Aripiprazole Yea or Nah?

[Palmtreemetrocuth]

Hello, I’ve just had 5mg of Aripiprazole added to my 20mg of CItalopram for depression not psychosis.

Does anyone have any experiences of Aripiprazole they could share please?

I’m concerned about some of the reviews about weight gain, compulsive gambling and shopping. Is 5mg a high dose?

Thanks

5mg is often the starting dose, so quite low. 30 would be high. It made me feel more motivated to begin with. No weight gain as of yet or gambling. Recently I feel like a zombie.

Thanks @Pibolar
What dose are you on and how long have you been on it?
Is it prescribed for bipolar (guessing from your name 😄)?

Yes bipolar 😂
I’ve been on 5 since 2nd Jan. I tried upping to 10 but it gave me blurred vision and made me restless. The first month was great, I was really motivated and got a lot of stuff done. No side effects at all.

7th of feb i became depressed, this lasted for 3 weeks (shouldn’t be a problem if you are on anti depressants, but who knows) then started to feel like a zombie. I didn’t take it for one day and felt like a fog had lifted. I now take them at night and feel better than I did but still not myself. Not sure if this is down to the meds or my condition, will be discussing with my psychiatrist at my next appointment.

everyone reacts differently so might be worth a go but make sure you are aware of the side effects would be my advice.

I've been taking 5mg since the middle of last year. For mood stabilisation, not psychosis.
My side effects have been leaking urine and exhaustion. The leaking particularly really gets me down, I'm 34 ffs. However I'm too afraid to stop taking it incase I go back to feeling suicidal like I did before...

Thanks Joan. Seems like we can’t win either way. Exhaustion is better than suicidal thoughts but not a lot.

Thanks @Pibolar I pigging hate psychiatric medications.

Can I ask who has prescribed you an antipsychotic for depression? And have you tried other SSRIs or an SNRI at all first? I'd be really cautious about adding an antipsychotic for anything that isn't bipolar or schizophrenia tbh. The side effects are no joke, and stopping taking them isn't easy either. So if you've not tried other SSRIs first, I'd go back to your doctor.

My consultant psychiatrist has prescribed it to add to the Citalopram I am already taking. I did read that Aripiprazole can be used in that way for major depressive disorder.
I am really worried about taking any medication but I was backed into a corner really in this case.
Are you a mental health professional or a patient @Antagonishy ?

I'm a patient. I had a quick check and in the UK, ariprazole is only licenced for bipolar and schizophrenia https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/aripiprazole/#indications-and-dose. So if you are in the UK, then your psych is prescribing off-licence. Which they can do, but maybe another chat with them to understand why and check there are no other alternatives with a lower side-effect profile? Or even a second opinion, if you are feeling well enough to ask for one? I know it's tough when you're feeling poorly. Sending best wishes.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222/chapter/Recommendations#treatment-for-a-new-episode-of-more-severe-depression
Although this guidance does talk about adding an atypical antipsychotic, so it looks like things may have changed in the last couple of years.

@Antagonishy Interested In your post as my sister who is 13 has been put on this.
She's put on so much weight and leaks urine. Also hasn't calmed her down. Shocked to see if it's for such serious MH issues. Will send my DM the links now.

Ah, sorry to hear about your sister. There is separate guidance for children that you can search https://bnfc.nice.org.uk/. I hope it helps. I have actually been on my antipsychotic for 16 years, and its life saving. But I dearly wish they could make one that didn't cause me to crave carbs and gain weight.

Has the aripiprozale made you gain weight then @Antagonishy
I’m being treated for eating disorders anyway so I don’t know why he has put me on that.

I'm on a slightly older antipsychotic, but yes, 2 stone weight gain over 15 years. Mind you, I've also had a baby and lived through 2 lock downs, which didn't help!

Thanks @Antagonishy
I think the older antipsychotics cause more weight gain than Aripiprazole

As someone who has been on a similar medication regimen, I understand your concerns, but it's essential to remember that medication affects everyone differently. While some people may experience side effects like weight gain or compulsive behaviors on Aripiprazole, others may not. Starting with a low dose like 5mg is common, and your doctor will monitor you closely to ensure it's the right dosage for you. Stay open with your healthcare provider about any changes you notice, and remember that finding the right combination of medications often requires patience and communication.

I asked my psychiatrist today whether Aripiprazole causes weight gain and he said it doesn’t and can even cause weight loss. He said a lot of the other antipsychotics do cause weight gain though.
I do trust his judgement and he is an ED specialist so he should know what he is talking about.

@Palmtreemetrocuth
That's good to hear. I am on every aripriprazole recent thread.
DD has also been prescribed this for depression and emotional dysregulation but I haven't started it as she also has eating issues.
Going for a review this week to discuss whether Adhd meds or aripriprazole on better as she has recently been diagnosed.
But I am worried about any medication after not having luck with fluoxetine.

Best of luck @DarkChocHolic I hope you can get things stabilised for your DD xx

I was on arirpiprazole for about 6 months, a few years ago. I went up to 25mg I think. I don’t think it did anything at all, no weight gain either.

quetiapine, that makes you gain weight ridiculously, I gained around 40 kg in around 6 months, it makes so many people crave carbs. It also did absolutely nothing for me.

I've no experience of mood stabilisers, but I'm just wondering why they haven't put your Citalopram dose higher? The max dose is 40mg.

I was on 30mg but stopped taking it completely as I didn’t think it was working. Not sure I was being very rational about it and you’re right it would have made more sense to go to 40mg before adding Aripiprazole. It’s my fault totally.

I have been on aripiprazole for about 6 months now and haven’t noticed any weight gain from it. It did make me a bit more impulsive but not to the point where I couldn’t control it if I tried. It has helped calm me down, as I am on it for psychosis but I also have depression which I take sertraline for. I’m on amisulpride and aripiprazole and they both have helped me so much. Aripiprazole isn’t the strongest antipsychotic either - there are much stronger ones out there for illnesses like schizophrenia so don’t worry about being on this really strong drug, because while it is strong and an antipsychotic, it’s nothing like risperidone or clozapine which are the big guns for when you’re really psychotic.

I hope this helps and reassures you at all :)

Thank you, that is very reassuring and I’m so glad the medication is working well for you xx

Don't beat yourself up @Palmtreemetrocuth, I was just wondering if it was something you'd already tried. It can be a bit of trial and error before you find something that works for you, I hope you feel better soon!