Abilify for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• mys...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2013

"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."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2022

"DO NOT take Abilify for dissociation. I got prescribed this medicine for my bipolar disorder and because I’ve been very afraid of the side effects of others, but was told this one would be easier for me to handle. I took it for 2 weeks and had constant panic attacks and intense dissociation. It’s been months since I’ve been off of it, and I still have to deal with intense depersonalization from the anxiety and fear this medication brought up in me. Coming off the medication as well is very horrible because it gives you constant headaches during, but coming off makes them 100% more intense. It’s like withdrawing from a hard, hard drug. It’s not worth your mental health. There are better alternatives than this medication. This medication has ruined my perception of other meds, and I don’t think I could possibly take any like it again. This medication DOES NOT help dissociation, it makes you feel 100% worse."

• Val...
• October 15, 2014

"Have been on Abilify for two weeks, and my personality has changed drastically. I went from being chilled out and quite okay on Seroquel and Effexor but wanted to try Abilify to combat weight gain. In the two weeks I've been on it, I've swung from hypomanic to aggressive and downright selfish. I did things I wouldn't normally do that have hurt my relationship with my partner, and I've also been spending like crazy. Probably should stop but will consult psychiatrist first to see what she says."

• Blu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 17, 2017

"Excellent. Depression lifted fast. Stabilizes my mood very well, as a bonus, I spontaneously lost 55 lbs! All that weight came from Seroquel and Zyprexa. Con: has a negative effect on sleep, I need melatonin to be able to sleep. Also, my blood pressure is suddenly a lot lower, 102/63, causing some lightheadedness during the day. It's, however, the first med that is able to stabilize my mood very well with very acceptable side effects."

• bri...
• April 4, 2012

"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."

• Bab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2019

"I have a mood disorder and an anxiety disorder. I’ve been taking Zoloft for about three years, and although it helped with anxiety, it didn’t touch my intense mood swings. After a very bad mood swing that almost broke up my seven-year relationship, I sought help. My psychiatrist put me on Lamictal first, and it gave me hives. Then we tried Trileptal, and the GI side effects were unbearable after two weeks. Finally, she put me on Abilify, and so far it has been great. I’ve been on 2 mg of Abilify (with 50 mg Zoloft) for a week, and there have been almost no side effects. I was warned there might be dry mouth or excessive sweating, but I’ve been fine. It did cause me to wake up seven to eight times during the night, but I switched to taking it in the morning and now I sleep like a baby again! It has only been a week, but I’m starting to feel a difference: I have more energy and I feel more in control of my moods."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2021

"Abilify was horrible to me. Very soon after starting medication, I started to experience blurred vision, extreme nausea and vomiting, unable to sleep, headaches. Dose: 2.5 mg. Diagnosis: bipolar disorder and CPTSD."

• Wil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

"I felt like a different person. I felt weird, socially withdrawn, and introverted. I had fogginess in the back of my head. I had no appetite or sex drive. I had shaky legs and hands. I was up all night. I would have times where my eyes were out of focus and I couldn’t see straight. Please do not take this medication. Everybody is different, but my experience was horrible. As I stopped taking it, these side effects are going away. I couldn’t function or do simple tasks."

• Kry...
• January 17, 2011

"I love this medicine. I have bipolar II disorder, and this medicine does everything it's supposed to do. It keeps my manic moods completely in check and works very well in conjunction with Zoloft. I have been on both drugs for years, and I have not had any serious depression or mania for over 20 years! The only side effect that I experience is fatigue, but so worth it. The side effects are minimal. I feel and act normal."

• Voo...
• June 21, 2008

"This is a good antipsychotic and does well for bipolar disorder. I was on 20 mg per day when I suffered a severe manic episode, so it is possible to have episodes while on the medication, but I should point out that I was not taking it every day as I was supposed to. The only side effects I get from this are restlessness, anxiety, and slight tremors."

• Anonymous
• August 28, 2008

"Abilify has been useful to me in terms of sleep and improving my insomnia, but I still have to be treated with a mood stabilizer, like Lithium, in order to keep my bipolar episodes under control. The good news is that it did not cause (I was at 10 mg daily) weight gain like Zyprexa. Good luck to all of you!"

• kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2015

"I'm on Abilify in conjunction with Lamictal. In ten years, this combination is the only one that has worked. While it took some tweaking, it is well worth it. Two side effects: constipation and eye rolling."

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2008

"I have been on this for 2 weeks (only 4 mg). I have energy again and do not feel so sleepy during the day. I am still taking Seroquel at night-100 mg to sleep. Side effects are constipation and restlessness. I am now exercising again and able to drop the weight I had gained while on higher doses of Seroquel."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 11, 2012

"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 doctor 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!"

• Tal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2018

"I was started on Abilify as a mood stabilizer for Bipolar I manic episodes. I was afraid to take it at first (as I am with all meds), but I took 1/4 of the pill days 1-2. Felt no ill effects except tiredness. Took 1/2 pill for 2 weeks. Noticed immediately my mood leveled out. Still made me tired at night. Groggy in the morning but wore off as the day went on. Now, on a whole 5 mg and so far it has been wonderful! I feel so much happier and leveled off with my moods. I feel normal. It’s fantastic! It still makes me tired when I first take it at night (so I can sleep finally), but the early morning grogginess is much better. Used to last all morning. Now lasts maybe an hour. Love it!!"

