h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey JEllen, I haven't been around much lately... wow, about the canoe trip. I love canoeing although I haven't done it for ages.

Hi Sho, hi everyone. I am back from my canoe trip and starting to make my medication change. I have cut down on my Prozac by half. In two weeks we will start the Abilify. I am nervous, but not too nervous.

JEllen

I'm not a or even a Pharmacy major Ellen, but I'm assuming if you've cut back on the Prozac it ought to be a fairly smooth transition...let's hope for the best!

sending you lots of good vibes, JEllen!!!!!

Good luck on your change of medication JEllen.thinking of you.

xxxxSan

Been down on the Prozac a few days, and no depression yet, so that is good.

JE

Ah, that's good Ellen! How's that sunburn? And how're things going?

Hi Jazz, the sunburn has faded to a general pinkness. Guess I need to update my name!

I went to a major art exhibit today - it was part of the Wonders series - called Masters of Florence. It was all about the Medici family, a famous Italian banking family and great patrons of the arts. The exhibit included some great Renaissance artists - Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Raphael, and Boticelli.

A yes, I remember the Medici & the whole Renaissance era from (particularly) my high school art class....a rich/fertile period. The term "Masters" was indeed well chosen!

Hi JEllen,

*waves at Willem & others*

In my Prozac experience,you are doing the sensible thing cutting it down gradually. I wasn't sensible, i just basically said "sod all this!" & abruptly stopped Xanax, Prozac & something else i can't remember the name of. I was very shaky & flaky for a week or so, but that was all. No depression backlash...BUT i don't think i was ever depressed in the first place!!! I was pi**ed off, certainly, but that was due to my lifestyle!

Once off the mindzonkers, i actually had the energy to CHANGE the lifestyle! BUt that's me, not you. Mort may be a good one to talk to, she has just gone through it too.



zdt

Bet you loved the art exhibit!

*waves to abbi* How're you doing abbi?

Hi Terri! The only reason I am cutting back on the Prozac is that it will make my new medicine, Abilify, affect me much more strongly. So, have to be careful with that. But all and all Prozac has been a good med for me, no complaints. It is the Zyprexa that bugs me for different reasons - makes it hard to concentrate, raise my triglycerides, and so on.

JEllen

The exhibit was great Abbi, but I was not totally satisfied. I wish there had been much more Renaissance art, and less Baroque stuff. And the few Boticelli in the show were early works - not his best stuff. The most beautiful thing in the exhibit was the Da Vinci sketch - that alone was worth the cost of admission.

Terri and all,

Well, now that I remember, the Prozac may cause my nighttime insomnia, so that is another reason to cut back!

JEllen

Hello Ellen, Terri and everybody else!

I'm just dropping in to say hi to you Ellen! And that I'm happy that the canoe trip went so well! And to give support with your medication change! I'll check in here whenever I can. Right now I'm quite busy and have very little online time.

This might interest you, they have produced a drink medication which seems to have a lot less side effects:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3791409.stm

zdt *wish i'd seen that expo!*

I think that the exhibit sounded wonderful, too. I would love to have seen that Da Vinci sketch. I prefer the Renaissance over the Baroque as well, but Da Vinci and Botticelli are among my very favorites, so it would have been cool. You do the neatest stuff, JEllen, if we lived closer you'd never get rid of me!

I'm glad you're getting off of the med which raises your triglicerides and all that, and cutting back on the Prozac if it will interact strongly with the Abilify. If it will help to alleviate your insomnia and help you to sleep better and more consistently, that will be fantastic!

I'm also trying abilify for schizophrenia. I'm having some side effects though, like inability to sleep (so I take seroquel) and also light headedness and dizziness nausea.

I wonder how you are doing at it? Are you still on it? Is it effective? Do you like it? Does it have any more side effects after the beginning stage?

Thankyou and God bless

Elaine

Hi Elaine, good to have your input. I haven't started the Abilify yet, I see the doctor on the 30th, and will begin then. I am really really curious to see whether I will have side effects, and to see whether it will control my mania. I will definitely keep everyone posted how it is going.

In the mean time, I have gone down on my Prozac by half to prepare for the switch. The past two days now I have felt tired, almost like I'm on Valium or something! I hope that the Abilify doesn't keep me from sleeping, because I have trouble with that now, and that is one of the things I am trying to change.

I hope your side effects subside. My therapist today said I should give myself a couple months to get used to the new meds once I am on them. It's hard to find people who have first hand experience with Abilify, since it is so new!

*waves* JEllen