Abilify and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 4)

• vee...
• March 27, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I have rapid-cycling bipolar and have been on Abilify for a little over 7-8 months. At first, I was on the Abilify by itself, and I experienced worsened anxiety and depression. I was thinking about switching drugs after a few weeks of these negative feelings not going away, so my Pdoc added Zoloft to my mix. This combination was a lifesaver for me. I would definitely recommend using Abilify as an add-on. My mania is manifested as rage, impulsiveness, and rapid negative thoughts in my head, and Abilify stopped that for me. The only negative side effect I have now is weight gain. I've only gained 8 pounds, but I have to ignore my food cravings."

• Man...
• January 13, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Total mania, could not sleep, monitored sleep showed never in REM sleep at all over an 8-hour period. Anxious, increased respiratory rate, wide awake, no hunger, racking thoughts. Unable to finally function at job related to no sleep. This drug is horrid!"

• Cds...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "I tried Abilify for certain health conditions, mainly for what the doctor suggested: bipolar disorder. The first week was great. I felt my mind was more stable and not racing, however, by week three, I felt horrible. I had unbelievable chest pressure, shaky, chills, lightheaded, flu-like symptoms, plus anxiety. I would not give this drug to my worst enemy. There has to be a better route. I have a family history of heart problems, so maybe that's why. I hope you find help with your struggle also."

• wir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "So far, so good. After having been on a high dosage of Effexor XR for several years and hoping to wean off of that med, I ended up in the hospital with a major depressive breakdown. The hospital psychiatrist prescribed 40 mg fluoxetine, and after 6 weeks, that wasn't touching my disorder. My new psychiatrist had me try Latuda 40 mg at first, and that med made me feel tense and horrible. Now we are trying a low dosage of Abilify along with the 40 mg fluoxetine."

• jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "After a few weeks, it had me unsettled and tapping my feet 90 miles an hour. It made me nervous. I went down on my dosage to 7.5, and I’m better but want off of it. I’m just without personality, and I feel like there’s something better I could take."

• lil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify since Sept 2017. I haven't gained weight, no side effects so far, and no anxiety. This drug helps me to focus and concentrate. It also keeps my moods stable. I take this with lithium 1200 mg and Seroquel 100 mg for sleep. Hopefully, it keeps on working."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I've left an experience description on this site on July 1, 2016. On the plus side, I'm still calm, socially acceptable, void of psychosis, anger, am kinder and gentler. But I've continued to develop anxiety. It is accompanied by a strong depression. The quality of my life has taken a turn for the worse for the last two months or so. And it is constantly getting worse. Today I took half a tablet of Clonazepam, as suggested and prescribed by my psychiatrist for exactly this reason. Anxiety, panic. And it helped!! But I resent having to take a pill for such deeply disturbing and serious a side effect. Especially one such pill that is potentially extremely habit-forming, tolerance-developing, and dependence-training."

• Mia...
• July 29, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm a 22-year-old female, recently diagnosed with bipolar. I took this medication for a month, and it was pure hell. It made me an emotional wreck (never was emotional), crying out of nowhere, made my anxiety even worse, made me extremely tired, made me paranoid to the point where I thought I was going to die. Overall, I have no positive notes to tell. Didn't work for me, but hey, everyone is different."

• Mia...
• July 29, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm a 22-year-old female, recently diagnosed with bipolar. I took this medication for a month, and it was pure hell. It made me an emotional wreck (never was emotional), crying out of nowhere, made my anxiety even worse, made me extremely tired, made me paranoid to the point where I thought I was going to die. Overall, I have no positive notes to tell. Didn't work for me, but hey, everyone is different."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "First 2 weeks, I felt great taking 2 mg a day. Third week, this week, my intrusive, negative thoughts, anxiety, and panic disorders are back with a vengeance. Hoping to get better regulation of my emotions soon!"

• OWE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication was the worst experience of my life, and I've been through a lot of rubbish. I experienced insomnia, depression, anxiety, and pseudo ME on Abilify. I was on it for 3 months, and I spent my time feeling lobotomized and wanting to give up on life. It took me 3 months to fully get back to my old self, going between depressed and manic. I found a medication that works for me without professional help afterwards."

• Ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have only been taking Abilify (along with my Prozac) for 2 days. So far, I have had many ups and downs. I wake up feeling shaky and out of sorts. I have trouble breathing and black out a lot. (I black out anyway, but it has increased). Then I go through a period of anxiety and sweating. A little while later, I go through severe nausea and then extreme fatigue. Between each phase, I feel pretty great, but it's short-lived. I'm going to give it more time, but that's the initial reaction for me."

• Anonymous
• February 11, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "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 couldn't 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 to be really paranoid now, and I don't like that. All that being said, I feel way more stable on this than on nothing."

• Goo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 8, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I have a love/hate relationship with this medication. I don't want to be on it, but what can I say? It actually helps stabilize my moods with the least side effects compared to everything else out there. I think this medication makes me lazy. But after a decade of trial and error, I think my forever med combination is this medication and another for ADHD. In the past, I have had trouble with feeling anxious on this pill, but the other medication I take, Qelbree, helps with this. Another note: This medication really cuts out euphoria. I don't like that. I have yet to experience many 'best moments of life' due to my protracted psychiatric problems, but the few I have had, I think this medication stabilizes moods to where I can't feel those highs anymore. Not happy with that."

