My GP Wants Me Start Abilify 2mg, Then Taper off Valium 10mg. Good Idea?

[[do...]]

I have been on Valium 10mg for well over a decade, mainly taken at night for sleep and very infrequently for panic around performance anxiety or a stressful life event.

Roughly three weeks ago, there was a miscommunication with her staff on a Friday afternoon and she took me down 50% to 5mg at night.I had horrible side effects from this large cut. When I went back in about 5 days ago,, the miscommunication was cleared up and she put me on 10mg daily again, this time, to be take “at bedtime”. But she wants me to come off the Valium using a slow taper.

She had asked me to try Pristiq three weeks ago when she cut my dose to 5mg, but I was afraid to do it since cutting was causing such Awful side effects and I already knew that Effexor (Prisriq’s older cousin) had caused anxiety years ago when I tried it.

So, when I went in about the withdrawal issues, she wrote me for 2mg Abilify and said to try that to see if it helped. Then, after I am on that one, we can try “sneaking” off Valium. She gave me two months to stabilize and try all of this and come back to reevaluate.

Has anyone had experience with using Abilify to treat anxiety, sleep, depression? I’m aware it is an anti psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar mania. I don’t have either one of those. She just said it would make me feel calm, motivated and centered. I would be most appreciative of anyone who has feedback on this approach.  

[[Pa...]]

Hi @[do...], I've not read many members mention using Abilify as an adjunct medication so I'm not sure how much benefit you would receive from it.  

Since you used Valium mainly for sleep and occasionally for stressful life events, it concerns me that your doctor is considering introducing powerful antipsychotics and antidepressants into your situation.  

There is no such thing as sneaking off a benzodiazepine, adjunct medications can sometimes help but from my experience reading these forums, I don't believe any have proved to be the fix some claim they are.  What works for one, won't work for another and the only way to know this is to experiment on yourself by inviting side effects.  

Once off the benzodiazepine, most adjunct medications will need to be tapered, leaving you with yet another challenging situation.

The best way we know of to ensure a successful taper is to go slow and let your body determine how much and when to reduce.  Its not easy as you've already had a taste of but its doable.

[[do...]]

Thank you, @[Pa...]. I appreciate your response. I believe by sneak, she meant, taper slowly. And I believe she hoped the benefit of Abilify would help mask the discomfort of coming off Valium. But I too have had concerns about having to come off Abilify after coming off Valium and also about the side effects I may have while coming on.

I have read Abilify is also FDA approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder. But I just don’t like the idea that it’s used to treat psychosis when one of the withdrawal symptoms can be psychosis. I’m not sure what you would call what I had when I was coming off those two weeks, but it had me definitely questioning my own sanity, if I might feel that “crazy” permanently, etc. 

Anyway, just not wanting to do anything that will make that feeling any worse. So you feel like the best thing to do is just taper slowly and leave off the antidepressants etc until after withdrawal to see where I land I take it. Sounds reasonable to me. Healthy diet, exercise, lifestyle, stress reduction when possible, working on coping skills, etc. 

[[Pa...]]

Your research into psychosis as a withdrawal symptom of Abilify is scary.  I used to think, "it can't happen to me" before my benzo experience but I've since been humbled to understand it can.  Its made me much more cautious when it comes to taking medications, I've been injured so I plan to do all I can to ensure I don't put myself in the same situation again. 

I'm grateful your doctor is supportive of a slow taper, and I understand your realization of what withdrawal could mean for you in terms of the symptoms you already experienced has you concerned but maybe a wait and see plan might be better for now.  You won't be making a 50% cut to your dose so hopefully, you won't face the extreme symptoms you already have.

A healthy lifestyle can be very helpful while going through this so why not give that a try before adding more questionable medications to the mix.  If things become too much for you, than you could hold your taper from the Valium while you bring another medication on board. 

 

 

[[do...]]

Thanks @[Pa...]. I didn’t mean Abilify causes psychosis. Withdrawal from Valium can. Abilfy treats psychosis. I just don’t like that word. Psychosis. It’s a scary word. I am hesitant to add anything to my pill box that has anything to do with that word. Ya know? 
 

But hopefully as you said I can just slowly taper and not have to add anything new to the equation. I am trying hard to make space for my mental health to be mended naturally. I am trying to give myself a chance to relax, for example, instead of working non-stop, as I have for so many years doing stressful work.

[[Pa...]]

Here's what I know, stress is not our friend and avoiding that if you can will help keep your symptoms manageable so your plan to minimize stress is sound.

One of the reasons I'm so hesitant to fight medication harm with medication is because of the risk of causing even more harm.  How many commercials have you listened to where the narrator says, this medication is thought to act in this manner?  Thought to act, we don't know but we think this is what it might do?   This scares me!

Once you start your taper, your body will be working to restore your natural balance and its my belief that more medication may distract from this effort.  I do understand the desperation we feel to find something, anything to help get us through this and would never begrudge someone reaching for help, especially with benzo caused depression, but I hope for judicious prescribing.