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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lelanda on September 4, 2008, at 13:39:35
I have been dx as having BP2 and have been on meds for it for a year and a half. I am currently talking abilify 5 mg, wellbutrin 150 and wellbutrin 100 and klonpin .5 mg daily. My problem is that I am having some breakthrough depression symptoms (excessive sleeping, weight gain, losing interest) and feel like I have a flat affect. My question is thisis it the abilify that I need to reduce or am I facing a poop out on the wellbutrin? I feel dull and lethargic and fear it will get worse. Has anyone experienced this? Is it time to change the cocktail or should I consider going off the meds altogether and see what happends? Any suggestions?
Posted by Tomatheus on September 6, 2008, at 0:59:08
In reply to Can you 'poop' out on Abilify and othe meds?, posted by lelanda on September 4, 2008, at 13:39:35
lelanda,
It is difficult to tell to what extent your breakthrough depressive symptoms might be due to your Wellbutrin "pooping out" and to what extent they might be due to the Abilify that you're taking. On paper, it would make sense to attribute the symptoms to the possibility that your Wellbutrin isn't working as well as it could be working instead of the Abilify. I say this because Abilify is now used as an add-on treatment for major depressive disorder, which, on paper, should *help* your Wellbutrin combat your depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, medications don't always work the way one would expect them to work on paper. I too take 5 mg of Abilify, and when I tried higher doses (7 and 10 mg), my depressive symptoms became more intense. I would also say that since I started taking Abilify, I feel less interested in things that I used to be interested in.
I think that you may benefit from a change to your medication cocktail. I certainly don't think that going off of all of your medications would do anything to reduce your breakthrough depressive symptoms. It might be a good idea to ask your doctor about increasing the dose of the Wellbutrin that you're taking. The highest dose is 450 mg. You could also ask your doctor about the possibility of reducing your dose of Abilify to 2 mg to test things out and see if your depressive symptoms subside on a lower dose of Abilify. Then, if the symptoms do subside, you'll know that Abilify is at least partially responsible and at that point might want to talk to your doctor about trying another mood stabilizer.
I hope this helps a little.
Tomatheus
Posted by lelanda on September 6, 2008, at 14:33:16
In reply to Re: Can you 'poop' out on Abilify and othe meds? » lelanda, posted by Tomatheus on September 6, 2008, at 0:59:08
Tomatheus,
Thanks for the information. I went ahead and reduced the Abilify on my own two days ago and am waiting to see what happens. I already feel a little more of a lift and am not sure if that is because I am doing something to help or if it is the decrease. I do have an appt next week with a new pdoc (we just moved to Hawaii) so have to start the process all over again (we are military). I will ask to have the Wellbutrin increased. My biggest concern is what do you do when you hit the max dose and then the meds stop working? Then what? That kind of scares me. And, I am like you have lost interest in things being on the Abilify and want to be more energetic and spontaneous! Thanks again for your help,
Lelanda
Posted by Jeroen on September 7, 2008, at 4:07:16
In reply to Can you 'poop' out on Abilify and othe meds?, posted by lelanda on September 4, 2008, at 13:39:35
hi im taking Abilify right now 10 mg is too much for me
i want 5 mg
Posted by Tomatheus on September 8, 2008, at 16:23:12
In reply to Re: Can you 'poop' out on Abilify and othe meds?, posted by lelanda on September 6, 2008, at 14:33:16
> My biggest concern is what do you do when you hit the max dose and then the meds stop working? Then what? That kind of scares me.
Lelanda,
Unfortunately, when one medication stops working at the maximum dose, that usually means that it's time to either try a different medication or augment with another medication. If a medication poops out on you and then you try switching to another medication, then the hope of course would be that you would find a medication that works a little better into the longer term.
Tomatheus
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