Medication

[niccie27]

Hi

I'm currently on aripiprizol for psychosis but they don't seem to be working, been on the 6 months now and not getting any better if anything i'm getting worse , gp just says give it time had it highered a few time but still the same , I want them changed is this the best thing to do any advice would be helpful thanks xx

[Hidden]

Hello niccie27,

I have had PPP in 2010 and probably have responded to some of your post previously. I have had different kind of medications/anti-psychotics. Maybe you will find another mum on this forum who has had experiences with aripiprizol.

When I came out of hospital I was closely supervised with my medication, especially in the first 6 months. My partner had to help me with the administration of several drugs and we, as a family went regularly to see my Psychiatrist. After 6 months she went on a sabbatical, she gave very clear instructions to my GP in order to help me with the weaning off process.

Who is helping you with advise and guidance with regards to the doses and type of medication?

In my case " second opinion" was always given as my GP and mental health professionals were working closely together. Communication and transparency is of vital importance, meaning my partner and I always were open and explained exactly how I was doing from one week to another. In my experience it was good to have a support network in place-a health team and family members or friends you can trust.

Hope this helps a bit & you will be able to get further professional help in order to review and evaluate your medication and symptoms and how to continue in order to improve your mental health.

Good luck,

Sabine

[Hayleynevin]

What dosage are you on? Have you considered speaking to a psychiatrist instead? I've been on aripiprazole for 2 years now and I'm not sure if it was that or psychology that worked for me. I've recently been weaned off aripiprazole but now going through a psychotic relapse. Seeing my psychiatrist tonight regarding the meds so I can keep you updated on what she says? Might be of some help to you? X

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi niccie27

Thanks for your post. I'm sorry you're still struggling with psychosis after 6 months. That is a long time to be struggling with the psychotic symptoms.

Do you live in the UK? I too wondered what support you are getting? Do you have support from a mental health team? You should be seeing a psychiatrist, ideally a perinatal psychiatrist (who specialises in mental health problems after childbirth) rather than just your GP.

If you don't have access to a psychiatrist and you live in the UK you can ask your GP to refer you to a specialist second opinion psychiatry service , which is free to access - for you and your health authority, but you need to be referred by your GP or mental health team. The link is here: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

Sometimes it takes a while to find the right medication, as each person is different. I know that one anti psychotic I tried at first made me worse, for example.

I hope this helps, and that you're able to get the support you need

Ellie

[Arabella-]

I'm on Olanzapine and Sertraline. The Olanzapine has some really nasty side effects for the first two weeks but I've found the sertraline worked well to boost my mood (it's an antidepressant) and counteract the side effects of the Olanzapine. It's also helpful if you want more children.