User Reviews for Abilify

I would hide at home for months, shaking when a telephone rang. I couldn't let people go and had obsessive thoughts. Abilify gave me calm, confidence and hope. It made me less sensitive to light and time, I was no longer at the mercy of each passing moment. I woke up relaxed, went to bed without a noise in my head, inner voices stopped criticizing me, thoughts didn't race. I was creative but focused, and began wonderful new projects. Had NO side effects- NO weight gain. 'Worked magic that first day. But after a month it seemed to do nothing but make me sad. Evidently that was a manic phase. It blocks my mania, but not my depressive switch. Feels like I've traded manic depression for unipolar depression. I am being switched to lithium.

I WAS on Abilify for more than a year. then it got prohibitively expensive. (over $250) I was on 15mg. It made my rage and aggression more manageable. I think this is a MIRACLE pill. The only side affect that DIDN'T go away, was the restless leg syndrome. If you can afford this medicine, take it, it's GREAT.

This pulled me right out of the zombie state the mood stabilizer antidepressant combination had put me in. I still have swings, but they're not as deep or as long, and my mania is still stifled enough that it's productive rather than destructive.

Loving it so far, seems to be giving me a life. I am a single mom who struggles with bipolar polar everyday and has been on almost everything and combo of things out there with no success. The only problems I've noticed so far are nausea, dizziness, and being extremely tired throughout the day. I have only been on the medicine for a short period of time so I'm hoping these side effects will start to go away but compared to what I normally deal with, they are nothing. The big issue is I do not have insurance so my doctor is currently giving me samples. I'm trying to qualify for the financial assistance program but if I don't I won't be able to take the medication.

I was prescribed Abilify 15mg in addition to Depakote 1g daily for bipolar affective disorder and my mood was stabilised but it wad constantly low and on the edge. I was heavily sedated that I slept 15 hours a day and when I was awake I didn't feel 'completely there', and I also had blurred vision. I was taken off the Abilify and put onto Quetiapine and was more alert and my vision improved, so in my case Abilify really didn't suit me.

Abilify helped me at the maxed out dose of 30mg. I noticed that it made my manic episodes be more contained, however, when I was depressed it dragged me down deeper. I actually was suicidal. It was a real painful thing since usually my manic episodes are a lot worse.

Puerperal Psychosis: Makes me feel hungrier than usual but has given me much more energy than other medicines such as Seroquel, Risperidal and Zyprexa (all of which I have tried previously). Glad to get a chance to try Ablify at last. Seems to curb the delusions and hallucinations too.

I have been taking Abilify for nearly two years to manage my episodes of rage. The medication helps me to talk myself down in circumstances that I would usually build on my ridiculous ideas. It is a miracle medicine for me. Last month when the price went up to $120 dollars I decided to try and manage without it since I am also on a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant. That was a bad idea. After about 9 days I started noticing my episodes of rage increasing and I also started feeling more social anxiety. My husband requested that I begin taking the Abilify again, and after just a couple days I was back to my "normal" self. I take 15 mg at bedtime. Although the cost is high, it is worth it to keep my sanity.

I've been on Abilify for nearly 2 years. The first month or so was rough (tired early at night or after a cocktail, restless sleep, waking up early, dizziness, foggy head), but after my Dr. reduced my dose to 2.5 mg/day, side effects improved. The ones that remain are profuse night sweats (SOAKED sheets) and constipation. It does make you a bit tired, but I take it before bed. It completely helped with my irritation/agitation towards people and my children. I have a ton more patience and less anxiety overall. The biggest issue I have is the cost. Get the Abilify Savings card if you are starting a new prescription!

I have had no suicidal thoughts since I've been on this medicine. It is an awesome medicine.

Abilify gave me total erectile dysfunction, spasms. It made me fatigued even if I took it at night but at the same time it made me feel quite agitated inside. I was only on this medication for a month so I cannot say whether it controlled my symptoms effectively. It may work for some, however the side effects were unbearable for me.

I'm 38 and have been suffering from bipolar and some schizophrenia since age 12. First time in my life that a pill other than a painkiller took away the crushing pressure pinning my dreams, my soul, to the ground.

