Quote:
Originally Posted by ergwyn
I have a question for anyone familiar with Abilify or Cymbalta, or both:
For the past six months, I've been taking Cymbalta (60mg daily). This was prescribed by my GP to help control my blood sugar. However, he knows that I have chronic depression, and he told me that Cymbalta would also work as an antidepressant. In general, I have found my moods more manageable since I started taking Cymbalta.
I have recently been diagnosed as bipolar, although I should have figured it out 40 years ago. Earlier this week, a different doctor (a psychiatrist) put me on Abilify (5mg daily, the minimum dose). I neglected to tell him that I'm on Cymbalta. After I took the prescription, I looked up Abilify in PDR and I discovered that it is not recommended for use with other antidepressants. Now I wonder if I should stop taking Cymbalta while I'm on Abilify. Since my dosage of Cymbalta is significantly larger than my Abilify dosage, I wonder if the Cymbalta will "drown out" the Abilify.
I will consult my GP -- I don't have regular access to the psychiatrist -- but for now I am asking anyone in this forum: are you aware of any problems in combining Cymbalta with Abilify?
Also, does anyone here have any experience -- good or bad -- with Abilify by itself?
|
================================================== ================================================== ================
Dear Ergwyn -
I just joined and noticed your post and felt compelled to reply.
You SHOULD consult with you psych. re: taking Cymbalta and Abilify. If you were referred to him/her by you GP, he would have your medical records and knows you're taking Cymbalta. I've been taking it for the past year for "depression" AND pain and found it effective for BOTH. There are two classifications of antidepressents: tricyclic antidepressents, affecting a neurotransmitter called "norepinephrine" and the "SSRI's", affecting a neurotransmitter called "serotonin." These are the only two neurotransmitters which have be identified as important for use on people, as of now. Cymbalta is the first an ONLY med. that has been approved for usage by the FDA that affects BOTH neurotransmitters, "norepinephrine" AND "serotonin." It is ALSO the ONLY medicine that is approved for usage and can be given for BOTH "mood" disorders, like depression AND pain. For some time there has been some thinking that giving a "norepinephrine" AND a "serotonin" medicine could be more affective than just taking either one; and 'voila!' Cymbalta is the FIRST medicine that has both proporties (although many insurance companies think NOT.)
At any rate, your primary physician gave you this medicine for a mood disorder, depression, and not blood sugar.
Along come the "mood stabilizers," like Abilify. I think that the original thinking was "DO NOT MIX" with other "mood drugs," however more recently the manufacturers of Abilify have been allowed, by the FDA, to give these new "mood stabilizers" in conjunction WITH antidepressants in cases of bipolar disorder and these two medicines would work together to help resolve bipolar depressions. The only other "first line" drug to treat bipolar disorder was lithium, fort a LONG time and many people would stop because of side effects.
ALSO, a previous post was correct when they said that you CAN NOt compare medicines on a milligram per milligram basis. Most time there is NO basis for comparison between one medicine and another, but when there is, there is absolutely no basis to compare them mg. for mg. "Science" hardly knows how medicines affect each other, but is just finding out, i.e. taking Abilify WITh antidepressants, that it is not only NOT a bad idea to take Abilify with Cymbalta, but it might be MORE effective than taking one or the other alone!
If that psychiatrist was referred by your GP, he/she has your medicine records and knows what you are taking; if not it would be very irresponsible to give you a "neuroleptic" medicine WITHOUT knowing what other meds you're taking.
ALWAYS feel free to contact any doctor you've seen by calling and asking the sort of questions regarding medicines perscribed to you! They would much rather hear from you and make sure you're taking the correct combination of meds. PLEASE, if you've learned anything from contacting this "forum," BE SAFE and remember that!
GOOD LUCK! Sorry for the VERBOSE reply.
L.R. Kott