Experience with Abilify

I know your very concerned about your sister. My condition got so bad overnight that I felt like my life was lost. I felt determined to regain the life I had . I was about 45and never anticipated it. I know there were worse things but I sure wanted this one to get better!
I'm no doctor but I think the tremors may be a start of something and to get it checked by a neurologist right away, If they change the medicine or even reduce it or eliminate it completely maybe catching it early would help. Congratulations on getting off everything, I just think some times maybe I didn't have to take the trilafon for so many years. I know I am better so I have that to be thankful for and I'm still taking the abilify, I don't want a relapse. I have a friend who was beginning to have hand tremors and they reduced his meds and it got better.

If it is caused by Ability (and who knows? I'm not a doc - I can only tell you what happened to me). If it is caused by Ability it will get worse, which is a clue is is caused by Ability and not something else. Also, what I experienced was not so much tremors as it was sudden, involuntary leg and arm jerks. They came on suddenly, when I was sitting minding my own business. One sudden jerk, then they went away until the next time, which was sometimes the next day. or the next hour.

But this is the scary part. I mentioned it to my psychiatrist who said I wasn't taking anything that would cause involuntary twitches and jerking. i went to a neurologist who also drew a blank. Meanwhile, the twitches and jerks became more frequent and more of my body parts became involved, like my head.

Then one day, almost a year later, I am watching TV and on comes an ad for Abilify. And in that VERY long list of possible side effects is INVOLUNTARY TWITCHES AND JERKS that can become PERMANENT. I met w/ my psychiatrist and told her I was VERY annoyed that she didn't know about this wanted off ASAP. It took several YEARS for the twitches and jerks to end completely. It is sad, but true, that we need to stay on top of own medical care b/c no one cares as much or devotes as much time to our care as we will. And yes, I have worked in health care and this is, again, the voice of experience ce speaking. It is also true that you can lead the horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Don't attempt the impossible - I hate to say it but people have the right to make what we believe is the stupid/wrong choice (and yes, again, the voice of experience - I have been so upset about this sometimes I have wanted to scream - but adults get to decide what they think is best for them, whatever our opinion might be) however hard it might be to watch them doing it.

Best of luck to you and your sister.

Welcome back @nickjr. Thanks for contributing to this discussion!

Amen to everything you just wrote. And thanks so much for your thoughts and good wishes. I am happy for you that eventually you solved the riddle yourself- which is incredibly tough to do if you're depressed and are taking meds that fog your brain. Good for you!!

Hi @nickjr,
I had a weepy moment when I read the opening line to this post. Guess I haven't been fully conscious of how much I worry about her, even though I think I'm setting healthy boundaries.
Hope I didn't come across as bragging about coming off meds; Lord knows that I have had to take various drug cocktails over the past twenty years to keep me alive and kicking. I understand the fear that comes with even thinking about changing meds that seem to be working. In BC Canada, where we live, the BC Medical Association introduced new rules regarding the prescribing of opiates and benzo's. A doctor can actually lose his or her licence to practice if the guidelines aren't followed. I know my doctor has many patients who are struggling with the new guidelines and feel forced to wean off meds that they just don't feel psychologically prepared for.
I appreciate all the comments from everyone and send love from the Wet Coast 🙂

I had a drinking/drug problem, which I believed triggered a temporary psychosis. I quite drinking/drugging 30 years ago. I dramatically improved. I decided to take the medications. Trilfon/Zyprexa after about 15 years I developed the tardive dyskinesia. I know what your saying, if I continue to take the abilify my symptoms will get worse. One problem is if I discontinue the lower dose of abilify and have a relapse, put into treatment, get loaded down with meds, my TD symptoms get a lot worse. So I have decided to stay with the lower dose of abilify which is not supposed to have the side effects of the older meds. I had one relapse, and my symptoms got much worse, when I was put on Geodon. I'd like to get off of all meds but a relapse is to much of a possibility. Maybe I should look into natural alternatives more. I will keep what you said in mind. Maybe at some point I can get off of the abilify.

What you said is why socialized medicine scares me. I believe we have the right to refuse to take the medicine. We also have the brains to research and know what is good or bad for us. I know it can be a struggle to go against doctors orders you just have to look around to find a doctor that will, I don't know sounds like they are under pressure from bureaucrats. We seem to be headed in the same direction here in the US. I've lived in Canada and know what your saying. I've worked out agreements with the doctors in the US and they seem to be pretty reasonable.

Even with its negatives, I'm still a big fan of socialized medicine. I can access any treatment I need, at a cost of only $30/mo and our drug costs are so low. The "rule" changes I mentioned are to combat the ever-growing problem of opiate and benzo addictions, and would have happened, I think, even in a private health care setting. But, this isn't important...what is important is that you are doing okay and it sounds like this has been a very long, hard fought battle for you. I send my best wishes for health and happiness and continued healing.

Well, that is good to know, I'll think about it.

Is it possible to withdraw from anti-psychotic meds and hold down a job at the same time?
What kinds of accommodations do employers make for such situations?
A loved one took an anti-psychotic for a number of years. After significant improvement, they were tapered off of it--not sure over how many weeks, and somewhere after...I do not recall the exact timing, they had another episode. Now they are back on an extremely expensive prescription. This whole experience has brought up more questions than answers. There is no apparent drug use or drug or alcohol history.
Since being put on the meds, there has been severe weight gain and multiple compulsive behaviors.
The research indicates that over time a higher percentage of people treated for psychosis do better off of anti-psychotics.
The research seems to indicate that withdrawal from anti-psychotics may precipitate psychosis. However, the hospital did not mention to extended family that the second "episode" may have been precipitated by withdrawal from the med rather than by the patient's condition.
I feel as though our family has been held captive by a rapacious medico-pharmoceutical complex.
Over 10 years we have spent down an inheritance, had our reputation marred by job loss and instability, and nearly lost hope for the future.