most room Share 466 +1 13 Pin 6 Stumble Reddit Shares 485 Abilify (Aripiprazole) is an atypical antipsychotic medication that is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and in some cases is used as an add on treatment in severe depression. If you are on Abilify and are switching to another medication and/or planning on withdrawing from it, you should always work with a psychiatrist. Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic that works as a partial dopamine agonist. If you take this medication for an extensive period of time, it can have a significant influence on the way your brain works. When coming off of Abilify and other antipsychotics, it is always recommended to gradually taper. By gradually tapering off of a medication, it reduces the possibility that you will endure major withdrawal symptoms. If you immediately stop taking your medication cold turkey, your brain may not know how to react especially if you had been taking it for an extended period of time. Withdrawal from an antipsychotic medication is a difficult undertaking for many people. For this reason, it is important to stay in contact with your psychiatrist and/or another medical professional. Factors that influence Abilify withdrawal As with any drug withdrawal, there are going to be factors that play a role in determining the difficulty of withdrawal. The amount of time that you took the drug, the dosage you were at, your physiology (and nervous system), plus whether you decided to taper or go off cold turkey. 1. Time Span How long did you take Abilify? Was it for a short period of time like a few months? Or have you been on it for years? Individuals that have been on this medication for years are going to have a much more difficult time going through the withdrawal process because their body and brain have become reliant upon the drug for everyday functioning. 2. Dosage (2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg) What dosage were you at? Was it the lowest possible dose? Or were you taking a pretty high dose? If you were taking a higher dose, it is likely going to take you longer to adjust to life without the medication. The process of weaning off of Abilify will take longer if you were at the daily maximum dose of 30 mg. Obviously the higher the dose you were on, the more difficulty you will likely have with withdrawal. The standard daily dose is 10 mg or 15 mg for most people. 3. Personal Physiology Everyone has a different nervous system and physiological response to medications. Some people experience significantly less withdrawal symptoms, while for others the withdrawal process can feel overwhelming. No two people are going to have the same responses coming off of Abilify one person may have a significantly more difficult time coping with the process. 4. Cold turkey vs. tapering It is highly recommended that you use a gradual taper when coming off of Abilify. This is a powerful antipsychotic medication and certainly not something to quit cold turkey. Most psychiatrists will have you gradually lower the dosage until you are at the lowest possible dose, and then you will finally quit once and for all. If you do quit cold turkey the symptoms may be significantly more severe than if you conducted a gradual taper. Abilify Withdrawal Symptoms: Comprehensive List Below are some withdrawal symptoms that people have reported when coming off of Abilify. Since this is a relatively newer antipsychotic, the discontinuation symptoms are not very well documented for this specific drug. Most resources simply piggy-back off of withdrawal symptoms associated with other antipsychotics and apply them to Abilify. It should be noted that withdrawal from this medication is pretty well tolerated. Anxiety : This is one of the more common symptoms people experience during withdrawal from Abilify. You may experience significant anxiety in social situations and/or general anxiety. It may become so severe that it becomes difficult to concentrate or fall asleep. The intensity should gradually subside. Appetite changes : Some people report that they have less of an appetite when coming off of the medication. This may be related to your mood especially if you sense that you are becoming increasingly depressed while coming off of Abilify. Concentration problems : Some people have problems with concentration and focus when going through withdrawal. This has to do with the fact that your brain is trying to readjust itself. Since it is no longer receiving the medication, it is thrown out of balance. This may lead to foggy thinking and temporarily worsening of cognition. Confusion : Experiencing general confusion and memory problems is common. These should eventually go away as your brain attempts to reset itself. Depression : If you were taking Abilify to help treat depression, your depression may rear its ugly head again during withdrawal. Only this time, the depression that you experience may be even worse than before you got on the drug. Diarrhea : If you experienced constipation while on Abilify, you may experience temporary diarrhea while coming off of this medication. The best way to deal with this is to get some Imodium (available over the counter). Dizziness : With any antipsychotic drug withdrawal, Abilify can cause you to feel dizzy. If you are coming off of the drug too fast, dizziness is especially common. The more gradually you taper, the less likely you are to experience extreme dizziness. Excessive crying : It is very common to experience excessive crying when coming off of this medication especially if it was used to treat your depression. You may experience a profound emotional response that triggers crying