• Wha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2019

"I was prescribed Abilify after experiencing a 3-4 month long hypomanic episode. I was on Lamictal 100 mg, but that wasn’t helping alone, so my psychiatrist decided to add in Abilify. She also said it would help with the mild paranoid thoughts I was having. This was a horrible medication for me personally. It may work for other people, but it wasn’t for me. It made me flat, and I didn’t care about anything anymore. I wasn’t depressed on it, I just didn’t care about anything. Even the people around me commented on how apathetic I had become. It made my fears of psychiatric medications come true. I lost my personality, passion, and energy. I am off of it now and feel way better. I think it served its purpose of getting me out of my hypomanic episode, which is why I gave it a 4-star rating, but I couldn’t see being on this medication long-term."

• Ked...
• November 18, 2009

"It did wonders for my mood, however, I was not told of the risks involved. And the positive did not outweigh the negative in this case. After only a month, I developed atrophy and my legs hurt badly. I can't sit still, I pace, I cry, ...anything to get the pain to stop. My psych said it was from the Abilify. I'm now on Geodon and praying this isn't permanent. Please be informed before taking this medication!"

• Jen...
• January 31, 2018

"I've suffered from Bipolar II and GAD and ADD for 15 years now. I take Lamictal, Effexor XR, Abilify, and Adderall. Not until I started Abilify 3 weeks ago have I had any improvement with energy levels and depression. I have treatment-resistant depression, and my anxiety causes me to not be able to work, and I barely want to leave the house. But since starting Abilify, I feel almost fantastic. I wake up early, ready to start my day. And I've never been a morning person. I'm more positive about my life, and I am even thinking about getting a job. I haven't worked in 6 years. But I do have problems staying asleep. I mean, it's 3:06 am, and I am wide awake writing this. So yeah, restless sleep. And the sexual side effects aren't good. Total lack of interest, which is difficult when you're in a relationship. But I'm not willing to stop this medication. The good far outweighs the bad in so, so many ways. Good luck to all and give this med a try."

• que...
• October 24, 2013

"I was diagnosed as bipolar type II, and my nurse practitioner in WA prescribed me Abilify, and I gained 30 lbs within a month of taking it. I blew up like a balloon, and he said he doesn't have that side effect. I looked online, and it says that it clearly does. He said to take it a few more weeks and see how I did. I gained ten more pounds, and my mother insisted I stop taking it. I went from 148 to 188 lbs. It may have started helping with my symptoms, but I was too concerned about my weight gain, so he finally put me on Topamax."

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2012

"I was prescribed Abilify 15 mg in addition to Depakote 1 g daily for bipolar affective disorder, and my mood was stabilized, but it was 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."

• Noc...
• November 12, 2014

"I'm a 21-year-old female and just diagnosed with Bipolar I. It's been a roller coaster ride, especially after gaining 10 pounds in the hospital while taking risperidone and Depakote. I'm still on the Depakote, though I hope to discontinue it as soon as my psychiatrist allows, but I just switched to Abilify. I've got to say, so far I have no complaints. With risperidone, I had no 'lid' to my hunger. It was endless, and that was quite disappointing. There were many other side effects, but the weight gain has added to my self-loathing. Though the painful heart dysrhythmias are a close second. I'm hoping that Abilify makes it possible for me to curb my appetite back to what it used to be as I exercise the 30 pounds I don't need away."

• Mak...
• February 5, 2016

"This drug is horrendous. I spent a week in a psychiatric ward the year I was twenty, and they titrated it up to ten milligrams by the time I was let out. I was a complete zombie, exhausted all the time - could fall asleep anywhere, any time of the day - so anxious that I had to keep moving my body to function. Kept crossing and uncrossing my legs, wringing my hands, etc. I was so numbed out I simply didn't enjoy life. I don't know how I managed to not kill myself. This thing will wreck you."

• Anonymous
• August 25, 2021

"This med wasn’t good for me. It made my anxiety really bad, to the point where I couldn’t even leave my house. I became lightheaded and dizzy and wound up in the hospital because of it. I am currently on Zyprexa to fix what the Abilify has done to me. This was my experience, which may not be the experience you have. Good luck."

• Boo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2021

"I was just released from an acute inpatient hospital for severe suicidal ideation and burning myself. They put me on Abilify 2 mg. It’s been a week, and I already feel a positive difference. I am diagnosed with bipolar type 2 with borderline traits, PTSD, and autism. This medication has seemingly taken away my severe anger and irritation, my previously constantly running thoughts, and has given me the drive and energy to function. I just finished organizing and cleaning out my car that had things in it from 8 months ago. It’s 3 pm, and I don’t feel like sleeping for 6 hours, then sleeping all night again until 12 pm the next day. I went out to eat with a friend and felt zero annoyance. I’ve showered, shaved, and cleaned my room today, too. My thoughts feel clearer and feel focused. Zero side effects. I wish I had tried this medication sooner."

• Izz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 7, 2015

"Desperately trying to get back on Abilify, but insurance is awful. My suicidal thoughts are back. The Abilify balanced me out, and I could sleep while on it. (It's almost 5 am, and I haven't slept yet.)"