Aripiprazole?

[Sallyskins]

I've been taking aripiprazole for about ten years, and I've found it helpful. It made me feel like my old self, full of enthusiasm - I've described it as making colours regain their brightness.

I'm on a low dose - 5 mg daily - alongside 300 mg sertraline. Aripiprazole is often used to supplement SSRI antidepressants in cases of OCD.

But I'm a little concerned. I've put on weight over the past ten years, and have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I'm also concerned about long-term damage.

I'm going to halve my dosage from tomorrow, and speak to the pharmacist at my doctors' surgery about coming off it altogether.

Does anyone else have experience of aripiprazole? Or know more about it?

[Lauragbr]

I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about that medication. Hope you find a solution.

[Sallyskins in reply to Lauragbr]

Thanks!

[Natureloverpeace]

I suggest talking to your doctor before making any changes. Your doctor’s expertise and your input/concerns may lead to a solution.

[Sallyskins in reply to Natureloverpeace]

Thanks - I'm about to do that. The problem is that GPs have a little knowledge about a lot of things - and may not know that much about particular medications. But I shall certainly not do anything without much consideration.

[Rana190]

I have been taking Aripiprazole (10mg) for 7 years now. 3 years ago I stopped after tapering but I went back taking it as I started having OCD flare ups.

Regarding weight, I have also gained weight but since like you I’m on both Aripiprazole and a SSRI, I’m not sure which one is causing the weight gain.

To be honest, I’m also concerned about the long term effects. But for now for me it seems the best choice.

My advice would be to discuss your concerns with your doctor and see if you can take a lower dose or eventually come off it.

But please don’t change your medication without consulting an expert.

Wishing you the best.

[Sallyskins in reply to Rana190]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. There is always the problem of flare ups if you come off medication.

I'm not against medication per se, of course - it has been hugely helpful to me and many others. But I am concerned that too many doctors prescribe these medications without thought for the longer term consequences.

I've had periodic check ups at my local surgery about my medication, but no one has raised the possibility of long term harm. I thought long and hard before going on to aripiprazole - I had previously been prescribed sulpiride which made me put on 2 1/2 stone - 35 pounds. I lost about half of that before I went onto aripiprazole.

After taking it for 10 years I've put it back on - and more. I've been reading up about it on the internet (reputable sources only!) and have become very concerned about it.

I think there is a big issue with patients being left on medication without being told about long term problems it can cause - the small print you get with prescribed medication doesn't always tell you.

Anyway, I'm making an appointment with the pharmacist at my local doctor's surgery.

[lavenderstars in reply to Sallyskins]

Hi. I am new to this forum but have been following along with posts for quite some time. I finally made the decision to join as a member.

You stood out to me from the very beginning because you are knowledgeable and such a great support to everyone who comes seeking advice.

My OCD started as a young child and it was never diagnosed, it took several years for me to come to the realization that this was my reality.

Long story made short, I was prescribed a benzodiazepine for my symptoms, the anxiety was brutal as anyone suffering from OCD knows only too well. My life changed for the better and I was able to have a life. This medication is notorious and well known to cause dependency issues, but it enabled me to live again. Sometimes we have to make the hard choices in regard to side affects. I take breaks from my medication from time to time, as per my doctors advice. He is very thorough and understanding and I trust his judgement.

I wanted to post to let you know that I understand your dilemma.

[Sallyskins in reply to lavenderstars]

Thanks for the kind words! All too often people suffer with OCD without knowing what it is, why their behaviour is so odd, and why they're in such distress.

I'm surprised at your being prescribed a benzodiazepine for OCD - but if it works for you, then it's worth taking! I had a prescription for Valium for a while, but it didn't make much difference and I was all too conscious of the addiction problems.

Prescribing medication is tricky, as there's no way of knowing what will work for one patient but not for another. Anyway, I'm glad that you've found something that works!

[lavenderstars in reply to Sallyskins]

Thanks for your reply, Sallyskins.

My doctor advised me to not go the antidepressant route. He felt that they came with their own set of side effects and dependency. The benzodiazepine is the only medication I have ever been prescribed, so I have nothing to compare it to.

Do you have any idea why a benzodiazepine isn’t usually prescribed for OCD? I am early in the whole treatment with medication approach, so I have much to learn.

[Sallyskins in reply to lavenderstars]

Benzodiazepines are older medications - I think that Valium goes back to the 1950s and 1960s - and though they are often used to treat anxiety disorders they are highly addictive.

There may be good reasons for not prescribing you antidepressants - some pre-existing medical conditions mean you should not take them.

The older tricyclic antidepressants - clomipramine is a good example (it came out in 1967) - came to be widely used for OCD. I took it for many years, and felt pretty good on it, though I did have relapses. The main problem for me was that it made me feel constantly dopey - I occasionally felt so tired I went to sleep slumped across my desk at work!

The newer SSRI antidepressants are now considered the first option for most cases of OCD. But they can only do so much - CBT and ERP are recommended alongside. But medication can damp down the OCD and make the CBT and ERP easier to do.

[lavenderstars in reply to Sallyskins]

Thank-you once again.

[LadyPeaches]

Hi Sallyskins,I take Prozac and mirtazipine for sleep, and have found that if I use supplements eg melatonin and ampk I can curb the appetite. I still have more weight than I would like but the ravenous hunger is not such an issue.

[Sallyskins in reply to LadyPeaches]

Thanks - I shall investigate! I haven't heard of ampk before but will check it out.

[Natureworshipper]

I can understand your concerns. I have found it helpful to talk to a pharmacist regarding medications. Pharmacists are trained to know all aspects of a medication, more so than doctors, so their knowledge is valuable.

[Sallyskins in reply to Natureworshipper]

That might well be worth doing! There is a team at the chemists' where I pick up my prescription.

[Natureloverpeace in reply to Natureworshipper]

I heard a loved one’s doctor say that pharmacists know more about medications than doctors do. The ironic thing is I asked a pharmacist about a particular medication and he had to look it up in his professional manual. On the other hand, a doctor knows more about the patient’s medical history which can affect how medication works. Then there are the effects of how a patient’s different medications interact which can be different than the effects of a medication by itself.

[Phoenyx]

Hi Sallyskins. I’ve dived into this topic for many years. I can talk from my personal experience only. Every SSRIs I have taken, made me gain weight with the exception of Venlafaxin but Venlafaxin didn’t work for my OCD at all. In order to stay fit I have to work out every single day and watch what I eat. I’m currently on Paroxetine (SSRI) and antipsychotic. The combo makes my OCD almost non existent. My doctor told me that I have to be on the antipsychotic for at least a year. I’ve read that the prolong use of it is not recommended but I also want some sort of a normal life.

[Sallyskins in reply to Phoenyx]

It's such a dilemma, isn't it? I'm not sure what to do - I don't think the sertraline makes me put on weight but I don't want to do any damage to myself by taking the aripiprazole long term. And it's 10 years since I was prescribed it.

I can't say that my OCD is non-existent, but it is alleviated, and I have tried to integrate CBT into my daily life.

I shall report back when I have spoken to the pharmacist at my GP practice. Previous appointments have merely consisted of 'How are you doing on the medication? All right? That's all right, then'.

I do think that better information about medication is needed. Particularly as so many of us need it long term.