep that well. then it all went away. the dr increased me to 4mgs for 2 weeks then 5mgs. ,

i'm on it for a severe depression i feel into after my father died i feel the depression trying to sneak its way back in.

did anyone else experience this.

abilify has been the only drug that completely lifted my depression. but then it stoped. i hope increasing will solve  this problem

what dose is the best

thank you

[JulyBaby2010]

I am on abilify and it is working for me. Not for depression but for other reasons....
You might need to up your dosage. I was on 30 mg, then back down to 15mg. Ask you doctor

[LeftCoastChick]

Hi there! Are you seeing a psychiatrist? With some disorders, some drugs won't work and/or if you aren't doing follow up like talk therapy there will be only limited effects from these drugs.It's imprtant that you have some sort of support, like grief counselling, a depression support group, something like that to help you through.

It's important that you get a proper diagnosis if you are only seeing a family doctor, they only have a limited knowlege of meds, especially for refractory(hard to treat) depression. There are other forms of depression too. You need a specialist to diagnose you, then work on a combination of meds. Somtimes 1 med alone may not work.

What other meds have you been on? Have you suffered anytime previously with depression. You mentioned you father had it, there is a genetic predisposition to some things like depression and bipolar that run in families. It may have been any serious event that could have triggered you. I'm so sorry for your loss though.

It's criticial that you have an active plan of wellness, in order to make a dent. like the following:
1) Good sleep schedule, no napping or sleeping too little or too much.
2) Avoid stimulants, 1 cup of coffee is more then enough. (chocolate is a stimulant)
3) Keep a daily rountine, even if it's the simplest things, like getting up at 8am, breakfast, shower, 4 block walk, read a book. You get my gist. Don't place high expectations.
4) Maintaining physical health, eat at least 2 meals a day, you don't have to be a vegetarian, but eating a bag of chips every day is not going to make you feel good.
5) Get a full physical done. Make sure any underlying causes are addressed like thryroid conditions. Rule out these possibilities.
5) Support - it's important to be able to talk to someone; friend, spouse, pastor, therapist, group therapy -anything like that.

Keep in touch, MH is a great place for peer support :) I hope this helps,
LCC