# Switching to Abilify from Seroquel



## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

Hey guys, old and new. Haven't been on here in years because yes, i am doing better. I attribute it to paxil and seroquel. been on lamotrigine but did nuttin. So i am back on here to let you know how my switch goes from seroquel to abilify. why the switch? weight gain. i've gained way too much and if abilify works just as well or better and i lose weight (expected) well then i will be a lucky girl. will keep u updated. hope all is well with you oldies and newbies. ciao 4 now


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Do you still live in canada? I didnt think abilify was available here yet at all though invega and zeldox (called geodon in the US) are 2 new atypical anti-psychotics available here. Im on zyprexa now for bipolar disorder and i find it to work fantastic so i have no real intension of trying abilify if it has hit the market here.

Abilify tends to be stimulating rather then sedating which could be good or bad for you and ive heard people say that they have lost the weight they out on while on drugs like zyprexa and seroquel pretty fast after switching to abilify. It appears to work alot different on the receptors then seroquel so it may or may not work as well for you. But this is the same for all drugs really.

One thing to watch out for is that it has a much higher rate of akathisia then seroquel or zyprexa. Both of these drugs have the lowest rates of akathisia or any other extrapyramidal symptom or tardive dyskinesia. This may be due to the fact that abilify tends to be stimulating or it's rather high binding affinity to D2.

Glad your doing better. I hope that continues for you.


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

Hey, yes i still live in Canada and no it's not available here yet but is in clinical trials and has been for some time. My psych applied for me to get it. It's very difficult. You have to put in a special request and see if your medical covers it of course. I actually just took my first half pill today about 1/2 hr ago. I am familiar that it works differently than seroquel and also the bit about being restless. Seroquel has helped me but the sedation part of it is only good for me at night. And yes, the weight... gained about 40lb....  I want to give Abilify a fair try. If it's just as good, or better, than i will stick with it. I'm also experimenting with my diet right now. I am eating 80% raw food. My mom has had excellent results with this diet. Almost unbelievable. I probably shouldn't be doing them both at once but i've been raw for a week now. Will update about the Abilify.

TTYS!


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## Matt210 (Aug 15, 2004)

Just wanted to say good luck! I remember you well from my first episode of DP/DR a couple years back - you were quite helpful to me several times. Hope you find some positive results from Abilify without the side effects.


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## HereNotHere (Mar 3, 2009)

HI, I have been gaining weight too on Seroquel. Interested in hearing how your change in meds goes.


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## penny (Apr 27, 2009)

i just started on seroquel 8days ago...i feel shocking at the moment! Did you feel worse before feeling better? I hope it works for me!! Zyprexa helped me a couple of years back but dosent anymore for some reason. Thats why im giving seroquel a go. How long till you should notice an improvement?


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

penny said:


> i just started on seroquel 8days ago...i feel shocking at the moment! Did you feel worse before feeling better? I hope it works for me!! Zyprexa helped me a couple of years back but dosent anymore for some reason. Thats why im giving seroquel a go. How long till you should notice an improvement?


Hi Penny,

I wish i could give you a straight answer but the reaccurring theme here on this site is individualism... We all react differently to everything including meds. I can tell you how i reacted. If i remember correctly, it took at least a month before i noticed any improvements. And yes, i felt really awful before i felt better. My thinking was really messed up. i kept forgetting what i was doing. Also the sleepiness was horrible. Both got better over time.

Some important questions for you: What dose are you on and what time of day do you take it?

I did try risperdal before seroquel. My thinking was really bad on risperdal and it never went away so i stopped this med. I hope you find some relief with this med.


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## penny (Apr 27, 2009)

I am on 50mg and i take it at night just before i go to bed. I am just PRAYING for some relief!


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

penny said:


> I am on 50mg and i take it at night just before i go to bed. I am just PRAYING for some relief!


Hi Penny, I am on 900 mg at night. When i was working my way up to that dose i had unpleasant side effects but now it is helping me. For some meds you have to give them a lot of time before they give you any good results.


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

I was on 7.5 mg abilify and had some side effects i didn't like so now i am on 3 mg and it is good. It was making me go go go all day. I couldn't stop doing things. This is one of the most common side effects. Not sure if it is supposed to go away over time but i will ask my psych today when i see him. Also i was feeling very aggressive like i was going to get in a fight with someone. After decreasing the dose these feelings went away. Now I do stuff during the day but am able to pace myself appropriately. Also, i don't feel like i need a nap mid day anymore. It seems to be counteracting the daytime sleepiness of seroquel. Will keep you guys updated.


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

Still on last dose. No probs on it but it is also doing nuttin. Will increase it as soon as i finish getting off of lamotrigine.