spells. Just recognize that this is part of the withdrawal. Hallucinations : There is the possibility that you could actually hallucinate while coming off of Abilify. Research has shown that some individuals develop psychotic symptoms while coming off of antipsychotics even if they have no prior history of schizophrenia. Headache : This is another very common symptom of Abilify withdrawal. Your brain is no longer receiving the drug that it has been supplied with this leads to headaches. The headaches may be minor or extreme. Insomnia : This is among the most common symptoms to experience when withdrawing from Abilify. You may be unable to fall asleep at night and feel restless. This may persist for a few weeks as your sleep cycle attempts to reset itself. Irritability : If you used this medication to help with your depression and irritability, coming off of it may result in temporarily increased irritability. Most medications that help curb irritability result in the opposite effect when a person comes off of them. Joint pain : Some people have reported muscle tension, stiffness, and joint pain when coming off of the drug. Ironically many people report changes in joint and muscle tension when going on the medication, so it would make sense that withdrawal could have a similar effect. Lightheadedness : People have reported feelings of lightheadedness throughout the day. This may cause people to feel dizzy. If you feel lightheaded, keep in mind that it is your brain chemistry attempting to readjust. Mood swings : Some people report experiencing changes in mood. One minute they may be angry, the next minute extremely depressed. If you have no prior history of mood swings, this is likely due to the withdrawal. Nausea : You may feel nauseated throughout the day especially during the first week of withdrawal. This nausea may be overwhelming in some scenarios to the point that you feel as though you are going to puke. Try to deal with it the best you can and realize that it will eventually improve. Panic attacks : This goes hand-in-hand with anxiety upon withdrawal. It is common to feel a sense of panic throughout your day when withdrawing from Abilify. The difficult aspect of dealing with this is you don t know what will trigger a panic attack. Psychosis : There is research suggesting that withdrawal from antipsychotics can cause psychosis . This can occur even if you have no prior history of psychotic episodes and/or schizophrenia. It is because when you come off of Abilify, your dopamine receptors are trying to reset their original functioning. Sleepiness : When withdrawing, you may experience excessive sleepiness and/or fatigue throughout the day. Some people have reported sleeping for extensive periods throughout the day. After a week or two this tiredness tends to subside and gradually improve. Suicidal thoughts : With any antipsychotic medication, withdrawal can lead to suicidal thoughts. This is because coming off of the drug can actually make depression significantly worse and you may experience other forms of emotional upheavals. Sweating : It is common to experience sweating throughout the day or night sweats while you sleep. This is your body s way of readjusting to life without the drug and detoxifying itself. Vomiting : This goes hand-in-hand with the nausea that you experience. If you experience an extreme amount of nausea, it may provoke vomiting and/or other flu-like symptoms. This is a pretty rare withdrawal symptom, but has been reported. Weight loss : It is well known that Abilify causes people to gain a significant amount of weight. It does this by slowing the metabolism as well as decreasing overall motivation to exercise. When coming off of this medication, you may experience pretty significant, steady weight loss if you packed on weight while taking this drug. How long do Abilify withdrawal symptoms last? It totally depends on the person. No two people are going to have the same length of withdrawal. Unfortunately many psychiatrists assume that there is not going to be any major withdrawal symptoms. It is pretty foolish to think that there will be no withdrawal effects from a medication that has such a profound effect on the brain. In general, I would suggest that withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. It is highly unlikely that you will experience major symptoms for longer than 90 days after you stopped taking the medication. If you quit cold turkey you may experience more symptoms than if you gradually tapered before your last dose. Either way, your brain will eventually return to its default state of functioning pre-drug as long as you give it enough time to recover. During your withdrawal from Abilify, make sure that you continue to work with your psychiatrist and/or other medical professional. Push yourself to hang out with friends, get outside for natural sunlight, engage in healthy activities, and eat good foods. The Abilify stays in your system for up to 34 days after your last dose, but the actual time it takes your brain and body to return to normative functioning may be a much longer time period. If you have withdrawn from Abilify, please share your experience and let others know that they are not alone in their experience. Share 466 +1 13 Pin 6 Stumble Reddit Shares 485 Related Posts: Phentermine Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List) Invega (Paliperidone) Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities Saphris (Asenapine) Withdrawal Symptoms: List Of Possibilities Antidepressant Side Effects: List Of Possibilities Abilify Side Effects: List Of Common Possibilities you purchased
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