sammymaguire

I started these injections over a year ago and they were a real game changer. I would love to talk to another alcoholic who was taking these injections. It does not matter how old this post is. Email me if you want to talk. Ps please do not reply unless you are being injected with this drug once every four weeks. I posted about this before and my thread was ruined by people who never even had one injection. Genuine users only please. Thank you.

ScottFromWI

Welcome back Sammy, I do see you had multiple threads regarding this subject in the past. What exactly is it you are looking for regarding your med? It's best to speak with your doctor if you are having issues.

paulokes

Sorry my friend...I know you have requested Abilify users only but as someone who administers Abilify as part of my job I wanted to add some context:

Abilify is the brand name for an Antipsychotic (Aripiprazole) when given in it's depot injection form.

Treating alcoholism is not the primary use for Abilify...It's typically used to regulate psychotic symptoms in people with a defined mental health illness.

Aripiprazole and Abilify have some serious long term side effects so will not be prescribed regularly without serious consideration by the prescriber.

There is *some* evidence to suggest Abilify *may* help reduce the euphoric effects of Alcohol and reduce craving in *some* people but results are currently inconsistent and inconclusive.

I'm glad if you feel this treatment is helping you and I'd be interested to hear about your experience but I hope anyone reading this thread fully understands what this drug is and the potential dangers of taking it as well as any benefits you talk about.

P

sammymaguire

HI pauloakes. Thank you for your reply. I agree with everything you say but there is one thing you didn't mention.

Abilify has strong anti manic properties. Is that relevant? That is what I am trying to decide. Let me explain. From what I can see mania/hypomania has many different faces.

Sometimes it looks like shopping sprees. Sometimes it looks like risky sexual encounters. Sometimes it looks like creativity. Sometimes it looks like anger etc etc etc I think it looked like alcoholism in me

. I nearly drank myself to death for 20 years. The doc diagnosed me with bipolar and gave me a brilliant anti manic injection. My hypomania disappeared and my drinking returned to normal along with the rest of my behaviour. That is why I am so interested in this drug. Do you see what I am saying?

option A it treats a subtype of alcoholism

option B it treats mania and if the alcoholism is really about untreated mania/hypomania then the alcoholic style drinking will change,

I don't know yet which option I believe in but the literature on the internet is pushing me towards option B

HTown

It sounds like the drug is working well for you. That is great. Are you trying to decide if you are a problem drinker or if you just had a mental chemical imbalance corrected by the drug?
Are you asking permission to keep drinking? Why not get the full benefit of the drugs you take and pay for and that are prescribed and not drink at all? best of all worlds there, best health going forward.

Forward12

With drug/alcohol abuse and mental health, there are tons of chicken or the egg discussions. If the medication has worked well for you, then that's a great thing.
I would stay away from the alcohol to find out if you were only boozing due to manic episodes, or you also have a co-occurring alcoholism issue that needs to be worked on with your therapist or other outlet.

sammymaguire

Yes H Town you have got it. That is exactly what Im doing. Thanks forward. That is good advice.

MindfulMan

I would not take an atypical antipsychotic for hypomania until other options had been exhausted. I was prescribed it, took one, felt VERY strange and didn't take any more. My neurologist specializes in movement disorders and was treating me for balance issues. She was VERY glad I hadn't taken the Abilify, as that would have complicated the treatment...she sees a lot of TD from the atypical antipsychotics, and it's permanent.

Not worth it to me. For short term treatment of full blown bipolar 1 mania...maybe.

sammymaguire

I know. TD scares the heck out of me and you are right. It can be permanent. I have decided to risk it though because this drug has helped me so much. Im scared to stop it in case I end up in the gutter again and knowing me I probably would. I had mixed state bipolar and this drug is recommended for that.

sammymaguire

I have spent 48 hours on this forum trying to find the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I must have read 200 plus posts. I asked a question. Did anybody ever get an injection in their bottom of abilify maintena and go back to being a normie? The answer was no. Nobody actually said quack get out of town but there is an icy atmosphere in my threads.I rang my oldest friend tonight and told her that I was never an alcoholic. She wondered how on earth I had managed to go into denial now when I was never in denial before. I told her I wasn't in denial...I just cant find my online soulmate. I have decided to walk away from the whole recovery scene but I don't regret posting. Why? In 2018 or 2028 somebody is going to have the same experience. I know that cos I DONT suffer from terminal uniqueness.If you are that person I have 2 msg for you.

1 I tried

2 Reactivate my thread. Im not going to post amymore cos there is no point in flogging a dead horse but I wld be back in a heartbeat if I genuinely tht the same thing happened to you.


Good luck to everybody whatever the hell their drinking is about. I don't like AA but when they say this disease is baffling they are not telling any lies. I have researched it for 20 years. I have 2 university degrees and I am no wiser than when I started. It is no wonder people divorce us. Bye and thanks for trying to help me.xxxxxxxxxxx

MindfulMan

Glad it's working. And I think it's precisely this situation where atypical antipsychotics are called for, when the risk of TD overrides the return of more controlled moods.

I had mixed states at one point, they also coincided with heavy cocaine and alcohol use, including smoking coke. Shudder. That was a low point. By far the worst I have ever felt other than klonopin withdrawal. Mixed states are at a very high risk for suicide. My grandmother had them, when I had one myself I realize what I'd seen in that living room years ago.

I didn't realize Abilify is injectable. Probably a lower risk for movement disorders that way as well.

I'm very glad it's working for you! BP1 with mixed states...I'm just your garden-variety BPII!

All of my BP meds work far better when I'm not drinking/using.

Don't worry about what others may say in regards to this, I'm very interested in your experiences and am very glad you made this thread.

SoberCAH

What's TD?

Thanks.

biminiblue

I found this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_dyskinesia