Aripiprazole

[shotokansho]

Hello all,

I'm beginning to give up on anti-psychotics. I don't suffer with a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, I am being prescribed it for BPD. I was very recently on questiapine and my psychiatrist is weaning me off it to go on to Aripiprazole. I don't like it, I feel sick, irritated and I can't sleep for the first time ever! It's horrible. I am coming off quetiapine because I have put on a considerable amount of weight in such a short time.
I'm also taking cipralex, which I will never come off because it's worked wonders for my anxiety. I am so tempted to just stop my anti pychotics. I'm sick of feeling rubbish on them and having to swap and change all the time. As well as worrying about side effects and I am concerned because I am going on holiday in 3 weeks to Majorca and I want to feel ok for it. Quite frankly these kind of meds scare me and I'm wondering weather it's all worth it...Anyone else ever get like this with their meds?

Kez xx

[Elad]

Yeah I've been exactly like this with my medication, I was in the same situation about a month ago, I was taking Quetiapine but weight gain was getting me down so I was offered Aripiprazole but the agitation was just too much as I'm sure you have experienced.

Not much in the way of advice, if you don't need anti-psychotics it might be worth talking to your psychiatrist about no longer taking them, they are a pretty nasty set of medications all with their own plethora of nasty side effects which is a price you have to pay, you have to decide if the benefits of the medication outweigh the negatives.

I haven't met a single person taking anti-psychotics who is happy with them but you have to 'pick your poison' so to speak, symptoms of psychosis with a potential full-blown psychotic episode or the side effects of the medication. (I know you said you don't suffer from a psychotic disorder, just take it as an example).

Never heard of anti-psychotics being used for BPD, do you see a therapist or a psychologist and have any therapy like that? If not you should really push for it, the NHS website suggests therapy as the go-to treatment for BPD.

Hope this was of at least some help.

You're not alone, wishing you all the best.

Elad.

[Emphyrio]

One of my friends was on aripiprazole for BPD - she was also on a fairly high dose of venlafaxine. I think for these conditions they are prescribed at a much lower dose than for conditions like bipolar or schizophrenia. They're pretty serious meds - she cold turkeyed them both and ended up in hospital for a couple of months before being forced to take risperidone (she would have had it as an injection if she'd refused).

I've never taken antipsychotics but when I saw a psychiatrist last year he suggested that it could be a possibility for it to be added on to a high dose of an antidepressant (I had really bad harm OCD intrusive thoughts). Incidentally I can't get up to a high dose of any antidepressant - not even a standard dose really. The side effects are just too much for me to handle. Even on 5mg of citalopram I feel sedated and almost zombified. But at least its got rid of the anxiety, agitation and intrusive thoughts.

I don't blame you for wanting off antipsychotics - I wouldn't take them unless I really couldn't cope. I guess you have to weigh up the side effects vs the benefits. And as Elad said, the best way to 'treat' BPD (as with OCD and intrusive thoughts) is through talking therapy.

[shotokansho]

Hi there.

Thanks for the replies, they made so much sense. I think I definatley want to come off them. I remember when I first started quetiapine, it was to try to control agitation and my nerves as well as intrusive thoughts. They did help my symptoms slightly and helped me sleep because they have a sedative in them. Without my usual dose of quetiapine last night I didn't get to sleep until 4am!!
I have taken my dose of aripiprazole this morning, but I am seeing my CPN tomorrow and I'm going to tell her to liase with my psychiatrist about coming off them all together. What I am pleased about with stopping the quetiapine is that I don't feel hungry all the time and I have stopped pigging out, I know I will lose some weight for my holiday.
As for the therapy I have had a long term time with CAT and I must say it was very good, I got a hell of a lot out of it. I am also going to start a therapy group that lasts 12 months for people that have been through very similar things as myself.
Thanks again for the replies and support.

Kez xx