Abilify And Teens (Page 2)
(Newest replies first)

Updated

My 13 yr old son has just been prescribed Abilify and I need to know if anyone has experience with their teen being on this.

92 Replies (5 Pages)

Page:First Page2Next PageLast Page
Earliest Newest Votes
72

Put 15 year old son on it two weeks ago. Amazing results within a week. This is a miracle drug for anxiety and depression. Son takes lexapro in the morning and Abilify at night. I have my son back and he is doing well.

Was this helpful? 1
71

I am a surgeon - not a psychiatrist - but no medicine is good or bad. Abilify is a mild anti-psychotic ( partial agonist/antagonist) that can help many people. Often people need stronger medication or their diagnosis changes as they develop from the teen years onset of early and often hard to discern symptoms. No one should read this board and say it is a "good" or "bad" drug. Get a second opinion from an adolescent psychiatrist and realize that it may take time to find the best treatment as mental disease/diagnoses can change quite thoroughly in youth. Good luck and God Bless you all...

Was this helpful? 1
70

My son is 13 now and started taking abilify when he was eleven. He is extremely ADHD and all other medications had stopped working. He was failing assignments he did and we spent hours at night having to correct everything by writing each question and answer 3 times. My son can barely write so it was agonizing for both of us. He was becoming uncontrollable at school with angry outbursts that would get him in lots of trouble. We made world news because he was arrested for saying he was going to bring a gun to school. This is not behavior or language he learned at home, and we have no guns. Abilify was a last ditch effort to help him. And it was a miracle drug. He became calmer and could think again. He did gain weight. He was a 60 pound skeleton and doubled his weight in one year, despite the fact that he is very active. On the one hand, I feel bad for him because it has really slowed him down, but on the other hand, I have my son back. He has had no other problems and has been passing his classes for the last two years. He still struggles with assignments, but at least he is passing overall.

Was this helpful? 0
69

How is she now? My 13 year old had ADD and OCD and one option, after being on meds is to try Abilify.

Was this helpful? 0
68

My son has been on aripripazol for a year now. He was 13 years old when he started, now he's 14. He doesn't smile naturally how he used to, he doesn't talk much or make conversations - He just looks and stares. When I ask him anything he takes long to reply and he's always thinking about some thing and can't concentrate properly. He says he feels dumb, has been twice now in hospital over the last year, and now this year he been wants to come off medication. He is missing doses, taking at wrong times, then having hallucinations such as seeing things hearing voices . Last year before he went into the hospital during 6 weeks of holidays, he was playing playstation, shooting zombie games, he would not want to come out with family anywhere. He withdrew himself, sat on the sofa looking at the ceiling mumbling to himself. He did not miss going to school, he would walk out of school - I picked him up from school and he was under his coat in a corner on the floor crying. I was so upset to see him like that . He looked weak to his doctors, had blood work done and was anemic with low B12. Then I noticed changes in his behavior - he started doing fighting moves in the house, passing about throwing water on himself, then outside he stood in the street pretending to fight some one but no one was there. We phoned the ambulance and took him to the hospital. The doctor checked him and said he needs to be sectioned off and they diagnosed him with psychosis . He doesn't like being on this med, he said a few days ago on home leave when I took him out to shop there were lots of people there and he said "I feel weird mum. I feel like killing myself."

Is it the meds making him say this and the voices in his head? Does he need this med? I am a concerned mother and need advice, please help. The doctor said we need to increase his dose to 20mg, and I said no since he's only a child . Help me any one please tell what your thoughts are?

Was this helpful? 2
67

What dose did he tske

Was this helpful? 0
66

My son was on abilify from age 14 until 16 and currently weaning off. Was on 20 MG and now 10 after several weeks. He has experienced tremors, delay in puberty , and increasing irritibility. Doing better as he weans from this med! The psychiatrist would prefer he remains on the med- sometimes as parents we have to be proactive even when it is against what a physician recommends! We know our kids and must live with them each day- we know best.

Was this helpful? 2
65

This is a very dangerous drug, My son was put on it and he had a major nervous meltdown. His doctor did not do enough research to give him this drug and overmedicated him. He diagnosed my child as bi polar without doing any diagnostics, Prescribed abilify on top of several other drugs. My son ended up in the hospital and missed twelve weeks of school, he had suicidal thoughts and we had to watch him for those twelve weeks. Every child is different. Hopefully your doctor is not a pill pusher and knows what he is doing. I am happy to say, that we have a new Psychiatrist and a new psychologist. My son is on very little medication (no abilify) and is back in school and very happy. I hope your child is doing well. Just watch him closely on that drug.

Was this helpful? 2
64

Momofmany

I read your comment with real concern. My daughter had problems when she was 15. By the time she was 16 she was diagnosed with aspergers but was also sectioned for six months and put on arapriprsole (abilfi). Before her problems she was a bright girl getting good school grades. After taking taking this drug she seems to have a lowered mental age and. IQ. She is 21 now and she was mature when she was 10 than she is now. I really regret asking the medical profession for help. I worry so much about her future and feel terribly guilty that they used this drug on her against her will.

Was this helpful? 0
63

However, it has only been 3 months...

Was this helpful? 0
62

My friends daughter who has just turned 18 was put on Abilify, and shortly afterwards she seemed to be having problems with more depressing acts. Which then turned her away from her friends. She then started drinking ( which is out of character for her) . Now she just got an underage DUI, and going 30+ mph over the speed limit, while she had 4 friends in her car with her at the time of arrest. Could this abilify be causing her to act unrashionly.?

