Med Question: Abilify and Topamax

My psych is looking to put me on either Abilify or Topamax, as an anti-psychotic (it turns out I may have PTSD as well). Have any of you had any experiences with either of them? What did you think of them, both in terms of effectiveness and side-effects?

Hey Johnny.

Abilify was one of the first meds I've ever taken. I was taking it for hallucinations and depression, but I had to stop it though as it made me aggressive. It seemed to work, but I couldn't go around being angry all the time.

I've never taken Topamax.

That probably wasn't much help, but I hope it works out for you.

- Jesse

i've taken both? abilify as an add on to my SNRI, but had to get off because my new insurance wouldn't cover it and she put me on lamictal (still on it!). i was on topamax to....lose weight. wtf? so i don't even know because i thought it was for migraines and appetite suppression? wish i had a better answer for you ...

Both of you, thank you very much for your advice!!

JustJesse
God, I hope it doesn't increase my aggressiveness; that's what I'm trying to fix!! Fortunately, my aggression is understandable (according to my psych), but I definitely don't want it to spread! A 6', 200+lbs Borderline running around, pissed off, is a dangerous thing!

Wineaux
Topamax helps in appetite suppression, as well? Ain't that a bonus! I definitely need to talk to my insurance and find out if either of these are covered.

JohnnyBlaze!

They are two totally different drugs from two different categories. Topamax is an anti convulsant whereas Abilify is an anti psychotic. I am sure you knew that already!

I have been on both of them but for different reasons. I was on Topamax for migraines. It didn't help my migraine issue at all. I didn't really react very well to it either. I had problems concentrating and felt 'foggy' if that makes any sense...

I am still on Abilify. Abilify is what is called now a 'third generation' anti psychotic and is one of the newest ones on the market. There is no generic brand available yet because its so new so its really expensive. I am not too sure where you live but I am in Canada and have insurance but if I didn't have insurance it would cost me anywhere from 150-300 dollars a month depending on the dosage. I am on this for anxiety, depression and disordered thought issues. It was really supposed to help with the Cipralex that I am on. I have been on a whole bunch of different anti psychotic medications to help with some of my mental health issues ( such as Zyprexa (olanzapine), Risperdol (Risperdone) and Seroquel (Quetiapine...those are all what is called a second generation anti psychotic and tend to have more side effects) and none of them helped at all. If anything they made things worse and the side effects were awful. Anyways, I absolutely LOVE this drug, Abilify! It has made a world of difference for me. I don't think I have ever had such a positive reaction to a drug before in my life and I have been on psychiatric medications since I was around 17 and I am in my mid 30's now. I had improvement with depressive and anxious mood issues within one WEEK! And from then on it has only gotten better. My thought distortion was completely decreased and I am functioning at my best level in years (I am not saying that its only this drug that is helping me because I do a lot of other things for my BPD but it sure has aided me in my recovery process.


I hope this was helpful and I didn't go on babbling about nonsense.

Good Luck!

@BPD77

That's great you responded so well to Ablify. I'm currently on Olanzapine which I find to be a great drug - but as everyone knows it makes you put on weight. My doc has mentioned switching to Ablify if I continue putting on weight. Good to know it's worked well for you. I may consider it.

I've been on Topamax at varying doses; the highest being 300mg/day as monotherapy, the lowest being 100mg/day in combination with Lamictal.

Quite honestly I think the Topamax worked well for me at high doses simply because I couldn't remember anything and that ignorance made me happy. If I was upset I'd quickly forget what the fuss was about and simply move on. At the time I had strong borderline traits which I now know was a result of CPTSD. Having the memory loops interrupted was very beneficial.

Oh, yeah, and it causes some noticeable weight loss at high doses. This is in part to do with taste perversion (a fancy term for things starting to taste funny) and avoiding the affected foods. For me it was dairy products - they all tasted rotten. Dark colas tasted like saw dust.

At the low dose it didn't impair memory very much and my self injury increased again. The dose was lowered so I could actually study and get assignments done for school. It was fairly useless for me at the low dose and there was no weight loss either.

So if you don't mind your brain glitching out it's worth giving the Topamax a try.

After The Fall wrote:@BPD77

That's great you responded so well to Ablify. I'm currently on Olanzapine which I find to be a great drug - but as everyone knows it makes you put on weight. My doc has mentioned switching to Ablify if I continue putting on weight. Good to know it's worked well for you. I may consider it.

Olanzapine does cause weight gain and that is one of the reasons why I went off of it. But Abilify doesn't have that side effect so if you are still gaining weight and it is becoming an increasing problem I would totally consider it. I haven't had any side effects whatsoever!

BPD77
Yeah, my psych told me upfront that they were two different things, but he put them both on the table, even favouring the topamax. Topamax is supposed to be really good for Borderlines, in terms of mood control.

Swan
I'm kinda worried about the memory issue. The biggest concern I have, though, is the dizziness side effect. Did you encounter much of that? I get dizzy anyway when changing vertical position (bending down, standing up, looking up, etc.) from my concussion, and I'm worried that any increase in it may limit or end my time on the motorcycle.

My balance was affected for a while. I didn't trust myself to bend over in front of the oven. If you're on a motorcycle I think you'd either have to stop driving for a while until you know if it'll be a side effect, or choose a different med. It didn't make me dizzy though.