Posted by klein on May 1, 2014, at 14:09:24
In reply to Reducing meds. PDOC advise trial of any AAP Ideas?, posted by LouisianaSportsman on May 1, 2014, at 2:13:32
Hey L.,
What are the symptoms you currently want to treat?
Most depot injections don't keep the drug's levels as steady as regular dosing. Depots are useful for noncompliant patients or stabilized patients with severe disorders that have reached some level of remission and have a daily outpatient routine (those who do monthly checkups etc). In most cases, I''d think that the only advantage is to save you from the hassle of taking an extra pill.
All that aside, it could be worth a try if you've already taken Abilify at a steady dose for several months with good results. Otherwise... personally, I wouldn't go for it, as my experience with Abilify ranged from miraculous to disastrous. Due to it's "modulating" effect, my dose had to be tweaked constantly, ranging from 1mg to 25mg and then back down to 4, later back up to 10 etc etc.
You may know that I'm a mirta/mianserin fan, lol so I've gotta say: Definitely consider giving Saphris a try. YMMV of course but I think it's a wonderful med. It knocks me out cold for 5-8 hours (dose dependent) of deep, restful sleep and I wake up feeling motivated and energetic. It basically feels like a tetracyclic, it inherited a big chunk of their pharmacology, but without the heavy sedation and weight gain (weight loss is common on this drug). *sigh* Organon is sorely missed =/ If you decide to try it, do ask for the black cherry flavored pill, the regular one tastes horrible.
Depending on your symptoms, maybe you shouldn't rule out clozapine. It could be very helpful. I've noticed this trend where the first med of a new generation of drugs is usually much maligned. Imipramine, fluoxetine (I know, not technically the 1st SSRI but in "pop" culture at least), clozapine, Thorazine, Valium (again, not tecnhically), venlafaxine (again) and so on. Clozapine does have heavy-handed side effects and risks, but so do all psychotropics on the market. regular tests should put you at ease.
HTH, warm regards.
poster:klein
thread:1065010
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140419/msgs/1065037.html