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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TheMeanReds on February 22, 2007, at 17:22:19
Does this drug abilify? I know its supposed to help me, but how does it abilify? And, any experiences with non-abilifications? Just got word I will dive into the depths of the abilificationism......any input?
Posted by TheMeanReds on February 22, 2007, at 17:36:23
In reply to What is Abilify?, posted by TheMeanReds on February 22, 2007, at 17:22:19
man, this place can get addictive, must log off, getting an astigmatisim.
Posted by Phillipa on February 22, 2007, at 22:01:33
In reply to addiction, posted by TheMeanReds on February 22, 2007, at 17:36:23
Well by now you know I'm addicted. Ambilify is a new atypical antipsychotic. Supposed to be stimulating. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on February 23, 2007, at 0:58:36
In reply to What is Abilify?, posted by TheMeanReds on February 22, 2007, at 17:22:19
> Does this drug abilify? I know its supposed to help me, but how does it abilify? And, any experiences with non-abilifications? Just got word I will dive into the depths of the abilificationism......any input?
Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic/neuroleptic that works slightly but unfortunately not very different than say Geodon as far as side effects -- it is a partial agonist / partial antagonist at D2. The idea was that would lower the side effect profile but people sensitive to akathisia pretty much by now we know that the two are sort of similar. But as they say, your miles may vary.-- tidings
Posted by TheMeanReds on February 23, 2007, at 10:00:39
In reply to Re: What is Abilify? » TheMeanReds, posted by yxibow on February 23, 2007, at 0:58:36
Well I'm on 200mg of lamictal. Some days are fine, but Ive noticed alot of anxiety and difficulty focusing. I dont see how the Abilify would help with the anxiety if it gives you an up. And I'd like my opiate receptors to be ready to recieve. And this Abilify bocks these receptors? Ugh. I've heard its too new to really know all of the side effects too. Kinda feel like a lab rat since its so new.
Posted by yxibow on February 24, 2007, at 0:10:33
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by TheMeanReds on February 23, 2007, at 10:00:39
> Well I'm on 200mg of lamictal. Some days are fine, but Ive noticed alot of anxiety and difficulty focusing. I dont see how the Abilify would help with the anxiety if it gives you an up. And I'd like my opiate receptors to be ready to recieve. And this Abilify bocks these receptors? Ugh. I've heard its too new to really know all of the side effects too. Kinda feel like a lab rat since its so new.
Why do you feel you need your opiate receptors ready to receive? I mean there are studies with bupenorphine and the like, but it sounds sort of like desiring a high or the like. Which we debated high on end in the last thread.
Posted by meAgain on February 24, 2007, at 8:59:44
In reply to Re: What is Abilify? » TheMeanReds, posted by yxibow on February 24, 2007, at 0:10:33
I am on Abilify and Lamictal as well, but i couldnt tell if the abilify was helping..made me drowsy in the morning..I take at night (5mg) ..so I tapered off of it but without telling my pdoc. confused about what to do, maybe it was helping or could help if i gave it more time to work..?!#
Posted by Sebastian on February 25, 2007, at 15:05:22
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by meAgain on February 24, 2007, at 8:59:44
Abilify takes time to work. It made me feel worse at the onset, a lot of ups and downs. Infact every time I change dose, I feel worse for a while. The worst part was coming off the zyprexa little by little. Infact I can't get off the zyprexa. If you take abilify durring the day its very energizing. thats why I take it spread out through the day. With out the zyprexa in the mix, I get very sleep deprived. I think that if you take abilify before bed you won't sleep well, and will be tired all day.
Posted by Sebastian on February 25, 2007, at 15:08:35
In reply to Re: What is Abilify? » TheMeanReds, posted by yxibow on February 23, 2007, at 0:58:36
I think abilify counters the weight gain and high blood sugar and metabolisum, from zyprexa.
Posted by Sebastian on February 25, 2007, at 15:24:11
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by meAgain on February 24, 2007, at 8:59:44
I don't think abilify is the same as geodon. Geodon made my vision blurry. Since stoping the geodon and starting the abilify, my vision has gone back to unblurry, clear, very clear. I also gained a lot of weight taking the geodon. I have lost most of this weight since starting the geodon. I was very angry while taking the geodon, anger which is gone now. I like abilify alot, but not without zyprexa.
Posted by football on February 25, 2007, at 16:12:28
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by Sebastian on February 25, 2007, at 15:24:11
Just a warning to anyone considering Abilify... It's ridiculously expensive.
Posted by stargazer on February 25, 2007, at 18:36:48
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by football on February 25, 2007, at 16:12:28
So are Emsam and Provigil and Depakote and many other medications that are not generic....
That's why we are so valuable to the pharmaceutical companies and if we have insurance so much the better.
It is no longer about helping people but getting them to try all kinds of medications no matter if they work or not. It's all a game and we are the pawns.