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## redhead70 (May 21, 2009)

Hi UniGirl,

I am more on the depressive side of the Bipolar spectrum (Bipolar 2), and have mild episodes (still somewhat functionable) about 3-4 times a year lasting a few weeks to a couple of months. But have major episodes about once a year or so, when I'm not functional at all. Which is where I am now... no energy or motivation to do anything, just don't care, can't eat or sleep etc. I've tried just about every antidepressant on the market (most of them made me so sedated I'd fall asleep during the day sitting up). Wellbutrin has been the only one that's done anything for me (and Effexor, but it had bad side effects). Though it seems right now, the Wellbutrin has pooped out on me. But I won't go off Wellbutrin, because I know it must be keeping me somewhat functional  So, basically I know I need a more stimulating AD or add-on. I've done a lot of reading about Abilify, and read your post about it not being available in Canada yet. I'm just wondering how your Dr. applied for Abilify for you? I asked my family Dr. about it and he's never heard of it. I have an appointment with a new psych Dr. soon(ish) so will ask when I get in (I haven't needed a P Dr. for a few years). I'm on a high dose of Wellbutrin (450mg), 75mg Lamotrigine and 50 mg Seroquel at night to help me sleep. My family Dr. has just gotten me to up my Lamotrigine... slowly wants me up to 150-200mg to see if that helps in the meantime.
Please keep me updated about your progress


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

^^^Your med regimen is similar to mine except im on 300mg's of wellbutrin, 150mg's of lamotrigine, 10mg's of zyprexa as needed, 4-6mg's of clonazepam a day (usually 4 unless it's a real bad day) and when im experiencing a long manic episode that just won't go the fukk away i take high doses of seroquel every day. Either 300-400mg's a day depending on how severe the mania is. I also find the zyprexa and seroquel to help with the depression side as well.

Im diagnosed bipolar 2 as well and although i tend to be on the depressive side more then the manic side i can get pretty long episodes of hypomania/mania and thankfully only short episodes of mixed state mania. During a mixed state is the time to pull out the zyprexa before i end up doing something stupid.


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## redhead70 (May 21, 2009)

Hi Comfortably Numb,
Thanks for your feedback. So, is Zyprexa for depression then? By "something stupid", do you mean hurt yourself? I think my Family Dr. suggested Zyprexa, but I'm worried about trying something new... since most AD's I've tried made me SUPER tired...


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

redhead70 said:


> Hi Comfortably Numb,
> Thanks for your feedback. So, is Zyprexa for depression then? By "something stupid", do you mean hurt yourself? I think my Family Dr. suggested Zyprexa, but I'm worried about trying something new... since most AD's I've tried made me SUPER tired...


The zyprexa is for the hypomania/mania/mixed states. It's a atypical anti-psychotic so no it's not a anti-depressant. Though certain atypical anti-psychotics do have anti-depressant effects mainly seroquel and zyprexa.

By doing something stupid i mean slashing my arm up with a razor while in a mixed episode. Either that or punching steel doors or brick walls until the skin is torn right off my knuckles.


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## redhead70 (May 21, 2009)

Hi Comfortably Numb,
Wow, that's harsh. My partner is/was (still sometimes) a slasher. Thanks for the info. It may have been Cymbalta that he recommended. Again, still scared to switch or add anything to my current regime. Do you happen to know anything about Cymbalta? I've upped my lamotrigine to 150 mg... over the last few weeks. Thought I felt a little different, motivation wise, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I just need to give it time...


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Yup mixed states are the worst. They are mental torture so thank god for anti-psychotics like zyprexa as well as mood stabilizers like lamotrigine which really reduce the mixed states.

Cymbalta (duloxetine) is a SNRI a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Really it's a better version of effexor (venlafaxine) because it does a equal reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine unlike effexor where you have to hit about the 200mg mark before the norepinephrine effects kick in. It can work well for major depression but id be wary of taking it for bipolar disorder. It can cause rapid cycling and mania even more then SSRI's just like effexor can. So it certainly wouldnt be my first choice as a anti-depressant to treat bipolar disorder.

Also like effexor it can cause severe withdrawal side effects such as the infamous brain zaps and has the same side effects pretty much. I was on effexor for only about 2 months max at a low dose and not only did i hate the side effects such as constant headaches, sexual dysfunction, mania (this was before i was diagnosed bipolar so i didnt know that i was manic and acting crazy) as well as flattening my appetite to the point of almost turning me into a anorexic. I also got the godawful withdrawals coming off it like brain zaps whenever i moved my eyes, nausea, suicidal idealation and the overall feeling that i was loosing my mind :evil: .

As for anti-depressants to help motivation wellbutrin is really the best out there. It's the only truely stimulating anti-depressant on the north american market. Sadly the goddamn pharmaceutical companies put out SSRI after SSRI as if serotonin was the only neurotransmitter that can be responsible for depression. They pretty much ignore dopamine altogether. Besides wellbutrin if you want a anti-depressant that works on dopamine you have to try the MAOI's and they are troublesome due to all the food and drug restrictions. Though some of the selective and reversible ones such as selegiline (available in pill form in canada only not approved for depression and in the US in the emsam patch which is approved for depression) have much less side effects and drug/food interactions. So ya that kinda sucks.

Honestly id say stick with the wellbutrin since it's the safest anti-depressant for people with bipolar and works great for the sleep all day and can barely move depression that is common with bipolar depression. There are other meds like tricyclic anti-depressants which can increase energy and motivation as well as stimulants like the amphetamine dextroamphetamine or the other commonly used ADHD drug that isint a amphetamine ritalin (methylphenidate) but these all have their drawbacks as well.


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