bipolar question??

i was just recently diagnosed with Bipolar II and was put on abilify with my depression meds i just started the abilify today how good is it for bipolar II or is there a better one for controlling mood swings etc.???? thanks

There are a number of medications for treating the disorder, but what is "best" for someone is very individualized based on your other medications, your medical and mental health history, the severity and specifics of your symptoms, etc..  There is no single "best", but Abilify is one of the more common medications used, especially as a place to start

Lora.

I've been on Abilify 15mg, Neurontin 800mg, Seroquel 50mg PM, Zyprexa, Wellbutrin, Effexor, and a few others I've lost to time, but am current stable on Lamictal 100mg AM and PM, BuSpar (for Anxiety) 15mg AM and PM, Klonopin 1mg PM (for Psychosis/Panic/Anxiety), and Cymbalta 30mg AM and 60mg PM. It took me a year to find a combo that worked for me. Don't lose heart. I was diagnosed with MDD and on meds from 14-26 that worked okay-ish. Off meds from 26-28 and did pretty well. Had my first baby at 30 and went through post partum depression with psychosis and homicidal and suidical thoughts and was later diagnosed with Bipolar II. Back on meds at 30. I am 31 now. So uh....yeah...sorry for the rant lo. But, it is possibly to find stability.

I gained a lot of weight very quickly on abilify.  I realize not everyone experiences that.  But I didn't like it due to the side effects.

I control my bipolar and depression with lamictal and abilify. They work great together for me. No weight gain. As my dr. Say ill still see symtoms a little , no medication gets rid of bipolar completely. Good luck with you medication. 

I can't take abilify because it makes me serverly sick. I use lithium and Geodon. I have been fighting this for years and have tried all kinds of medicines, it's a trial and error expreince. As they said before what works for me may not work for you. Just be sure to keep good communication with your doctor about how you feel on the meds that way you can tell if its working for you or not 

Hi... I was on Abilify for a few years and in that time a gained quite a bit of weight. It really worked to control my moods but I was constantly obsessing on food, much more than normal. I went to my psychiatrist this summer and she changed me to Lamictal. I am much more intune with my emotions now but they are not overwhelming me and I am not constantly thinking about food. Thank goodness.  I am not saying that this happens to everyone, just be aware of changes in appetite.

I was diagnosed with BPD 2 around 7 years ago. I have been on many, many psyche meds. I am now on Wellbutrin and Lamictal. I was on Effexor XR for years and just felt like it stopped working for me. I was on Abilify for many years and gained a lot of weight. My Weight Loss Center actually encouraged me to get off of it, if possible. I took their advice and have been off for around 4 months now and do not notice a difference so I am not even sure if it was helping, at all.

I was very concerned about malapsorbtion with my meds. I was assured by the Surgeon and Psychiatrist that there should not be a problem. Ultimately, my Psychopharmacologist would be the one to monitor this. I agree with everyone else that each person is different. What works for me, might not work for you. It does take time and tweaking to get to the point that you feel your symptoms are better. I have also noticed that people who just go to a GP and not a Psychiatrist don't have as much luck getting stable on meds, GPs just don't have the same experiences. Good luck!

Wow- good to see a thread about this.  I was diagnosed with bi-polar 2 in 1997 after an increased dosage in my anti-depressant sent me into hypomania.  This happens often for people diagnosed with major depression.  I then began treatment with a mood stabilizer alone.  For many years I thought I was o.k.  Hindsight is always 20/20 but I wreaked a lot of havoc in my life for years after that....and while much of it was situational, my reactions to a lot of it made things worse.  Sometimes I was in therapy- sometimes not- was clean and sober all that time so there were no other physiological factors going on.  I stayed on the same dose of Lamictal for years and only addressed changing it when I had RNY in 2005.  My dr and I increased it a little with malabsorption in mind.  Never tweaked it again.   It's very sad that the professionals in my life weren't able to see the clear pattern I was having:  hypomanic followed by severe depression episodes basically twice a year.  I see it so clearly now.  I lost about 100 lbs with the surgery and have kept it off give or take 10 lbs and it has changed my life in many ways.  However, I wish I had been more aware and diligent re: this chronic condition.  Last February I had a complete breakdown and ended up in the psyche ward (not the first time) and with my life in a crisis stage, finally took the condition seriously, and while it wasn't all to blame for my poor decisions, I decided that maybe I was underestimating the biochemical component.  I went on short term disability from work and became determined to get stable.  I advocated strongly for myself with my psychiatrist and learned all I could about the management of the illness.  Some of the meds we tried made me feel worse than before, but I was determined to stay patient.  I have been on a decent ****tail now for about 10 months and it is amazing the difference.  While my emotions can still feel hard to manage, they really aren't anymore.  Because I no longer have the immediate urge to react to every trigger in my life....the feelings pass- as they always do- and I can remain centered.  It's not perfect...but I feel so much better.

WLS has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself.  Sometimes my life would be in total shambles and I would think how much worse it would feel if I were still obese and full of THAT shame too. 

I can eat just about anything now- and a lot of it.  I get panicked that it will all come back on, but it seems that at the end of the week- it all balances out somehow.  I take my vitamins more consistently than I have done in the past, and as I approach 50, I am full of gratitude for how far I have come.

People need to talk about mental illness more.  There is still such a stigma.  I try to share my experience in the hope it will help another.

KK