I am sick of this. Money driven claims that promise shit in the end.

I almost hate to offer contrary information to you since I so agree with what you write. But in the interests of more information I'll mention that as of May I've been taking 10mg of Abilify since Feb of 2004. I was given it in Providence after I went in for a cutting incident and a few months afterwards I noticed I was feeling "better". I hate to say that, cause it surely jinxes my prognosis. But not this time . I'm still taking Abilify and I still think it's helping me.

Not that I'm stable , or not cuttting or not suicidally depressed, and a bit too hypomanic now and then but still a bit "better". So maybe there are a few of us who can benefit from maintenance therapy with Abilify. Maybe. I'm not a great objective model since I'm still so out of it so much but subjectively I have to say something good is going on. The only other psych med I take is klonipin tho I also take cogentin for the akathesia the Abilify causes in my legs and hands. (yes there are side effects, but mostly that one). Just for context - over the years I've been on at least a couple dozen meds and Abiify is the first to make me feel it's actually helping me.

Just so you know I've been dx'd since nov 1995 with BPl, BPll, BP nos, and schizoaffetive disorder as well as anxiety, panic, add/adhd and a few others like sad and personality disorders. Clearly I believe in the concept of the bipolar spectrum since I seem to flow back and forth on it constantly. Oh yeah, also ultradian rapidcycling and frequent mixed states are in there too. And chronic pain (oxycontin), and migraines (imitrex), and....

OK, too much information. Sorry. I just wanted to make the point about Abilify.

Thanks for your words, and the space to reply with mine.
Steve Wells

I have bipolar I and have rigorously and scientifically (I have degrees in Medicine and Pharmacology and a good psychiatrist) tried everything under the Sun, coming to the conclusions that:

1) Lamotrigine is an excellent mood-stabilizer (better than lithium or valproate) because of the low side-effect profile, but better at treating bipolar depression than mania.

2) Therefore an additional anti-psychotic prophylactic drug is required to prevent manic relapse. Currently I am on Olanzapine but I am thinking of trying Aripiprazole (Abilify) instead.

Although I read that FDA in America has approved the drug for mainentance of Bipolar, am concerned that this seems to be based on only one 6-week study sponsored by manufacturers of Abilify.

Does anyone know of any other evidence for the efficacy of Abilify in prophylaxis of Bipolar I disorder. Please e-mail to me.

Mark:
Sydney, Australia.