Abilify for Schizoaffective Disorder User Reviews

• Yod...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 29, 2013

"I have been on Abilify for about 14 years and I have found it to be very beneficial. I suffered from verbal and visual hallucinations. Thanks to Abilify, I have been symptom-free for a number of years. Thank God."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2020

"I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 as a child, and later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. I had a period in my life where I was into the occult, the Bible, and other occult subjects, and my doctor saw that as being unacceptable. So they put me on Invega, and that made me extremely depressed and was crying most of the day, so I switched to Abilify. The Abilify makes me anxious, restless, body aches, and joint pain, lost my self-worth and purpose. I've been a musician for 13 years, and I just sit here now, unable to motivate myself to do anything. I miss how I felt off of meds, but I'm forced to take them. I don't think antipsychotics are good for depression at all. Every time I get my shot, I almost immediately fall into a deep depression for 2 weeks or so, and then start feeling better the last 2 weeks of the month, then I get my shot and start the cycle all over again. I want to get rid of my meds, and I want to talk to God again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2013

"I am thirty-three and I have schizoaffective disorder. Abilify gave me the energy to make it through the day and run after two kids. It's the best medicine I've ever been on. No side effects. Stopped drinking and pills. Doing much better."

• Sca...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 7, 2015

"I'm 66 years old and had been treated with a myriad of drugs for bipolar and schizoaffective disorder, including psychoses, mood swings, delusions, and hallucinations, for over 30 years when I was put on Abilify. It was like someone flipped a switch and I got my life back. I am virtually symptom-free for over twelve years now, and the only side effect has been some weight gain which, at my age, is a fair trade. Truly a wonder drug."

• Dee...
• May 2, 2020

"It appeared to help because taking it happened to occur at the same time as my symptoms getting much better. Over the years, that was the story being told. No other medication before it did anything for me, so it seemed to be safe for me to stay on Abilify. I finally experimented with taking less after I realized I seemed different from other people. I was wondering why I could never remember things very well and was not very confident or comfortable. It has been a year tapering off from 15 mg daily, and I am finally almost completely off. I have improved tremendously, and for the first time in 15 years, feel like myself. I did not realize how much this medication was making me dumb. Life is too important to mess up. As always, listen and trust your own intuition first. If you start to feel negative effects for any reason, so much that you do not enjoy life as fully as you feel you should, stop this med."

• Nob...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 8, 2017

"I am very happy with Abilify. I have been on it with Lexapro and Klonopin, and I am feeling much better than I was. I can make firm decisions. As a matter of fact, I bought my first home at 58. I take care of my own finances, and for the most part, I am very pleased with my adulthood. I am a wonderful grandma, and my babies love me. It is awesome to be me. I feel free and 'human.' I am blessed!!!!"

• adh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2023

"I was on this med for about 3 months. It was okay at first, but slowly started to become horrible. I don’t know why it did, but I became heavily depressed. I also became more prone to anger. I had to change my medication due to it. I am glad it works for some, but it didn’t for me, and I’m disappointed. Maybe my new ones will work out."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 27, 2012

"I heard voices and experienced wild delusions for over ten years before I found Abilify. At first, I took 10 mg of Haldol to quiet the voices, but that stopped working after six months. And the side effects of Haldol were high. My experience with Abilify, I think, is better than average in that I'm symptom-free, with no side effects. 30 mg a day for three years."

• Let...
• December 23, 2010

"I suffered for over 5 years in an episode state, I was diagnosed with bipolar schizoaffective disorder in January of 2008. Was prescribed Abilify for the schizoaffective disorder and Zoloft for the bipolar disorder. The combination of the two has changed my life. I'm not homeless anymore and am able to hold a part-time job to support myself."

• B s...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2015

"I was recently diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 30 years of age. I've been on 30 different medications, ranging in all of the psychotropic medication spectrum. Abilify, at 10 mg, has stopped the delusions, paranoia, depression, and visuals. I am in full remission with the aid of Paxil and Remeron. Initially, Abilify can cause some insomnia. Ask for a sleep aid. I used Remeron for sleep. I highly recommend Abilify for schizoaffective disorder. One week should have results. Two weeks peak plasma concentration. Peace."

• Fee...
• March 13, 2020

"I have schizophrenia, anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder), and depression. I started Wellbutrin and Abilify 4 days ago, and I also take Loxapine. Because I started Wellbutrin and Abilify at the same time, I'm not sure which one is working for my anxiety. But it was at a solid 8.6/10, and now it's down to 5.5/10. So whatever Abilify and Wellbutrin are doing, it's working for my anxiety a lot."

• Nie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2019

"Abilify is great. I don't feel flat like Zyprexa and Invega made me feel. Do not gain any weight. I feel energy and motivation to do things. At first, it made me feel a little bit restless, but that seems to fade away. Been using it for over a month now. Hope it stays this way!"

• Yes...
• October 8, 2019

"Over 5 years of swallowing this medication daily, even at its lowest dose at times, and it successfully caused me full-blown addiction. Random compulsive shopping, alcoholism, pain relievers, sex, and porn and gambling. That's what I get for asking a 'professional' (an MD) for help, I guess. Add the yearly deductible payment of ~$750 for a 30-day supply every January, plus copays to have the 'professional' refill the addiction every so often. Do I want to sue? Yes. Does it even matter though after what I explained? ...."

