blah blah

blah blah

i thought the thing with brain injuries is that they dont heal. O.o maybe they should switch to another dr. i hate when dr's wanna play around with someones medicines.

My brother was prescribed it around 7-8 years of age, to my knowledge its not addictive exactly but without cutting my brothers dose in half it made him feel stoned. Since then I think theres been different side affects discovered though i'm not positive if they are ones that would make it to where someone would need to be weaned off in 5-6 months. I personally would be questioning his dr about why it would be necessary & pretty much demand to know why he'd need to be taken off something thats been helping him to make sure the next thing they have him try isn't experimental. I had that done with birth control before & my grandfather had to take narcotics & had the same happen to him

Quoting Bad {MAM} -A- Jamma:" My brother has Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and cognitive deficits due to a birth injury. Several years ago ... [snip!] ... any experience with Abilify or know why someone would be weaned off of it when it is working well and not causing any issues? "

You should suggest another doctor. I can tell you why they wean, but not why they would take him off it makes no sense at all. Weaning is because it takes time for his brain to adjust from being off the abilify, it's not an addiction problem because abilify isn't addictive its more for their mental state. Seeing as it is helping him though I don't understand the decrease or need to take him off. I would try talking to your mom about getting a second opinion or a different doctor. Or definately ask this doctor some serious questions, such as the reason he is trying to take it away when it clearly benefits him.

Ablify is one of those drugs, its short term, in the long run it wouldnt even phase him. I have worked with individuals like your brother and also mentally ill criminals, and the ones that took it had nothing good to say about it.. I would get a second opion.. My daughter was diagnosed bipolar at the age of 8 and was put on abilify.. made her more moody and angry. I would get a second opion it never hurts and maybe have them do the testing again to see if anything in mental health area has changed. some times their diagnosis can change. good luck and hope your brother gets to feeling better  

Quoting Amanda Mada-chan Waldrop:" My brother was prescribed it around 7-8 years of age, to my knowledge its not addictive exactly but without ... [snip!] ... I had that done with birth control before & my grandfather had to take narcotics & had the same happen to him"

I haven't gone to the Dr with them and am just going off what my mom had told me. Apparently they aren't planning to put him on anything else, he's already on Depakote (which can be used for depression) for his seizures and has been for many years. I told my mom today that is the Abilify is working there's no reason to take him off.

Quoting Bad {MAM} -A- Jamma:" I haven't gone to the Dr with them and am just going off what my mom had told me. Apparently they ... [snip!] ... seizures and has been for many years. I told my mom today that is the Abilify is working there's no reason to take him off. "

Thats understandable, if the Depakote itself doesn't help with his depression i'd just try my best to get his Dr to keep him on Abilify if thats what works for him

Quoting kellbell80:" Ablify is one of those drugs, its short term, in the long run it wouldnt even phase him.

I just did a little research, my aunt has MS and CP and they won't let her take a certain meds for fear the side effects could cause more damage and of course they will get sued. So I just found this about abilify, and may be the reason they chose to take him off .(LONG TERM) "The use of Abilify has also been linked to side effects such as irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, muscle stiffness and tightening of the neck muscles."

With this being the outcome of long term use it could become a problem for him rather than a fix. I would still have your mom ask about similar medication that would help with his depression.

My mom takes care of my Aunt full time and it is stressful and hard and she is mentally unstable at this point to the point of paranoia, and they will not prescribe her anything for it because they can't find a physical reason as to why she acts this way. It is a lot to handle so hopefully they can find something long term that works. GOOD LUCK!

Quoting *H3aTh3R*:" I just did a little research, my aunt has MS and CP and they won't let her take a certain meds for fear ... [snip!] ... reason as to why she acts this way. It is a lot to handle so hopefully they can find something long term that works. GOOD LUCK!"

Hmmm interesting.

My brother was to that point too, he was very unstable.
I'm going to talk to my mom again because when I started taking care of him she was talking about putting him into a home, now that he's sarted thaving issues she's talking about it again and I don't want that for him.

Thanks for your kind sentiments and info.

Quoting Bad {MAM} -A- Jamma:" Hmmm interesting. My brother was to that point too, he was very unstable. I'm going to talk to my mom ... [snip!] ... sarted thaving issues she's talking about it again and I don't want that for him. Thanks for your kind sentiments and info. "

Yeah we can't place her either and doctors here aren't a lot of help. She screams all day and all night, thinking my dad is in the house (my dad moved 8 hours away almost 5 years ago) She is at the point of extreme paranoia, and as she gets older her mindstate worse, she is a lot less active than before, depression shows, shes had a huge weight gain, and the inability to see reality. My mom considers it all the time because it is stressful but we all step in and help when we can. It's a good thing you are doing by helpimg, unfortunately doctors get so worried about a lawsuit they arent as quick to perscribe people with such handicaps, or problems the same as they would us. I really do wish you luck. Hopefully they find something that will work. Just keep drilling the doctors, I am constantly down her doctors throat, I have even gone as far as to record her episodes, they do nothing!!!