This medicine works well for me and I tried a lot of medicines. It's a little pill, does a lot. People have said I seem much better and have my personality back (I was on lithium, made me like a zombie). Hardly any side effects. I take it with Lamictal. A

I've just finished my first week on Abilify, and although I've been told that the med is ready to do its job from the 2nd or 3rd day you take it, I don't think my brain chemistry has settled down to one reaction. Right now, I'm pleased. I have Bipolar Type 2, and Abilify was prescribed to help with my constant depression. Now I am going back and forth between a little anxious and mildly manic, sometimes in one day. This is a huge improvement. I have energy! I can smile! Hope this is permanent

It made me very agitated.

Has significantly reduced my mania and irritability. I'm much more stable. Has also reduced my need for alcohol, which I used frequently to medicate. I've been on several medicines for bipolar and this one seems to work for me. Started at 2mg. at night and worked up to 10mg, (5th day at 10mg.) and feel much more in control. My insomnia is gone too. I haven't gained any weight but was on Risperdal (gained 10 pds.) can't seem to lose that weight. Since I've decided to quit drinking maybe I'll lose the weight.

Have been taking Abilify for 6 months at 2 mg daily. The first 2 weeks were hard I couldn't sit still at all and could not sleep and my work suffered badly because I couldnt think due to lack of sleep, but I didn't give up because the anger and extreme anxiety I was experiencing disappeared after the first dose! I have gained weight and sometimes cannot control binge eating since I've been on it. Also it does almost nothing for depression which still comes and goes but is easier to deal with since I have much less anxiety symptoms but I seem I be really paranoid now and I don't like that. All that being said I feel way more stable on this than on nothing.

I just started this medicine and I feel great already from switching off Seroquel XR to Abilify. I take 2.5mg (split 5mg pill) in the morning and my moods are a lot more stable. I'm also more productive at everything like work, house work, etc. My loved ones can see the difference. The first two days I experienced some nausea but that's it! I feel the biggest thing is start at a low dose.

It seemed to work well but I developed akathesia on this medicine. I took it for a few months. I felt like I could not sit still. I had to keep moving. I could not enjoy anything. I also had trouble sleeping. I tried lowering the dosage then we tried increasing the dosage but nothing helped. I finally had to stop taking it because of the side effects.

Starting on day two of treatment I felt progressively sicker with mild nausea, muscle aching and general malaise.

I have been on Abilify for three weeks now. I also take Klonopin, Celexa, and Trileptal for bipolar II disorder. The Abilify was added to control my anger and aggression, because sometimes I just wanted to SNAP! I feel much better now. So far I've only lost weight because it makes me feel queasy and kills my appetite in general. However, I give it an 8 because it costs a small fortune to be on this medication ($600 a month since I no longer have insurance). It's made my insomnia worse too. Overall though as long as it doesn't make me gain weight it still rates high on my scale.

I have had emotional disorders all my life. I am 48 years old. I've always been taking something most of my adult life. I recently went off Lithium (after 2 years of 900 mg/day) and was put on Abilify. Wow. It's only been 3-4 days of taking it and I can tell a big difference. Taking 1/2 10 mg for 2 weeks then the whole 10 mg after that. I also take Prozac 40 mg/day. Thyroid medicines, blood pressure medicines and 2 mg clonazepam to sleep. I am surprised this Abilify has put energy in me so quick.

I have been on Abilify for almost a year now after having a starting to go into a manic episode. Abilify helped very quickly for me and kept me from going full blown mania. It also has stabilized my moods very well, however the down side is I have gained tremendous amounts of weight while on this 50lbs in the first 6 months with 34 more lbs in the following months. My regular MD told me it was the Abilify after doing some test for other things, and advised me to get off this. I can't afford to gain anymore weight and I am hoping that getting off this takes care of that, but I also hope I will remain stable. Good luck if you need this take it, but be aware of increased hunger and weight gain.

Abilify has enabled me to control some of my anxiousness and reactions due to being anxious better than I had been able to before. I no longer want to smack someone who I feel is doing me wrong - I am able to control those impulses so much better than before, it is not even funny. I think on a day to day basis, I am much more even keeled than I was before I started taking the medication. Keep in mind that I take it with an antidepressant (Lexapro) because I understand that Abilify provides an assist to the Lexapro in controlling my overwhelming depression symptoms. Depression and anger are now being controlled more effectively.

I took 10mg for about 6 months although initially I felt less manic, my muscles in my legs ached and I started to lose my zest to do anything. My whole outlook on life seemed to be dead but not in a depressed way. I stopped taking Abilify and gradually I started to return back to the creative person I have always been. I still take a mood stabiliser (topirimate) to control my mania and Prozac to stop my depressive moods. Abilify was just a step too far for me to handle, I don't want to be a zombie.