Thank you both for your responses. I only took 1/2 a pill last night and I'm not quite so groggy today. I don't exercise regularly, bad, I know, but I do work with 14 two-year-olds all day every day and am totally exhausted by the time I get home. I do take other meds also. I take Adderrall, my dr initially rx'd it for me to boost my anti-depressant (which I no longer take) and to help with energy level and weight, which have always been problems. I also take vicodin, only once a day at bedtime to help with pain (I have fibro also), RLS, and sleep. I haven't been on any other meds besides these 2 for the past year and was doing well, or so I thought, but think I was actually slightly manic. My energy was good but I never slept, which does catch up to you. And eventually the old paranoia kicked in, not to mention the irritability, temper outbursts, and spending sprees. Knew all to well it was time to get help.........again. I do have a pyschiatrist that I see every 3 months. Sometimes I would like to see him more often but he always says 3 months and is so booked it is just about impossible to get in to see him in between times. Again, thank you for your responses.
I'm on Abilfy also & I don't have the problem with sleep. Could it be caused by any other med you are taking? are you on any other meds right now? It could be the combo of meds you are on also. Also Abilfy typically isn't one of the atypical antipsycotic med the cause increase appetite. Are you exercising regularly? Trying to even walk briskly 30 minutes daily will help with the weight issue and with the sleepiness too for that matter. When I started walking again recently I founf that I got a ton more energy.
Abilify as well as all other antipsychotics can cause both temporary and permanent movement disorders. Temporary movement disorders such as akathesia can often cause motor restlessness that makes it difficult for a person to sleep and can be hard to deal with in general. This could be treated with a side effect pill. You could ask your psychiatrist about that. Abilify just like all antipsychotics can be sedating thought it has the least of that possibility (along with Saphris and Fanapt). The same is true with the potential of weight gain. All of these side effects can make it difficult for people to tolerate antipsychotics but of course they are needed and there are various coping solutions for each (such as to prevent weight gain and the potential of diabetes, eating a specific diet, your psychiatrist could refer you to a nutritionist). It should be noted that there is a new class of antipsychotics in development that won't cause any of these side effects and will promote a fuller recovery (you can read through my posts, I am in clinical study for one) and within a reasonable number of years, should the studies continue to show these positive results they should be FDA approved so its just a matter of coping with what's out there now.