just wondering if anyone takes either one of these meds for bipolar II? i was just prescribed them this past week and i was wondering what success rate others have had on these meds. so far i feel a bit calmer and noticed my AD/HD a bit better as well. however in the morning right after i take my am meds, for about an hour, i am extreamly hyper, more so than before. overall though i think that these drugs will work well for me, at least i hope they will. also what type of side effects has anyone expearenced? any info would be great
-heather

I currently take abilify and have experienced several side effects that are bothersome but I must say that overall I'm stable. I plan on discussing these with my doc but it is normal for some to experience hyperactivity/anxiety with Abilify. If it persists I would call the doc and let him/her know what is going on. There are some things that they can do to help with the side effects or perhaps finding a new med.

Below please find a list of side effects for both meds. Best of luck :)


Abilify:

Catalogue of side effects for the medication Abilify - generic name Aripiprazole - which is an antipsychotic medication sometimes prescribed to treat schizophrenia and psychotic features of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Headache; nausea; constipation; anxiety; restlessness; weakness; nervousness; rash; sleepiness or unusual drowsiness; insomnia; unable to sleep; vomiting; weight gain

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Blurred vision; coughing; fever; runny or stuffy nose; sneezing; tremor

Always Notify Doctor:

Rare:Convulsions; difficulty in breathing; fast heartbeat; high fever; high or low blood pressure; increased sweating; loss of bladder control; muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities; severe muscle stiffness; sudden loss of consciousness; tiredness; unusually pale skin

Overdose Effects - Notify Doctor:

Sleepiness or unusual drowsiness; vomiting

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

http://bipolar.about.com/cs/sfx/a/sfx_abilify.htm



Topamax:

Catalogue of side effects for the anticonvulsant Topamax - generic name Topiramate - which may be prescribed as a mood stabilizer in the management of bipolar disorder.

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Breast pain in women; nausea; tremors

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Back pain; chest pain; constipation; heartburn; hot flushes; increased sweating; leg pain

Also, Topiramate may cause a change in your sense of taste.

Always Notify Doctor:

More Common: Burning, prickling, or tingling sensations; clumsiness or unsteadiness; confusion; continuous, uncontrolled back-and-forth or rolling eye movements; dizziness; double vision or other vision problems; drowsiness; generalized slowing of mental and physical activity; memory problems; menstrual changes; menstrual pain; nervousness; speech or language problems; trouble in concentrating or paying attention; unusual tiredness or weakness

Less Common: Abdominal pain; fever, chills, or sore throat; lessening of sensations or perception; loss of appetite; mood or mental changes, including aggression, agitation, apathy, irritability, and mental depression; red, irritated, or bleeding gums; weight loss

Rare: Blood in urine; decrease in sexual performance or desire; difficult or painful urination; eye pain; frequent urination; hearing loss; itching; loss of bladder control; lower back or side pain; nosebleeds; pale skin; red or irritated eyes; ringing or buzzing in ears; skin rash; swelling; troubled breathing

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.

http://bipolar.about.com/cs/sfx/a/sfx_topamax.htm

thanks andi for the pi info for the meds. did you have any weight gain with abilify. i was told my my doc that it was weight neutral like geodon. i just dont want to take anything that may cause weight gain since i lost about 80 lbs since last year.
-heather

Wow, what a cocktail! I thought I was taking a lot, but I'm old, so....:p

I've never taken either, but depakote is similar to topamax, I believe. I was on depakote for a few years and found there were some side effects, but nothing major. Dry mouth, some minor weight gain, that's about it.

I wouldn't worry about the hyperactivity unless you're still experiencing it after 3 weeks or so.

If you're still experiencing it then, I'd certainly talk to your doc. As you probably already know, anything that sends a bipolar up is likely to increase all symptoms (possibly permanently). So, you don't want to mess with it.

well i have been on both meds for about a week now and i noticed that i feel much more calm now. i got a bit irritated today but i was a calm irritated. i noticed that the topamax kills my appetite though, i want to loose a bit more weight, but i really shouldnt according to the doctor. but so far so good aside from the shakiness in the am.
-heather

lol...guess what was added to my cocktail today...topamax. We are hoping that it will help with mood stabilization and the side effects I'm experiencing with the abilify. I'll give an update as I increase 25mgs in 5 day intervals till I find the magic dose. I was instructed that should I become lethargic and cognitively impaired to decrease to the previous dose.

cocktail: 350 lamictal, 60 buspar, 5 abilify, 25 topamax (potential 100)

I currently take Abilify for Bipolar, and have taken Topamax in the past. As for Topamax, it worked great for me, but I experienced the "speech or language difficulties" listed under the side effects above. It was the last straw when I couldn't remember the name of raisins! It was really bad. A friend of mine was on it, too, and we would call those "Topamax moments." It just made me really stupid. Like, I'd be in the middle of talking and I wouldn't be able to think of the word I needed. It happened a lot, and I didn't like it. Also, Topamax has also been known to cause weight loss.

Anywho, the Abilify is wonderful! For me, anyway. I haven't gained any weight on it, and I feel sharper mentally. I was taking it for mood stabiliization and for psychosis, but it wasn't really working for the mood stabilization, so I started back on Lamictal. If you feel really restless and fidgety on the Abilify, you can take Cogentin (there's another med, too, but I forget the name right now) to counteract those side effects. Sometimes Benadryl works for that too.

Good luck with the meds! I hope they work for you!

little d thanks for the info, i am having a bit of the congnitive stuff right now but really minor, im taking 50 of "stupimax" and i am to go up to 100 as tolerated. i am seeing my psych doc today and im going to talk to her about the restlessness on the abilify. i do feel more able to do things and more motivated, but a bit too motivated like i have to always be doing something, but not like an ad/hd motivated hyperness. i just hope i am not shifting back into a hypomanic phase because i just came down 2 months ago. i just hope that i dont get another med like cogentin because if i need to take a med to counter side effects then im on too many.
-heather

ok so i am having a weird side effect right now, my face and neck get real numb and tingly about two hours after i take the topamax, is this normal? i am up to 100 mg of topamax a day. i am seeing the psych doc this week. the abilify is wonderful now and i am much more calm, i can notice a difference when i forget to take it, i am much more moody and have a shorter fuse. other than the "tingly" thing, things are going great with the meds
-heather

Heather, I got that tingly feeling in my hands and feet. It actually hurt, almost like when your limbs wake up from falling asleep, but in a different way. And nothing would make it go away, I just had to wait for it to subside on its own. I never talked to the doc about it, though, so can't help ya there. A friend of mine had the same tingly problem, too.

i never had the duh moments on topamax but i did when i had the am dose was a zombie and was accelerated by the stimulant but taken at night works like a charm