i have never heard of having hand tremors, but i am newly diagnosed...check out the side effects of abilify, maybe that is one?

I had to give up work as a psyche RN because of medication induced hand tremors. The best person to ask is your pharmacist.

WHOA! Tremors are ABSOLUTELY a main side effects of Lithium. The main concern is if your son is consuming enough water. Lithium is a salt it can lead to toxicity levels rapidly if it is not purged from the system. He should be consuming at least 2 liters of water per day. Also, Abilify has some activating properties to it. How much is he taking?

hand tremors are small side effects, but if i gets worse you should stop the medication or else suffer problems accosiated with the meds, but you should definetly talk to your doc, because i am experiencing bad side effects. always have blood tests to check the level of med.

be carefull, as side effects could worsen or become permanent.

I've definitely never had tremors as a part of a manic episode. The only time I get hand tremors is if I'm low blood sugar or having a severe anxiety attack. I get jittery (nervous repetitive motion rather than uncontrolled tremors) when manic, like tapping my foot or something but the hand tremors sound more likely to be medication induced.

I have them, i dont like them but theres not much you can do about them i dont think. Sometimes theyre pretty bad sometimes theyre barley at all and sometimes it stops, but hardley ever.

I forgot to mention that i notice if i drink anything caffinated my hand tremors get worse. The same is also true with one of my friends whom is also bipolar and on meds.

I have tremors..I am on Lamictal and Zyprexa and Xanax (prn) and I noticed they were more pronounced after I started the Zyprexa or when I'm anxious, and when my DH is around because he's been abusive and I never know what's going to set him off.

I am very quietly planing to get out of the marriage..something tells me the tremors will improve once he's out of the picture!

I have never had hand tremors as a result of mania. I have had SERIOUS hand tremors due to medication side effects. I had to give up cutting hair and I could barely type. My p-doc put me on Toprol-XL - a beta-blocking blood pressure medication. This caused the tremors to stop almost instantly. I did have some problems with low blood pressure. Since then my medications have been changed, I have gone off of the Toprol, and the hand tremors have not returned. Best of luck. Julie

I Took lithium for yrs and would get tremors when I needed the lithium adjusted or when I was dehydrated. You have to be careful with lithium toxicity, it can be very dangerous.

I've read one time aboutmania induced tremors there were saying that you can get so wired that everythings just shakes or twitches and that speach can sound like o kinda hum or buzz because there is no pause or anything, but how is he getting that manic while on meds?

I've got a tremor in my hands as well and wellbutrin makes it worse. Higher doses of wellbutrin makes me shake even more.
My whole arm shakes if I'm on more medication then my body can take. Perhaps your son is on to high of a dose for him. Or hes still getting use to medication changes.

I have terrible hand tremors, had no idea why they were happening, but from the replies I've seen here I'm thinking it must be the Lithium.

One of the big identifiers that something might be wrong with any atypical anti-psychotic such as abliify, zyprexa, geodon, seroquel, etc. is the possiblilty of a condition called tardive dyskinesia. I have experienced this on 2 different anti-psychotics.

If the condition gets worse or is prolonged for any period of time then you should immediately make an emergency appointment with his PDOC because long term subjection to such a condition has the chance of becoming permanent.

From:

http://www.abilify.com/abilify/home/index.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION and INDICATIONS for ABILIFY (aripiprazole)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
Elderly patients, diagnosed with psychosis as a result of dementia (for example, an inability to perform daily activities as a result of increased memory loss), and who are treated with atypical antipsychotic medicines including ABILIFY, are at an increased risk of death when compared to patients who are treated with a placebo (sugar pill). ABILIFY is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Serious side effects can occur with any antipsychotic medicine, including ABILIFY. Tell your healthcare professional right away if you have any conditions or side effects, including the following:

* Very high fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, or increased heart rate and blood pressure. These may be signs of a condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare but serious side effect which could be fatal
* Abnormal or uncontrollable movements. These may be signs of a serious condition called tardive dyskinesia, which may be permanent
* Elderly: An increased risk of stroke and ministroke has been reported in a clinical study of elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis
* Diabetes, risk factors for diabetes (for example, obesity, family history of diabetes), or unexpected increases in thirst, urination, or hunger. Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), in some cases serious and associated with coma or death, have been reported in patients taking medicines like ABILIFY. Ask your healthcare professional about the need to monitor your blood sugar level before and during treatment

Lightheadedness or faintness caused by a sudden change in heart rate and blood pressure when rising quickly from a sitting or lying position (orthostatic hypotension) has been reported with ABILIFY. Medicines like ABILIFY can affect your judgment, thinking, or motor skills. You should not drive or operate hazardous machinery until you know how ABILIFY affects you.

Since medicines like ABILIFY can impact your bodys ability to reduce body temperature, you should avoid overheating and dehydration.

Medicines like ABILIFY have been associated with swallowing problems (dysphagia). If you had or have swallowing problems, you should tell your healthcare professional.

If you have suicidal thoughts, you should tell your healthcare professional right away.

While taking ABILIFY, avoid:
# Drinking alcohol
# Breast-feeding an infant

Tell your healthcare professional if you have a history of seizures, or are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, and about all prescription and non-prescription medicines you are taking or plan to take.

Other common side effects include: headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, upset stomach, and an inner sense of restlessness or need to move (akathisia).

For patients who must limit their sugar intake, ABILIFY Oral Solution contains sugar.

For patients who cannot metabolize phenylalanine (those with phenylketonuria or PKU), ABILIFY DISCMELT (aripiprazole) contains phenylalanine.

If you have any questions about your health or medicines, talk to your healthcare professional.

INDICATIONS:

ABILIFY (aripiprazole) is indicated for the treatment of:

* Schizophrenia, including maintaining stability in patients who had been symptomatically stable on other antipsychotic medications for periods of 3 months or longer and observed for relapse during a period of up to 26 weeks
* Acute manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder
* Maintaining efficacy in patients with Bipolar I Disorder with a recent manic or mixed episode who had been stabilized and then maintained for at least 6 weeks

The information on this site is intended for residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 years of age or older.

I hope that this helps and your son gets the treatment that he needs.