u/DartsLouis_TheSecond

Hi everyone,

I'm a parent of a 10-year-old boy with autism. He has been on aripiprazole (Abilify) for a while now, and I'm becoming increasingly worried about his weight gain. He has bloated up significantly, even though he doesn't eat dramatically more than before.

I know aripiprazole is supposed to have fewer metabolic side effects than some other antipsychotics, but for my son it clearly is causing noticeable weight gain. It no longer feels healthy to me.

Has anyone else experienced this with their child on aripiprazole? Did the weight gain stabilize over time, or did it keep increasing? Were you able to reduce the dose or did you switch to something else?

I'm planning to speak with his psychiatrist about this, but I'd love to hear from other parents first — what your experience has been, what questions are worth asking, and what has or hasn't worked for your child.

Any advice or shared experience is very welcome. Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I'm a 40-year-old male from Belgium, recently diagnosed with Orofacial Granulomatosis (OFG) and looking to connect with others who have experience with this condition.

My story:

Since September 2025 I've been having recurring inflammations of my right cheek and lips — swelling, burning, redness. After extensive testing (biopsy, HRCT, bloodwork) all serious causes were excluded (sarcoidosis, TBC, Crohn, vasculitis, malignancy).

Current treatment:

Methylprednisolone (Medrol) 32mg — tapering down

Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) 400mg — taking over from Medrol

My questions for the community:

Does anyone have experience with Plaquenil as a long term treatment for OFG? How long before you felt improvement?

Has anyone identified a specific trigger for their OFG — especially pet allergies (I have 2 cats and 2 dogs) or food triggers like cinnamon or benzoates?

My total IgE is 400 despite being on Medrol and antihistamines — did anyone else have strongly elevated IgE with OFG?

Has anyone been referred to an allergologist as part of their OFG workup and did it help?

For those who had the burning tongue and lip swelling — how long did it take to settle on Plaquenil?

Any tips for managing the side effects of Medrol — especially fatigue, brain fog and bloating?

Background that might be relevant:

Atopic history — eczema, asthma as a child, hay fever

2 cats and 2 dogs at home since 5 years

Lingua plicata noted on examination

Cobblestone pattern of buccal mucosa

Weak positive ANA (1/80)

Thanks in advance — it's a relief to know there are others out there who understand this journey! 🙏