Abilify and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Cou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify on two separate occasions along with other medications to help with depression and bipolar. Both times was a disaster. This time I've tried to tough out the side effects (working on three months now), and I still can't deal with the way it makes me feel. I feel flat, tired, depressed, low motivation, worthless, hopeless. You name it. I see my doctor tomorrow and plan to demand stopping Abilify."

• Cou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify on two separate occasions along with other medications to help with depression and bipolar. Both times was a disaster. This time I've tried to tough out the side effects (working on three months now), and I still can't deal with the way it makes me feel. I feel flat, tired, depressed, low motivation, worthless, hopeless. You name it. I see my doctor tomorrow and plan to demand stopping Abilify."

• Cou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify on two separate occasions along with other medications to help with depression and bipolar. Both times was a disaster. This time I've tried to tough out the side effects (working on three months now), and I still can't deal with the way it makes me feel. I feel flat, tired, depressed, low motivation, worthless, hopeless. You name it. I see my doctor tomorrow and plan to demand stopping Abilify."

• 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."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify destroyed my mental state. I was prescribed Abilify during a hypomanic phase. In the first two weeks of taking it, hypomania left, but depression started. My doctor suggested upping the dose, it made the depression worse. I upped the dose once more. I have been experiencing depression for many years. The depression I got from Abilify 15 mg is like nothing I have ever felt before. Worst 6 months of my life. Near the end, every time I would take it, I was thinking that I was literally poisoning myself. I got off it in late April. The change in my mood was immediate. At the same time, I started taking lamotrigine (miracle - 50 mg to start). I finally understood what normal feels like. Abilify gave me a 6-month nightmare. I know for some people it might work wonders, but for me, I would even prefer to go untreated instead of using this drug ever again."

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Was put on Abilify to control hypomania. I'm very, very sensitive to pretty much every medication. Initially, I had a stomach ache that only lasted one night and some tiredness the first two days. However... after this, I had severe hypomania and restlessness that just didn't go away. It wasn't akathisia, though. Unfortunately, I can't reach the mood stabilizing effect - being at least 10 mg - since I can't go any higher than 1.25 mg without having side effects such as emotional numbness, numbness of my face, twitching, increased eye blinking - which, of course, scares me since there is a risk of Tardive Dyskinesia. It's definitely a very powerful drug. But it really did help my depression and anxiety, just didn't help control my hypomania. LOL"

• 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."

• gre...
• February 13, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I know every medication works differently on each person. But Abilify worked great for the first few months. I felt like my old self again. I took 10 mg once a day, but over the course of 1.5 years, my blood pressure went up (never had a problem with it before, it had always been perfect), all my cholesterol levels skyrocketed, my glucose levels went up, my muscles began to get tight, I gained 50 lbs too, and the worst part was that I was beginning to have more up-and-down moments and depression."

• Spr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on various antidepressants for over 25 yrs. When I quit working, drinking, and smoking, buried memories of my father's abuse rose up and almost killed me. Over the next 5 years, I was hospitalized 5 times for a total of almost a year in Homewood in Guelph. (Every time I was admitted, they built me up, but back at home I would deteriorate. Homewood saved my life.) Life for me was much better after my husband retired 11 yrs ago (yes, I am a senior). We bought a trailer in Florida and spent 6 months there every winter. However, every year during the 6 months in Ontario, I would slowly go downhill until I did practically nothing, slept for a big part of the day, but always managed to hide my depression from my daughters and sister."

• 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."

• Mag...
• May 25, 2010

For Depression "I have suffered from major depression, panic-anxiety attacks, and generalized anxiety since 1994. My doctor started my treatment with 10 mg of Paxil (paroxetine). Over the years, the dosage went up from 10 mg to 20 mg, and 20 mg to 30 mg. In July 2008, my doctor raised the dosage from 30 mg to 40 mg, but in April 2010, my depression and panic-anxiety attacks got worse. I felt a lack of motivation, unproductive, unable to think or make decisions, wanted to be in bed all day. I was very depressed. I went to my doctor, and he told me that since I had been taking Paxil for more than 15 years, probably the medication was not working for me anymore, and he prescribed citalopram 20 mg and Provigil 200 mg. I'm doing better. Good luck."

• Nan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 2, 2016

For Schizophrenia "Hated it. 55-pound weight gain in 6 months. Completely ineffective for psychotic symptoms (delusions). Severe anxiety (prescribed 3 Xanax per day to cope) and depression. Not for me."

• Duc...
• December 4, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This made me feel absolutely horrible. It gave me worse derealization, anxiety, and anhedonia, worse than I have ever had. I do NOT recommend ever trying this, stay away from it!!!"

• ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 9, 2015

For Schizophrenia "This medicine is really helpful with voices, but my paranoia and depression have gotten worse."

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Horrible side effects. Triggered a depressive episode and could not sit or stand still at all when on this med. Just rocked back and forth. Hated it."

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "This medicine made me nervous all the time, I was a wreck, I could never sit still. It took away the mania and psychosis but left me suicidal and depressed, so my psychiatrist stopped it."

• Bmz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This is one of the nastiest drugs I've taken for BP. It gave me major depression, major anxiety, restlessness, and major mood swings. I wouldn't recommend this drug to my worst enemy."

• cls...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Weight gain and depression"

• Eis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 26, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was on this for about two, almost three years before I stopped taking it. During that time, I was more depressed than before, more consistently. 0/10 do not recommend."