Posted by SLS on October 19, 2014, at 7:19:53
In reply to Re: Restarted Abilify - Feeling better. » SLS, posted by oceansun on October 19, 2014, at 0:05:01
Hi, Oceansun!
You might want to consider taking metformin to help prevent the emergence of diabetes due to ariprizole (Abilify) treatment.
Also, a drug called cariprazine is nearing FDA approval. It is similar to aripiprazole in that it is a dopamine D2/D3 receptor partial agonist. However, cariprazine displays much greater potency for D3 relative to D2 than does ariprizole. The consequences of this difference in cariprazine mechanisms might include reduced movement EPS, reduced prolactin secretion, reduced weight gain, reduced risk of diabetes, and a more robust antidepressant response. Akathisia is still problematic, but it often occurs as a temporary startup side effect.
Lurasidone (Latuda), another neuroleptic antipsychotic, is supposed to help with depression. However, I have yet to see someone declare it to be magical. It does not act as a DA partial agonist. However, it does act as a serotonin 5-HT7 receptor antagonist, something that it has in common with aripiprazole. You might want to leave aripiprazole in place while you introduce lurasidone. Once you establish a therapeutic dosage of lurasidone, you can then begin to taper the aripiprazole. If you begin to relapse, you can very quickly reinstate your therapeutic dosage of aripiprazole and discontinue the lurasidone. Please note that, unlike aripiprazole, lurasidone is a NE alpha-2 antagonist. It shares this property with mirtazapine (Remeron). Drugs that have this property have historically made me feel worse, and lurasidone was no exception. Of course, this is an atypical reaction. I imagine that more people will be helped than harmed by this pharmacological action.
Keep working! I'm sure that you will be able to optimize your treatment.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1072466
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