So it’s back around to Abilify again..

I have been getting progressively more and more depressed, even though my life/stress is in a much better state than a year ago. I am still mixed, just spending much longer in the depressive state. Yesterday, I was crying or near tears most of the day, didn’t get out of bed. Staying in bed all day because of depression and feeling worthless is not the norm for me. It’s probably been 5, 6 years since I have done that.

I called my pdoc on his patient after hours/weekend cell. So he got my voicemail, called me back, we talked some. He said he had seen from my notes that my old pdoc had me on Abilify, but she gave up on it, though it was before she changed the diagnosis from bipolar II to bipolar I. I probably last took it 7, 8 years ago.

Pdoc said take it daily but not when - morning? night? Pharmacist said probably at bedtime, but I left I message with the office staff to be sure. On non-urgent matters like that, he usually doesn’t call back until he’s seen his last patient.

Of course, if it helps, it could take 2 or 3 weeks...sigh. I don’t remember Abilify helping much the first time around, but I was on a different cocktail. I hope it helps this time. I hate feeling like this was

sorry to hear you are struggling. 2-3 weeks does sounds like forever but you can get there! good luck with the Abilify. hope it works well for you, this time. sending you best wishes that it helps.

Wishing you the best on Abilify! Maybe it will be the secret treasure addition to your cocktail. A lot of people really like it. I had some of the best energy and mood months of the last 14 years, while on Abilify, but I wasn't on a good enough anti-manic cocktail back then, and I went too far in the manic direction. It looks like you may be pretty safely covered with the Seroquel also in place.

If your psychiatrist gives you a choice of morning or night, you can always try it one way and switch, if you don't like the timing. I forget what time of the day I took the Abilify. I can say that I was definitely not sedated by it. Maybe others are?

Good luck! I was put on it recently too after having taken it for a short period 7 or 8 years ago as well I can't remember completely but I wasn't on it long back then because it hadn't gone generic yet so it was changed pretty quickly to something else but I started it again last week

I take mine in the mornings

I took it for awhile a few years ago. I found that Abilify was activating for me so I had to take it in the morning. If I took it in the evening I couldn’t sleep.

I also find that abilify is activating so I also take it in the morning.

I believe I took it in the morning as well. I hope it works for you

Yes, this was me too. I remember at first I couldn’t afford the brand name and there was no generic (had no insurance), so my pdoc was able to get me to fill out and sign an application to the drug company to get the meds delivered to her office, and I picked them up for free.

Mine is not for mania but to control depressive phases in bipolar I or maybe mixed or recurrent depression in bipolar. I guess now they have had more time to do research on it. I am going to try it around lunch the next few days and see if it is sedating for me. I won’t have to drive anywhere, and my daughter will walk to school when it starts tomorrow because we live so close (5 to 10 minute walk, depending which gates they have open at the time).

Thanks everyone. I hope it isn’t sedating for me either. Seroquel does enough of that for me., Trazodone too when I need it. Hopefully, I can take it mornings.

Anyone have weight gain on this? I don’t think I did, but it was a long time ago, and I know I didn’t take Seroquel with it.

I have not.

I didn't gain weight on it. If I recall correctly, I was on 300 mg Lamictal and some regular dose Abilify at the time. I forget if I was on anything else. I remember I was working again full time and taking ballroom dance classes about three times per week. I had oodles of energy. I remember being fairly trim.

As I wrote, one or both became too activating for me so I was hospitalized and taken off both and put on other meds. If you're on Seroquel, too, maybe that won't be a problem for you. Maybe if the Abilify really helps with your depression, you could have one of your other meds reduced.

Good luck with Abilify. It didn’t cause weight gain for me.

No weight gain from me either. Some people do gain a lot of weight on it, though. It seems to be VERY hit or miss in that regard. I’ve seen people on here who’ve said they gained 20-30 lbs on it.

Edit: I was on 30mg at one point and still gained 0 weight