Abilify, asleep if I take it.

[lucy_nyu]

I'm diagnosed
ADD/NOS (inattentive type, not otherwise specified);
Major Depressive Disorder;
and C-PTSD (ptsd w/ borderline features, ie: lots of dissociation)

I'm taking
300mg/ day of Wellbutrin
30mg extended release Adderal
and..
I started taking Abilify
at first 2mg, then 4mg
..a low dose, I know..

thing is, I refuse to take the Abilify during the day. At night it sometimes relieves nightmares. But it always causes drowsiness.
And I'm talking about the kind of drowsiness where it is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to stay awake. It literally knocks me out.
And yes, it'll do that whether or not I take the Adderal.
It also makes me very irritable if I try to stay awake; which to me, is midly reminiscent of what seroquel did to me when a different psych had me try that (horrible intense agitation, extreme fatigue, disorientation/confusion, irritable is an understatement, numbing, tunnel vision..)

My psych tried to tell me it has a tendency to make people feel more alert.
But I think it would be more aptly named, asleepify.

Now my questions:
1) Is this normal?
2) Is this safe?

help?

[Paxiled]

If you're taking a med that doesn't work and makes you feel worse, tell you psychiatrist and move on.  Abilify has only been approved for cases of depression where nothing else has worked because of its side effect profile, so if it isn't helping you, have your psychiatrist properly take you off it.  Meds affect people differently, and this one apparently doesn't agree with you.

[lucy_nyu]

also, I am not talking sleepiness, I am talking unconsciousness.
I understand that drowsiness is a side effect. I did check the side effects before taking it.
I am concerned about the safety of me taking it due to the intensity of asleep (and irritable/ angriness just before asleep) i get from it.
Another side effect is akasthisia, which is what the other antipsychotic induced in me when I was not on wellbutrin or adderal. Abilify seems to induce a mild form of that as it takes effect just before I pass out. I think the other meds I am on are augmenting an akasthisia-like response to this less intense antipsychotic and I am not sure that is healthy to keep doing to myself.

Also, why is this sometimes helping my nightmares?
It is supposed to help my depression. I don't think it does that.

[lucy_nyu]

I do.
But if it makes me irritable and asleep, is it really helping?

[MMahon]

Why not take it before bed?  Nothing wrong with this if it helps.
"unusual tiredness or weakness" is a known side effect for abilify.  see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abilify#Side_effects