Long term treatment?

[wj74]

How many of you have been on the same treatment for a long time? Like years? I was diagnosed a few months ago, and am finally starting to feel normal. I never knew normal. :) I'd like to stay on the meds long term, and I read on the abilify site that treatment shouldn't be longer than a year or so. What if something's working for you? Can't you just stay on it? Seems silly to me.

[wj74]

Hey, thanks for the link. I think I've seen that one before. It's a good one. :) The meds poop-out scares the **** out of me. I hope I have a while before that happens!

I'm okay with taking drugs long term, I worry more about them NOT working. My meds still need tweaking tho, maybe after that's done I will feel better about it.

[ILADVOCATE]

Sorry wrong site. That would be:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/moodstabilizers.htm

[ILADVOCATE]

I've been on medication since I was 18 and I'm sure I will be on medication for life. Most people with a psychiatric disability do. I have schizoaffective disorder and have made a full recovery with an antipsychotic agent in Phase II FDA study (read through my posts). Before that I had to keep changing antipsychotics though as they would stop working after a while. I still have the same problem with mood stabilizers and that's not uncommon. I've been though 30 of them in my life. I do manage to keep stable though. Its best to update yourself on what is clinically available though in the way of mood stabilizers. This website should be of help:
http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

[starbunny]

I was on carbamazepine (mood stabilizer) for years for epilepsy before bipolar was diagnosed. They put me up to the top dosage because it felt weaker as time went by and then it just stopped working and I had a manic episode. The neurologist wouldn't change either the medication or the dosage, (even though I wanted to try lamictal) because she felt that for the most part the epilepsy / bipolar was being controlled by it (I beg to differ) and to stop or change would be even worse.

I don't know how long you will have to be on abilify, but it is an atypical antipsychotic like seroquel which I am on and I was told that I would have be on it for at least 30 years (again, not chuffed) and they have already increased the dose once. Abilify is newer so I would have thought it would be designed to last longer than a year. I've noticed there are different opinions on how long to take antipsychotics which makes me a bit confused as well. I just don't like the thought of being on them for life.
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[Xila31]

From what I know, your body actually changes and you can become overly used to a medication. Your body will stop responding to the treatment. This is different for everyone so no one can say "oh in two years this will stop working." You just have to try it and report to your doctor if you feel your medication isn't working.

As for abilify, I was on it and I could not tolerate it so I can never take that again. I don't know why it says only 1 year. Maybe that is the most common time that it stops working. Or maybe after that it has some serious side effects. I know that with some forms of birth control you lose bone density so they recommend you switch what type you use after 2 years. Maybe it is similar to that, but I can't say for sure. If you are curious you should ask your doctor or pharmacist what that means.

[cornyguy]

I have been on the same mood stabilizer for 10 years and another one since july 2009.If you are diagnosed as Bipolar you have to take mood stabilizers for a long time.

[HVAC]

I have been on medications for thirty years.  Not the same ones.I have gone off at times but each time it was bad for me. I do not know about abilify.