YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

My (new) psych thinks the Wellbutrin I've been taking for almost 10 years isn't really working all that well. So he wants me to add Abilify to the mix.

Background - I'm BP II but lately I've just been low-level depressed. Not suicidal but just... ehh.

Abilify gave me the energy to seek out my current therapist, which has turned out wonderfully. For me, I like it a lot, it really raised my mood and energy level.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I need to get out of this funk I've been in and the Wellbutrin isn't doing squat for me.

I know this was over a year ago but I was wondering how the Abilify worked/is working for you both? My psych just placed me on Abilify today at the lowest dosage (I'm small) and feeling hopeful this medicine will be the one...

The good news is it helps minimize my depression.

The bad news is I put on 13 pounds in a year. You really need to watch the weight gain.

What is it about abilify that makes one gain weight? Im trying to lose weight right now but I want to see what my doctor thinks about trying abilify to boost my mood / energy level perhaps?

Abilify really has helped me. It has transformed my life really. It gave me more energy to DO things, and that can help with the weight gain. For me, that's how it worked anyway. IN addition, since I have a hint of BPD, abilify just gives me that second or two to think about my response to someone rather than getting defensive and lashing out.

I am in love with my abilify. I haven't gained weight, but I recently got off Seroquel, which is evil.

Abilify really has helped me. It has transformed my life really. It gave me more energy to DO things, and that can help with the weight gain. For me, that's how it worked anyway. IN addition, since I have a hint of BPD, abilify just gives me that second or two to think about my response to someone rather than getting defensive and lashing out.

I am in love with my abilify. I haven't gained weight, but I recently got off Seroquel, which is evil.

Just started abilify myself, hoping this is the case for me. So far I've been pretty wiped out and have to compensate with coffee but realize that's probably just adjusting to the medication. According to my psychiatrist it has less side effects than Risperidone which I've been on which is why I've switched. I had a significant weight gain (~10 lbs in 2 months) and still not having much energy day to day.

When I was on abilify I had to take at night because it made me tired.