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 8, 2023

"I have bipolar I and psychotic disorder. I had severe hallucinations for over a year. Haldol and Zyprexa did not work for me, but then came Abilify which was a miracle drug for me. Hallucinations stopped and I started to feel more awake. Also haven't gained weight... like I did on Zyprexa."

• jra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 23, 2018

"I was 280 pounds on olanzapine and was switched to aripiprazole. I lost 80 pounds in 6 months and have maintained the lower weight for over a year. But I did have a 2-month severe withdrawal period when I stopped the olanzapine. After that, I felt the same on the aripiprazole as I did on the olanzapine, minus the severe obesity. I like aripiprazole, and I have no sexual dysfunction as I did on olanzapine."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 19, 2024

"A few years ago, every night of my life as a 40-something woman, when I would lay down and close my eyes to fall asleep in bed, I would hear voices. I literally felt like I was crazy and that I was going crazy. It was terrifying and embarrassing because, I mean, who do I tell that to, lol? So I told my sweet hubby, and he suggested I see a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist. So I started seeing this one doctor and explained how I’m hearing voices, which was just either my mom’s voice or random voices and music. Very crazy. Long story short, I have been on this medication since, and I do not hear those voices hardly at all anymore. Lately, I have been, so I may have to go back to the same doctor. Anyway, I definitely give this a 10 out of 10 because it removed the stupid crazy voices I was hearing in my head. I don’t even recall if I had any bad side effects at first, and I only take 2 mg of it each afternoon. If I did experience any side effects, they are long gone and well worth it."

• Ian...
• January 19, 2014

"Definitely my favorite. I'm so put down by my mood stabilizer that I never got manic on it. Weight gain for me is self-induced, not medication-induced. It ups a lot of things that make you smarter. Scholastically, I do well on it. Nice medicine."

• dai...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 6, 2012

"Although this medicine works wonders for some and not so well for others, I have found that it has helped me a great deal. It is truly a miracle for me. Without it, I would not be the person that I am today. I was put on this medicine when it was barely out of the lab. It has totally changed my life. I love it!"

• Bel...
• May 26, 2013

"Abilify worked wonders for me. So far, the only side effect I have is the involuntary movement of my jaw. And also, I sleep like 12 hours in the morning. But so far, so good. Haven't gained any weight either, and I hope I don't in the future, as I have been taking it for just 4 months now."

• Kar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 1, 2016

"I am 62. Been diagnosed at 20 with Borderline Personality Disorder, at 21 with Schizoaffective Disorder, then in later years with Autism and Asperger's syndrome. I am not sure which I am. (Plays into my theory that there is only one mental disorder, which has many different manifestations.) Had been taking antipsychotics from 20 to approximately 50, when I was switched to Risperidone. Since 61, been on Abilify. Calm living, declining positive effects I feel, dosage needs to be adjusted (up) occasionally. Get mild anxiety attacks once a month, alleviated with Clonazepam. Socially better, forgetful, can't recognize faces, lose names. Crystalline memory improved. More mature, wiser, but hopelessly inept at seeing details, visuals. Lost 10 lbs."

• Med...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2018

"I have been taking 15 mg of Abilify for 2 months. I’ve lost 6 kg and feel amazing. My depression is all but gone, my day-to-day tasks seem easy now in comparison to my previous med (Risperdal), where I gained 15 kg and was lethargic and unmotivated all the time. I also developed very high prolactin levels from the Risperdal, which have now returned to normal since starting Abilify. My symptoms are gone, and I feel free for the first time in 10 years. I’ve previously been on olanzapine and sodium valproate, and like I said, Risperdal. Over the last 2 years on those meds, I gained 42 kg, mostly on olanzapine, even with a healthy diet. Now it’s 15 mg Abilify, 300 mg lamotrigine, and 1700 mg metformin. I feel amazing and am finally losing weight. Love Abilify. Awesome medication. Had no side effects except a bit drowsy for the first 5 days."

• Anonymous
• October 3, 2020

"It started off great on Abilify. I had so much energy, and it helped me get up early with more energy. However, once I got to 5 mg, it turned into a nightmare. Extreme anxiety around people, and I would feel like crying for almost no reason. I do not like it and am thankful my doctor let me stop taking it."

• Suk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2017

"Yay! Love Abilify. I'm 56, started on the lowest dose 3 weeks ago, and my thinking process has never been so normal. Way more motivation. Feels like a miracle after decades of mental torment. My doc will probably increase my dose a bit in 2 weeks. Looking forward!"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2016

"I developed severe akathisia (restlessness) while taking this medication. I had a difficult time sitting in one place for more than a few minutes, and it was absolutely exhausting. I also developed insomnia and TD (tardive dyskinesia), and altogether I would say this medication was very difficult to tolerate. I was happy to be taken off of it."

• Gab...
• April 18, 2020

"This is a terrible drug! I would recommend to never take this. I was on it for 3 months, and it was the worst 3 months of my life. My anxiety and depression got so much worse, and I felt as if I was trapped with nowhere to go or no hope. It also made me feel as if I were out of reality."