Hi All,

I have been on 20mg Lexapro for about 6 months - for depression (more of a chronic dysthymia). I have been plagued by depression and fatigue for about 15 years..... and it sucks!!! I am 33 now.

Anyway, I finally decided to try medication for the first time. The Lexapro seemed to work pretty well at first and then I kind of fell back into depression in the last few weeks. The worst part is that I am SO TIRED all the time! I was drowsy from the Lex for a while in the beginning, but that lifted and things were going well - now I am back to being so fatigued, unmotivated, and sad - basically where I was before I started taking the Lex.

I was ready to just come off the meds, but my doctor suggested I try adding 2mg Abilify to the Lexapro. He thinks this will give me more energy and help with the mood swings, etc.

I am wondering if anyone has had any success adding Abilify at a dosage of 2mg to their existing antidepressant..... I would love to hear your success stories (or not so successful stories). I am super discouraged right now because I stayed away from meds for so long, and finally when I decided to give it a try, I really thought it would help me live the life I should be having! Now, that I am on meds and still depressed, I am so bummed.... and a little hopeless.

It is a terrible feeling to realize I may live the rest of my life being tired and just wanting to be alone in my room all day. I hate the feeling of wanting to escape from my life. I know its not healthy or good, but I cant help it. I am in great healthy, we live very comfortably, I have a great husband and kids, all is good in my life, but I am unable to feel the happiness and fulfillment that should come along with it........Im kind of a mess. :)

Thanks everyone, in advance, for your support!

Hey, I'm sorry to hear you're having a tough time now with meds. I know how frustrating it can be dealing with the side effects, especially if it's fatigue! I was put on Abilify a little while ago but it actually caused my fatigue so I ended up going off of it and switching to Buspar. I hope it works differently for you though and that is helps your situation! If it doesn't then don't give up... there are a lot of meds out there that can help, it just takes a while to find the right ones sometimes

Well, I might as well answer my own post since it has been about two weeks since I started taking Abilify. I feel amazing. No sign of depression, I feel grounded and stable and strong. Its amazing. I have soooo freaking much energy though (which is cool) but I am not sleeping much. I go to sleep ok, maybe at 11pm, but then will wake up at 3 or 4am ready to roll. Normally I never want to get out of bed, and I sleep 9-10 hours per night, with naps in the afternoon. I am usually struggling to get through the day because of my lack of energy!! This is seriously like night and day.

I like it, but I realize my body needs more rest. I called my doc today and he said to start taking it early in the morning. Hopefully that will help, but honestly I LOVE this new found energy, I have gone so long without it, its very exciting!!! I have no other side effects from the medication, and really feel fantastic. My moods are soooo much more stable and calm.

If taking it in the AM does not work, I might cut my 2mg pills in half and try 1mg - just to get me that restorative sleep!

Anyway, just wanted everyone to hear of an experience!

That's awesome! I'm so happy for you!

Did you have any side-effects when starting Abilify?

Don't split the dose of your med without the pdoc's consent. It's not wise to do adjustments on your own. I took 10-15mg of Abilify midday, but that was the time of day it was prescribed. It's supposed to be more of an anti-pyschotic for Bipolar, but it made me manic as all get out. It was too energizing for me. lol and kept me up all night. If you're still feeling depressed on the Lexapro, talk to your pdoc. There are many other AD's you can try.
Sheepwoman