Was this helpful? 0
61

Thank you so much for posting about your son and abilify. Our son also was put on abilify and has been for the past 2 years he is 18 now. No weight gain in fact extreme weight loss. I couldn't agree with you more about the affects if abilify on a teenage brain. Reading your story was like reading our own. Everyday I wish he didn't take it and that we tried other meds .... He will never be the same. Our youngest son is 13 and experiencing voices and seeing visions of people it scares me to no end !!!! There is absolutely no way he will be taking abilify. I miss my older son who he was who could have become. Scared for his future as he does not have the maturity of a 18 year old. I have a question for you are you able to have regular conversations with him? Can he focus on what you are saying for more than a couple of minutes? Is he hyper focused on certain things? Does he seem childish? Does he have a odd misplaced laugh ? I would love to talk to you more.

Was this helpful? 0
60

How is she doing now ? Would you still use abilify for her? My daughter starts Monday and I am very scared for her !
Thanks

Was this helpful? 0
59

This has been my experience to a T. I have gone through almost the same exact thing. Just don't take abilify. Nothing good comes of it.

Was this helpful? 0
58

I'm a 12 year old girl, an all A Honor Roll Student, and I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when I was 7, in first grade. My psychiatrist, in my opinion, is very uninformative of information regarding medications that I have been put on. I was first put on Prozac, an antidepressant, which my parents found out did not work well for me. A couple months later, I was taken off of Prozac, and started Risperidone, against my own free will. I researched information about Risperidone, and was shocked to see that I was experiencing symptoms that I did not think much of, until I discovered the source. I experienced extreme dizziness, as well as tiredness, I felt worthless and drained of my energy, and I could not focus well in school, so my grades dropped from A's and A+'s to A-'s and B+'s. I became very concerned at this point, and I begged my parents to take me off of it, as it was interfering with my academic success. Finally, after 6 months, I was taken off of it, which brings me to the present. My Doctor now wants to put me on Abilify, which I have seen many commercials for that describe horrible side effects, such as comma and sudden death. I am especially worried because Abilify is not for minors under the age of 18! My psychiatrist literally talked about it for 5 minutes, didn't give any information AT ALL, and handed my mom and I free test samples. Do not take this medicine!!!

Was this helpful? 2
57

Thank you for all of your responses. My son (14) has depression and extreme anxiety and has had extreme trouble transitioning into High School. My psychiatrist has prescribed abilify and serequil on top of other antidepressants without doing any test, and rushing us out of his office. My son has gotten worse and cries all the time and is very angry. We have gone to see a new psychologist and is referring us to a new shrink. This is such a hard process, if anyone had any advice or insight, I would greatly appreciate it. We have stopped the abilify after reading these articles.

Was this helpful? 1
56

Yes my son is also 13 and has been on Abilify for about 3 months now. It was like someone turned on a light switch with him. He now is feeling more like himself. The only side effect we are watching is the weight gain.

Was this helpful? 1
55

My daughter has been on it for only 3 months and it has helped so much, but she has gained 30 pounds and I am concerned cuz she is only 14 and 5'3 and 2o9 pounds. Dr said nothing else works as well.

Was this helpful? 1
54

My son, 16 on Abilify for 10 days Started at 5mg and then uppped to 10 mg for Bipolar rage. On day eight drooling, abnormal gait, waxy flexibility (catatonic). Off Abilify for 4 days and still has abnormal gait. Toxic drug. Would not recommend as first line treatment unless you want to turn your raging teenager into a zombie.

Was this helpful? 1
53

my son 17 was diagnosed as having major depression. He was hospitalized for suicidal ideations. I have been strugglying with having him on medicine. over the summer he has been on ambilify and lexapor. now that school has started up and football he is becoming easily dehydrated and has passed out once so far and has had a anxiety attack while on the field. after reading all these stories im taking him off the medicine immediately

Was this helpful? 1
Page:First Page2Next PageLast Page

More Discussions:

Abilify and Chronic Pain Relief

Hello, Has anyone experienced a relief in chronic pain while on Abilify. I am convinced it is this medication that relie...

10 REPLIES
Abilify and Parkinsons

My mother has Parkinson's (we think) was on Sinimet and Carbadopaleva and they took her off of that and now put her ...

4 REPLIES
Abilify And Autism

Awful drug..Side effects of crying.urinating in pants,severe aggression .... ## My son is 24. He has Down Syndrome and h...

3 REPLIES
abilify and aricept for cognition

I have bipolar disorder, and I was wondering whether Abilify and Aricept could be used together for problems with cognit...

3 REPLIES
Abilify and headaches

Abilify has helped my depression but it has given me bad headaches on my left side. Not sure if I should keep taking it....

1 REPLY
Abilify and alcohol

Afew nights ago I had 2 alcoholic drinks and accidently missed my usual dose of 15mg abilify at 7pm. That night I had ba...

1 REPLY
pristiq and abilify

I've been on 1mg of ability with 50mg of pristiq mainly for PTSD purposes and my and some of my symptoms have worsen...

2 REPLIES
viibryd and abilify cause severe hip pain

I've been on Viibryd for awhile along with klonopin, neurotin, adderall. Abilify was just added because I still felt...

1 REPLY
fainting with abilify and cyproheptadine or remeron and cyproheptadine

Would the combination of either of these medications cause fainting? I now take 5 mg of Abilify per day. I took my last ...

2 REPLIES
Does anyone take abilify and viibryd?

I suffer from severe anxiety depression medical related PTSD and have tried just about every ssri and Effexor benzos don...

3 REPLIES