Original Comment:
| Sandy | Abilify | May 12th, 2008 | Rating: 7.1250 |
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| I have been on Abilify for 1 1/2 months now and find that I am getting more and more restless, and much less able to concentrate. I go from doing one thing to another completely forgetting that I was doing something else. This is certainly not my normal demeanor and it is very depressing to me. I find myself eating complusively also and then hate myself for doing that. What is it with this drug...is it safe?? I sure would like to try something a bit cheaper. My doctor gave me a coupon for 14 free days of pills on my next script, but who can afford to pay $274 each month...this stinks. Has anyone else experienced the restlessness?? I cannot sit down and relax in a chair or bed without jumping up every 5 minutes to do something I forgot about, then do not have the concentration level needed to complete a project. HELP!!! | |||
Replies:
| Diane | restlessness | October 8th, 2003 |
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| What dose are you taking? My doctor prescribed 4 mg. for depression and I don't really have any side effects. I used to get depressed every evening and that has disappeared. My doctor gives me samples. Most drug companies have patient assistance programs or you might try getting Abilify from Canada. If you could be treated at a teaching hospital, you would most likely get quite good care. Abilify is considered a very good new drug with few side effects. Hope this helps. Diane | ||
| Anonymous | No Subject | October 12th, 2005 |
| I have been on Abilify for 2 months, 30mg and I am experiencing the exact same symptoms! I feel like I have ADD. Is it maybe an uncommon side effect? | ||
| Anonymous | No Subject | December 2nd, 2005 |
| I felt the same way. I had to stop taking abilfy after a few weeks. By the second week, I realized that I couldnt sit still for one minute, i couldnt hold my hands still, or even just watch TV, I am still having trouble sleeping after stopping the medication. I also found that abilify completely removed my sense of taste and I was unable to eat at all while taking it! | ||
| Chris | Restlessness | December 2nd, 2005 |
| Dealing with the restlessness of this drug might be like the the geodon that I am on try asking your doctor for some clonazapam or another drug to counteract the bad side effects. | ||
| Anonymous | No Subject | December 3rd, 2005 |
| I too experienced the same side effects as Diane. I could not sit still for over 5 minutes. You would think that I would have lost weight, but... just the opposite. I gained 26 pounds in 6 weeks! Abilify is not supposed to cause weight gain.. but it did for me. I also felt " stupid" on Abilify. I am now on Zyprexa and actually lost weight on it! Just goes to show you that everyone is made differently and the so called "side effects" are not the same for everyone. Kathy | ||
| anonymous | I can relate!!! | December 3rd, 2005 |
| I have only been on Abilify for 2 weeks. This past March I was injured and suffered a concussion. I had never had a bipolar episode until this head injury. My psychiatrist feels the blow to the front of my head triggered the bipolar episode. What a nightmare!!! I have been on Geodon, Lamictal and Seraquel. All to no avail. Now I have been prescibed Abilify. I feel resless also. But I am trying to see if this medication will work for me. I just feel like crying. I have to take Ambien to help me get to sleep at night because the Abilify keeps me awake and also phenegan for the nausea. But the phenegan also helps the restless feeling. It is usually used for nausea but it does take some of that restless feeling away and also I have tingling in my arms and legs and the phenegan also helps this. I hope you improve and your doctor finds a medication that will help you. Please respond. I would like to hear from you. | ||
| anonymous | Concerning restlessness | December 3rd, 2005 |
| Thanks for the information concerning restlessness. I too am suffering from this while on Abilify. Maybe I should ask my psychiatrist to lower my dosage. I have been on this drug for 2 weeks. I suffered a concussion this past March and my psychiatrist feels this blow to my head triggered a bipolar episode. This has been one of the hardest times in my life. Thanks for the advice. I hope anyone out there who is suffering from bipolar gets the help they need. It is a very hard illness to live with. | ||
| Anonymous | No Subject | December 3rd, 2005 |
| I would tell your Dr your symptom's and concern's. Your dose may need to be adjusted or your medications changed or a new one added. | ||
| Joyce | abilify not for me | December 3rd, 2005 |
| I also have alot of restlessness since taking Abilify. My doctor has me on Abilify and Prozac. I am supposed to alternate between taking one prozac and on Abilify and then the next day 2 prozac and 1 ablilify. I have been off the wall for the past 2-3 weeks. Very restless. I sit down then stand up. I am also having alot of anxiety and cannot relax even after doing a ton of physical activity. I try to watch TV and can't. It is definitely helping me lose weight which is great, but I can't stand being in my own body. I am jumpy and I just want to sleep to make the feelings go away, but find it hard to do so. I feel like it is a false energy and not productive at all. Thanks for hearing me. Joyce | ||
| Margaret | Severe Restlessness | December 3rd, 2005 |
| After being on Abilify 10mg for 5 days, I thought it was great because I leapt out of my severe depression (BP II) and was actually productive for the first time in a few months. At day 7, however, the energy I experienced turned in to something else entirely. I COULD NOT sit still for more than a minute or so. I was upped to 15mg that same night and everything got worse. I had the worst restless legs feeling and became very agitated. I wanted to stick with it, so I kept taking it for another week before finally stopping with the consent of my doctor. What happened was that I could not be still. If I was still it was torture! I was so exhausted and physically sore from being constantly on the go, yet I could not relax for even a moment. Taking Benadryl made it worse. I tried chamomile tea or a warm bath but I couldn't stay in for more than a few minutes. The only relief I got was at night when I was asleep. Trying to nap during the day was impossible. It has taken 3 days of being off it to even start feeling a little bit relaxed. It may be a coincidence, but I also noticed that my eyesight worsened considerably when I started this drug. If anyone else had a similar experience, would you mind posting a reply? | ||
| Anonymous | Abilify | December 3rd, 2005 |
| RUN! I was on Abilify for about two months. I developed restlessness first, then went into full dystonic reaction. Twice in ER. The Benedryl does not work (or did'nt for me). Stopped drug and am on 14th day still with spastic mouth movements and my hands are frozen. Talked to manufacturer - I must wait 19.5 days for the symptoms to clear. This drug is garbage and I wish you the very best in working out your health issues. Best of luck T | ||
| Lil | low dose | September 12th, 2007 |
| Margaret; I am taking Abilify for severe treatment resistant depression.Had very similar symptoms...bodywide RLS,vision distortion,ate too much just out of tension and sleeplessness,yadda,yadda. I diddled with the dose because before this it had seemed to help.Went from 1[5mg]tab to 1/2 and found after a week it was too low. Now taking 1/2 for 3 days and will take 1 on 4th,see how I feel,talk to my doc about 2mg size,or15 cut in half.It takes 2 weeks just to see if it's too high.Ask your Doc how long to suffer like that.Maybe less will be more. | ||
| Wellsviv | No Subject | May 12th, 2008 |
| Can anyone help? I am on abilify 10mg and can't sleep. I have experienced the restlessness and the worsened eye sight and so forth but I work full time and afraid if I can't sleep, I won't be productive at work. | ||
| Anonymous | No Subject | May 12th, 2008 |
| can anyone suggest a cure for sleeplessness as I am on abilify 10mg and are not able to sleep. | ||