advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 06:17 AM
  #1
I'm taking 2mg of Abilify before bed and sleeping 2 hours/night for weeks. Am I taking it at the wrong time? Is morning better? Experiences, please...I'm quite desperate.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote

advertisement
unicornlady
Member
 
unicornlady's Avatar
unicornlady has no updates.
 
Member Since: Nov 2014
Location: The Forest
Posts: 200
8 yr Member
36 hugs
given
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 06:33 AM
  #2
What other meds are you taking? Abilify tends to make me sleepy, but I think that might be atypical, since my pdoc originally told me to take it in the morning. Have you tried taking it in the morning?

__________________
Bipolar 1, GAD
Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg
unicornlady is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 09:52 AM
  #3
Hi unicornlady, I'm taking Lamictal, Pristiq, Klonopin, and Abilify.

No, I have not tried taking it in the morning for fear of being asleep all day. I'm wondering if I'm awake all night (feeling like I want to do things) because of the Abilify, or am I manic. My pdoc is not usually clear about when to take meds, so I'm wondering what others here suggest.

I have heard that Abilify is activating for some people...it's confusing to me.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Blue_Bird
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Blue_Bird's Avatar
Blue_Bird is ready for recovery!
 
Member Since: Jun 2013
Location: Hogwarts
Posts: 36,660 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
14.3k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 10:10 AM
  #4
I take mine in the morning, that's when my doctor told me to take it. It makes me tired, I end up falling asleep for an hour or so

__________________


R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” -St. Francis of Assisi
Blue_Bird is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*
unicornlady
Member
 
unicornlady's Avatar
unicornlady has no updates.
 
Member Since: Nov 2014
Location: The Forest
Posts: 200
8 yr Member
36 hugs
given
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 10:10 AM
  #5
Right, I also heard that Abilify is activating for some people. My pdoc told me to take it in the morning to start with, since it is activating or neutral for most people. It DEFINITELY isn't for me, makes me very sleepy. Lamictal also makes me very sleepy - does Lamictal make you sleepy?

I'm sorry your pdoc doesn't tell you when to take meds. I feel like the timing is really important actually.

My pdoc usually says something like this: this med is activating for some people, so take it in the morning, and if it makes you sleepy, take it at night the next day.

I think it really can be individual what your response is to the medication. If you have a day off you might try the abilify in the morning just so you know - it may be activating for you.

I don't know about Pristiq or Klonopin - klonopin did not make me sleepy or activated, but I've heard some people say it makes them sleepy. I don't know anything about Pristiq.

I think it really is an individual thing that you have to try out. Lamictal also was one that my pdoc said to try taking in the morning. I don't know when you take that now - could also be something to think about. My pdoc said she wasn't surprised that I reacted to lamictal by getting sleepy, since that was also how I reacted to abilify - so maybe there's a similarity there?

I'm not sure if I'm being helpful, but I'm trying to share my experience and what my pdoc has suggested. Let me know if I've been unclear.

__________________
Bipolar 1, GAD
Lithium 900mg, Gabapentin 700mg, Zyprexa 10mg
unicornlady is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 08:01 PM
  #6
I always took it in the morning when I was on it (much higher dose). As @unicornlady has said, it is usually either neutral or activating, so maybe trying it in the AM would be worthwhile. Either way, I hope you get this sleep situation resolved quickly. Not sleeping is awful!

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Sep 29, 2019 at 08:02 PM
  #7
Thanks so much for the replies. Yes, it all makes sense. Most meds seem to make me tired. Maybe? Not sure about Lamictal or Pristiq. I think I'll try taking the Abilify in the early morning, though, then if it knocks me out I can sleep for a while. Hopefully.

This feeling might be either a manic or a mixed. Feel agitated as hell, jumpy, tired/wired, and a degree of paranoia. Our weather went from burning hot, bright summer to cool, dark autumn literally over night 2 nights ago.

I'll see pdoc on Tuesday. Yeah, she says the same..."some people do well with this medication in the a.m., some in the p.m....try it out and see what works best for you..." Back to the everybody's different. And that is true - it's one of the hardest things about psych meds.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:56 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.