If there is a generic medication that can work for me, I'm all over it. I don't believe that the newer meds re any better than the older ones. The drug companies just want us think the newer ones are better, no studies have proven anything.
I'm on Emsam ($500/month) and it is not that great a drug. I hope to switchover to a generic if possible.SG
Posted by yxibow on February 26, 2007, at 0:17:54
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by football on February 25, 2007, at 16:12:28
> Just a warning to anyone considering Abilify... It's ridiculously expensive.
All atypical antipsychotics are expensive. This was part of the CATIE study. But I still am quite affirmative that they did not emphasize the dignity and quality of life issues with conventional, offpatent antipsychotics. Greatly increased chances of TD especially with phenothiazines and uncomfortable levels of EPS. I have enough EPS even with Seroquel and I'm not taking it for a psychotic disorder. But then I have an affective disorder; neuroleptics affect people with affective disorders more.
You're always looking at $2-3 a pill for an atypical, covered by insurance at cost in varying degrees of how recently they were introduced. They'd love you to have Risperdal, which is basically Haldol at a high dose, considering its a transformed molecule of it.
And if you have to take Clozaril, even though it is managed by a generic company, it can cost up to $9000 a year, not for the medication so much as the blood testing which has to be done I believe every week for 6 months.
But then again, its about $1-$2 a dose for new SSRI/SSNRIs too.
Thankfully adjunctive medications like most benzodiazepines (except those who insist on "original"), propranolol, and anticholinergics for the most part are cheap as dirt with most insurance.
Posted by laima on February 26, 2007, at 8:20:53
In reply to Re: What is Abilify? Sebastian..Costs of all drugs, posted by stargazer on February 25, 2007, at 18:36:48
Stargazer, have you considered generic oral selegeline? Or just time to move to a new med altogether? Just wanted to toss that out as an idea. Yes, there would be stricter dietary restrictions with the oral, but it's still not as finicky of an maoi as some of the others. Or- you might already know of this- but supposedly GlaxoKlineSmith has some sort of program to provide Emsam to people who can't afford. It might even be for free- "goodwill" PR.
As for the expensive meds, any luck getting samples to try for some of those? Some offices, perhaps bigger ones affiliated with hospitals or universities (ie- big, attractive targets for those sales reps) seem to have an entire arsenal of samples. I've found some doctors- ie, my psychiatrist, the person who did my endoscopy, eye doctor- all go get me an entire shopping bag of samples if I mention my financial difficulties. That includes numerous bottles of special eye drops that retail for close to $300 per teeny bottle, several boxes of Emsam, lamictal, rozerem, even the "dreaded" zyprexa and others. I used zyprexa for six weeks, and never filled a single script thanks to the enthused Lilly sales reps who are always hanging 'round that office. The gasteroenterologist gave me an apparent life-time supply of nexium and prilosec, which I don't even use. (I had mentioned being unemployed when she asked about my occupation.) One of the saddest things ever was getting about 20 bottles of saline solution from my eye doctor, only to have the brand recalled two weeks later over that eye-infection mess! (He's such a sensitive and empathetic man-the assistant mentioned that their cabinets were stuffed to the gills-- and what brand would I like?, as she filled a large shopping bag. Bummer about that recall negating this contribution. Guess I chose the wrong brand.) Dermatologist not quite as generous, but she gives samples, too, and some of those prescription "beauty creams" can be quite costly, and not all insurance plans cover what they deam to be "cosmetic".
If they don't offer samples, mention you lack insurance for meds, or whatever the situation is, and politely ask if there is a sample you might be able to try. Or mention the obvious- it can be very expensive to fill scripts for one expensive med after another in search of one that works-would it be possible to try a sample before filling? Pretty often, except for benzos/stims/generics, they produce at least one sample, as long as they have it. And again, apparently, the more drug reps hanging around, the more they're dropping off. So ironic- they think they are selling meds, but seems to be that I've been able to avoid filling some scripts for many of their products thanks to their "generosity"!
Posted by laima on February 26, 2007, at 8:25:43
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by football on February 25, 2007, at 16:12:28
> Just a warning to anyone considering Abilify... It's ridiculously expensive.
A possibility- samples? They must be available, and some doctors offices, especially the bigger ones with multiple doctors, are favorite destinations of sales reps bearing samples. Zyprexa, another atypical, is very expensive too- and I never had to fill a single script for the entire six weeks I used it. Considering how heavily abilify is advertising- in magazines, on the sides of busses, etc- I bet they are going nuts with the samples, too, as part of the promotional campaign. Just an idea.
Posted by Michael on February 28, 2007, at 21:06:08
In reply to Re: What is Abilify?, posted by football on February 25, 2007, at 16:12:28
> Just a warning to anyone considering Abilify... It's ridiculously expensive.
Someone here once suggested searching for the terms medication, magicpharma, and generic in google... in order to find help with lower costing medications. I found it to be very helpfull & recommend the suggestion highly.michael
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