• shr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I hoped this medication would work for years before it went generic, but for my illness, it seemed I had a relapse. I took the amount the doctor told me, 15 mg, maybe not the most effective dose, I dunno. I just hoped that's all because when I was on it, I felt like I was taking a Tylenol, no head pain or dry eyes or anxiety, it just felt like a placebo. I would try it again if I run out of options, but for me, I really like my Seroquel, which seems to help me with all my many illnesses in just two pills per day. I took the little rectangle ones."

• Anonymous
• June 19, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been prescribed Abilify and Loxapine for a manic episode on May 19th for slightly more than three weeks. It worked well, but early June I started to feel unable to sit still at some places. Around June 10th I had terrible anxiety and panic attacks, it was pure torture, so back to the institution. Had to wait two days until a doctor showed up, gave me something that stopped it all and removed the two drugs. It might be Loxapine. Fact is, since then, there is another torture: akathisia in the form of wanting to walk all the time. It's been one week now and, thank God, it stops at night. I want to live (I'm not even 20). I pray it stops fast, I've suffered enough. I really hate Abilify or Loxapine."

• Sey...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 9, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was prescribed Abilify to help 'boost' my antidepressants. Have been on it for almost two years. Caused me to gain 50 pounds in 3 months, and even with exercise and dieting, have been unable to lose the weight. Also causes very vivid dreams, and at higher doses, causes feelings of anxiety and paranoia. I strongly suggest you take a genetic test to make sure this medication will work for you before you take this drug."

• tur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 1, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "DO NOT TAKE IF YOU HAVE ANXIETY. It was a never-ending panic attack. It made my mania worse because of the anxiety and restlessness. It also made me extremely nauseous to the point where eating my favorite foods was a chore. The only positive was that it got me out of my depression that Seroquel put me in and made me feel like a normal human being again. The weight loss was a plus too, considering Seroquel made me gain so much weight."

• Hea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I wish I could tout the glorious benefits of this medication, but I can't. It has made me super tense. As someone struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder - that is totally unacceptable. I was already uptight and too intense! I also feel as though my focus is dull and aggravated. I have zilch interest as far as my mind goes. It has now been at least 9 hours and I am STILL struggling. If you are someone who has to endure tension and stress on a daily basis, I don't think this medication is for you. Hopefully, this will wear off soon. I hope so."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I got extreme manic symptoms after I used Abilify for one month. I feel very anxious and scared about everything. I have an illusion of energy, which leads me to push up double the amount compared to no medication usage, but I feel very weak and have extreme anxiety in the next few days. It increases my distance between up and down emotions very far away, but the distance between up and down emotions should be neutral. After I withdrew all of them carefully with herbal sleeping pills as an alternative, my distant emotions became shorter, which changed to a neutral condition. When my emotions and mood became neutral, my excessive emotional reactions no longer appeared."

• Psy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 6, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Not effective enough for the long-term, therapeutic management of certain psychoses. I coped well on Aripiprazole or Abilify initially along with an antidepressant, but the benefits soon stopped. I’m now back to square 1 - paranoid, delusional, and horribly depressed and anxious. Some swear by Abilify and its non-sedating, alerting effects. I personally cannot tolerate this med any longer and will be handing it back to my pharmacy."

• Psy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 6, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Not effective enough for the long-term, therapeutic management of certain psychoses. I coped well on Aripiprazole or Abilify initially along with an antidepressant, but the benefits soon stopped. I’m now back to square 1 - paranoid, delusional, and horribly depressed and anxious. Some swear by Abilify and its non-sedating, alerting effects. I personally cannot tolerate this med any longer and will be handing it back to my pharmacy."

• soo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Abilify for about two months after Zyprexa was making me incredibly sleepy and hungry all the time. After a few weeks, I became unbearably anxious and restless in a way I'd never experienced before and have never experienced since. Switched to Geodon because I couldn't tolerate the extreme anxiety anymore, and Geodon does the trick. Didn't become manic, so I guess it worked, though."

• Dru...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on 0.5 mg of Abilify for two weeks. I couldn't stay still, couldn't sleep, couldn't smell food without getting sick to my stomach. I feel like I have to be doing something constantly. I get bad shakes all the time. I couldn't even eat, I lost weight, I only weighed 118 lbs to begin with. I was nauseous, I had to take nausea medication for something. I was in a constant state of anxiousness, and it was horrible. I'm glad it has worked well for other people, but this just wasn't for me. I'm off of it, and it took me a month to get out of my system. My psychiatrist changed me to Latuda 40 mg at night, and I have my life back. It took about two to three weeks for me to see the changes, but they did come. I enjoy everyday life now, I feel normal now. Your doctor can give you a coupon to pay no more than $15.00. I am on Latuda 40 mg at night and Klonopin 0.5 twice a day or as needed. No side effects."

• jel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2025

For Bipolar Disorder "Taken 5 mg for 2 months for bipolar II. Works well so far and feel more level. Can still get very mild hypomanic episodes on this dose but they are far less powerful and disruptive e.g. 1-2 days hypo instead of weeks, which is much better. First 2 weeks are hard going with side effects such as waking up in night and anxiety. Benzodiazepine was prescribed alongside which helped manage."