Abilify and depakote
Common Questions and Answers about Abilify and depakote
abilify
after over 20 yrs. of being treated for depression, ADHD, drug and alcohol addiction i'm now being treated for rapid cycling bipolar. (2 yrs.) i've been off and on depakote,the diagnosis seems good,, i'm currently taking 2 grams a day. i do better on medication but still struggle with focus, completeing tasks, starting new projects, anxiousness, worry. the doc and i are considering adding Abilify to the Depakote. anyone out there tried it.
I am currently on Cymbalta, Valium, and six days ago started Abilify after discontinuation of Depakote 500 mg daily due to weight gain of 50 pounds. I've written on here before about this but now would really appreciate some more feedback from anyone on Abilify. I just started it and have already gained five pounds, according to the scales. I am so frustrated that I'm about ready to just get off everything.
I have been on both Depakote, Abilify, and countless other meds for bipolar disorder. Unfortunately they have ALL made me gain weight rapidly. I gain over 80 lbs. in one year. Eventually I decided happiness was more important than looks. I went to a healer a few weeks back and heard that you can replace these meds with flaxseed oil. hope this helps.
I started lamectal about 2 months ago and take abilify and trazadone as well. I have lost my hair significantly in the past 2 months. I take Lamectal twise a day 150 mg. Abilify 15 mg & 50 mg of trazadone. I also take 1mg of klonipin as needed. Could any of these be causing it - a combination? Any suggestions? Depression will never go away if I am bald. Please help. I would like to discontinue the one that is causing this.
He is doing quite well except for having to be hospitalized for a minor surgery and a temp, which during this time the depakote and risperdone were held for three days. Just before being added back he began to show symptoms of the delusions again, after being back on meds none whatsoever. My question is he doesn't seem to be typical Bipolar, never has had the depressions part only the manic, psychotic phase.
I do take Abilify, & thru it I have remaining doses of Lamictal too. The Cogentin
they gave to me 'cause my lower jaw was going side to side when I was tired. Plus
my hands were incredibly shaking 24/7.I was having some double vision & I felt
tired when I'd take my pain meds. Which by the way I went off of as of yesterday!
*YES*
I have had the shaking ever since I had the 1st stroke. That is when I went from
no meds to every one next to the sun.
Lamictal is in a completely different drug class than Abilify, and tends to be very weight neutral. All of the atypical antipsychotics, like Abilify, can cause weight gain, although some are less likely to. That drug class is known for it. Lamictal is an anticonvulsant, and a lot of those (except for depakote) are weight neutral. I don't think you have anything to worry about in the weight department.
Make sure to take your Lamictal exactly as prescribed.
Every time I visited the doctor she told me to stay on it and she added Abilify (supposed to make Depakote work even better) in July. I still dont think either of those helped with depression or anything at all because nothing's changed. I got a surprise that I guess happened in Septamber and now I'm really worried. What should I do?
Thankyou for your responses, it really is a battle! I have tried a lot of meds too, lithium, olanzapine, sulpiride and more. I have seen my pysch nurse today and it sounds like they won't alter my depakote and are thinking of upping the seroquel, she did mention that she would ask the pdoc about abilify.. am I right in thinking this is less of a weight gainer?
I have been seizure free for a year! They have taken me off of Depakote (used to take 250 mg x 9 a day)..and Lamictal (used to take 100 mg x 5 a day). The difference is AMAZING. I have a memory now! Happier, eatting a lot less! I've lost 60 lbs since Sept.
The great fact is I am beginning to FEEL emotions again. It has been 8 LONG years since I began the med rollercoaster.
I am shaking tremendously less.
Heck. at this rate there is H O P E....dare I jinx it?
My daughter is currently taking a combination of depakote, lamictal, and abilify for a mood disorder. However, her doctor feels the overwhelming problem with her is an anxiety disorder that is not being addressed by the current meds.
The doctor wants to ween her off the lamictal completely and start her on klonopin wafers. I am concerned about the "drowsiness" side effects. Do these eventually go away?
I currently take Depakote, Risperdal and Cogentin (the latter to control the tremor from the Risperdal) and my doctor mentioned I could probably try Abilify instead. This regimen keeps my moods very stable (although a little bit unmotivated and depressed all the time) but I am concerned about what I feel is mental confusion, although it is hard to blame that on a particular drug, other health factors, advancing age, eating habits or something else.
1. I take Abilify and Depakote, and sometimes psychoactive drugs have strange, rare side effects.
2. I am a kidney dialysis patient, and the Web tells me a very uncommon condition called dialysis disequilibrium syndrome, experienced during or after the treatments, can involve confusion, cognitive problems, or -- you guessed it -- hallucinations.
I would appreciate any feedback or thoughts from readers.
Recently, I was give Lamictal, and had terrible side effects. Then he tried Abilify, with the same results. Now he is talking about (He=doctor) depakote. I am afraid to take this med because I also have hep c, and read where it is exceptionally hard on the liver. What else do they recommend for bi-polar disorder? I have only been diagnosed a year ago, after 35 years of being misdiagnosed with severe depression.
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