Has anyone had this medication? Any thoughts?

About me... dx'd with ADHD for first time @ age 28 in fall 2004. Put on Methylin (generic of Ritalin generic). Currently taking 15 mg 2x day, 10 mg 1x day.

The methylin seems to control my ADHD symptoms, particularly: staying "grounded" in a conversation that doesn't interest me or when I'm distracted, being very very much less reactive in stressful situations, feeling less restless and able to sit for longer periods of time, getting more accomplished.

With the ADHD symptoms gone, another set of symptoms was unmasked. By going over old emails I was able to see a pattern... these symptoms occurred during the same 7-12 day period of each month. Terrible anxiety, moodiness, lower tolerance for every-day stress, did I mention anxiety? Crippling anxiety. Thinking my world is closing in on me and feeling desperate to "do something about it".

Also, in general, a lack of skills in dealing with other people. I could probably meet the criteria for Asperger's syndrome if they were tailored more towards females.

In May I finally discussed with my psychiatrist my various symptoms specifically those 7-12 days that were becoming more and more difficult for me to deal with. I think that once my ADHD symptoms were under control and I went those 18-23 days each month of knowing what it feels like to feel, for the most part, "normal", that actually made it more difficult for me to deal with my "PMS" or "PMDD" symptoms before my period. I don't tolerate changes well, especially when I go from feeling well to a worried, paranoid basketcase.

So my psychiatrist put me on Zoloft. I was expecting Prozac since I'd read it has been effective with PMDD. But I got Zoloft and was fine with trying it. Then about a week after starting it, I began to feel very different. First of all, my ADHD symptoms were back. I was also in a non-stop terrible bad mood and incredibly unmotivated. I don't know how to describe it but I felt like I didn't know who I was, I am not sure how it feels to be psychotic but that word seemed to fit. Honestly I had some thoughts I would never repeat, that I'd never had before. It was a truly frightening experience.

Needless to say, I stopped Zoloft within a month. I didn't even contact the psychiatrist because I was not going to put anymore of that stuff in my body. Heck if I know if it helped with the PMDD. I was too freaked out to notice.

My last bout with PMDD was particularly bad so I knew I couldn't just "deal with it" myself. I thought an anti-anxiety might help, but I noticed I was extremely angry in addition to feeling anxious. When I finally got back in to my psychiatrist last week, at first he did suggest Clonazepam but dismissed that idea b/c it might cancel out the ADHD meds; he suggested a couple of antidepressants but given the Zoloft experience I was hesitant. He ended up at Abilify. He said it would help with the anger.

I guess I'm confused about how to distinguish bipolar from PMDD; it seems to me that they are very similar except the symptoms are limited in PMDD to a particular time-period each month. I have read though that people with bipolar have a bad response to Zoloft by itself and that some psychiatrists believe that a reaction to Zoloft that triggers the type of symptoms I had means that the person has bipolar. Anyone ever heard of that?

I'm nervous about the Abilify, particularly whether it will even help with the anxiety which is the most crippling aspect of my PMDD. Has anyone here taken Abilify? Anyone have similar symptoms as I do but can suggest a different medication? This doctor is pretty open, it seems, but I don't see him until December and I'm scared that the Abilify won't help or that something similar will happen as what happened with the Zoloft.

Sorry to ramble on. I appreciate ANY insight or thoughts or suggestions! Thanks~

I currently take Abilify. When I took the first dose, I had a very bad reaction to it...best described as super agitation and hypersensitive to stressful stimulants. Doc put me on cogentin to counter the side effects. Ever since then, I have had no problem with the Abilify.

I too had a bad experience with Zoloft. I'm also on Lamictal for mood stabilization. The Lamictal has worked really well.

Hey there i had a bad experience with abilify. I was nauseated and my head was throbbing so hard for days i couldnt stand it anymore. Im gonna start lamictal and wellbutrin in a couple days. I have heard great things about lamictal and the wellbutrin will help me with my smoking and my excessive weight gain from seroquel and the other mood stabilizers that cause me to eat myself to death! I have read numerous articles on lamictal and peoples experiences and they have had more good than bad so im all tapped out on meds right now and have tried almost everyting so im hoping that lamictal will be a good effect on me. I have been in my home and not wanting to see anyone the past yr due to extreme weight gain and not wanting to be in any public situations. Im at the point where i just wanna lay in bed and not deal with the world at all which is bad. I have turned obsessive with food and cigs trying to find a happiness with filling myself with food and nicotine. In any type of stressful situation i go bizerk and have to come home and go to bed for days! it sucks!

<O:p</O:pI guess I'm confused about how to distinguish bipolar from PMDD; it seems to me that they are very similar except the symptoms are limited in PMDD to a particular time-period each month. I have read though that people with bipolar have a bad response to Zoloft by itself and that some psychiatrists believe that a reaction to Zoloft that triggers the type of symptoms I had means that the person has bipolar. Anyone ever heard of that?

<O:p</O:pI don't know much about PMDD, beyond that it is an extreme form of PMS endured during a specific time period like you mentioned. I know that in some ways it is similar to Bipolar because I have known people who were diagnosed with Bipolar when in fact they only had PMDD. I also know someone else, who when they got the Bipolar under control, then noticed they had PMDD. That's the extent of what I know about that, though. :p
<O:p</O:p
As for a person being diagnosed with Bipolar because they had the type of symptoms you had while taking Zoloft, or any other anti-depressant, (or even getting completely manic, for that matter), psychiatrists who diagnose that way are not adhering to the DSM-IV. It says in there that mania can only be diagnosed if: "The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism)." (That's directly quoted from the DSM-IV...bold is mine.) It's a common myth that if an anti-depressant makes someone manic, then that means they are Bipolar.

As for the Abilify, I currently take it, and have been taking it for a couple years now. I've been said to have suffered from psychosis, although I don't remember it, so it helps with that. Another thing I noticed that it does is makes my thoughts clearer. It's hard to explain...you have to feel it to know what I'm talking about...lol. I've never heard of it helping anxiety though. :confused: I took several different anti-anxiety medications in the past, and they helped, but I don't take them anymore, as the meds I take for the ADHD actually seem to take away what I thought was anxiety.

If you're looking for something to help with the anger issues, I have heard that Cymbalta is good for that. That's one med I actually haven't been on...lol. (I've been on at least 35 different psych meds.)

Anyway, I've said enough, but if I think of something else, I'll come back. BTW, I think I noticed this was posted in Sept. Have you started the Abilify yet? If so, how is it working for you? If not, good luck with it! Keep us posted!

I am on abilify 10 mg one time a day and no side effects so far.

I take Abilify 5mgs 3 X a day for sensory issues and sedation to prevent hypomania. I have no side effects.

Dana, many people with undiagnosed bipolar have provoked manias due to antidepressent use without a mood stabilizer, regardless what the DSM says. I presume that people without undiagnosed bipolar do not go manic after ingesting anidepressents; I see this result posted at many bipolar information sites.