Abilify and Increased Appetite: What Users Say (Page 2)

• SAD...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I have had schizoaffective disorder for 18 years. I was on haloperidol for over 10 years, been on Abilify for 3 weeks, and I can actually have feelings of happiness and contentment now. Teamed with an antidepressant called Endep, I feel better than I have for 18 years. More energy, less paranoia, able to concentrate for longer periods of time. I was getting side effects of hunger, but I just drink water instead of eating. Hunger is subsiding 3 1/2 weeks taking Abilify. Experiencing some insomnia but getting more and more sleep every night. Otherwise, feeling great, ready to take on the world!"

• rea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I'm still hoping this drug will actually produce some results, but it hasn't made a difference yet. What it has done, though, is make me feel REALLY lethargic, to the point I stopped taking it in the morning as I was directed, because I'd be unable to function at all. But now that I take it at night, I still feel lethargic, but I cannot actually fall asleep or stay asleep. I just feel like a drugged-out mess. Also, I read this can cause weight gain and excessive hunger, but I'm the opposite. I have zero appetite. I'm not impressed yet, but I'm encouraged by so many others who say it's helped them. So I'm gonna try a little longer."

• jer...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 19, 2016

For Schizophrenia "I cannot imagine why I stood so long on it! I stood on Abilify for 3 years and 2 months. My problem with Abilify was that my blood sugar level increased and I became extremely hungry all the time. If you have bad blood sugar, you need to eat often. And on everything. I even gained weight at the slightest. The only positive was that I was not psychotic on it, and my dreams when I was sleeping were OK! But Abilify affected my personality, I was not me on it. I was like somebody else, but I do not know who! Abilify served only 2 out of 10."

• Eli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I am a 48-year-old woman who has had bipolar I disorder since I was 12. It hit me severely, and I have had a very difficult time with it. During one of the latest bouts, I tried Abilify at 2 mg and definitely felt a bump up in my mood. I was so, so excited and totally would have stayed on it, except my appetite increased to such a degree that I immediately started gaining weight. Food was like crack - it became utterly and completely addictive. I could not stop eating! I would try to control it for a few days, but I was utterly and totally unable to stop. An improvement in mood was worth 10 pounds, but at 13 pounds in 8 weeks and no stopping, I had to stop. Super disappointed. It is the only medication where I felt immediate relief."

• pin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I’ve been taking Aripiprazole for about 4 days, and I already feel a lot less depressed. But not 100% yet, it’s too soon to tell. I still have anxiety. I will follow up soon. Also, I have noticed no side effects so far besides appetite increase (which is good in my case because I am underweight) and dizziness/sleepiness when it kicks in. So I take it at night."

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify for almost a year now after having started 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 downside is I have gained tremendous amounts of weight while on this-50 lbs 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 tests for other things and advised me to get off this. I can't afford to gain any more 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Having increased hallucinations and paranoia, and feeling isolated. This is making it hard to get out with people, and I have been on 10 mg. Good things are I am feeling more active in general, taking better care of myself. Not too happy with the amount of voices that occur when on this med. It has made me more hungry and restless."

• Dal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2021

For Depression "Antipsychotics are awful in my opinion, while aripiprazole helped a little with agitation in some regards, I cannot sleep on even a low 5 mg dose. I have tried every recommended method and was even given zopiclone, still no sleep. Appetite increased unnaturally, and nausea ensued. Also, unbearable restless legs and feeling weak."

• Yam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Is this trash or is this trash? This made me so sleepy and tired! It made me hungry all the time! A useless medication for me! I got off of it! I am much better off without it. Other than it making me sleepy and hungry, I had no other side effects. It did nothing for my bipolar disorder!"

• Key...
• October 9, 2021

For Autism "First 2 days on this, my 27-year-old son is agitated. Doesn’t know what to do with himself. Can’t sleep. Wants to eat all the time. Cries and self-injures if left alone. He is nonverbal, so analyzing by observation, I would say this is the wrong med for him."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2012

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

• cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on this for three days. The first day was horrific, and I was definitively going to quit. I felt more trapped and traumatized by the 'problem things' I am dealing with than ever. The weird thing is I liked my psychiatrist, but I felt the drug was killing me. I was horrified by some of the things I am dealing with, but now three days later, I feel it is starting to balance things out and put me in a humored mood from my 'problems' rather than a traumatized one. I swore off of all psychiatric pills for the past fourteen years, but I decided to give it another shot. In the big picture, I think it is the right decision, but it is making me worrisomely hungry."

• Sta...
• July 21, 2021

For Schizoaffective Disorder "It made me feel the need to eat 24/7, made me have a weird sleep schedule, and made my brain very slow. It did lessen my suicidal thoughts significantly, and I could think more clearly even though I was slower. But I felt very stupid. When I came off it, my psychosis returned with full force."

• 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 19, 2025

For Agitated State "The only good thing about this drug is that it stabilized my moods from BPD. But it also made me gain 110 lbs in a year and a half. All I could do on this medication was eat massive amounts of sugar and sleep."

• Gai...
• March 4, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "Anyone else have trouble keeping their hand out of the refrigerator? After several months of taking this stuff, the hunger pangs are getting worse, not less."

• nig...
• March 8, 2015

For Depression "It worked okay for a short while, but I gained 30 lbs in a year. Was hungry all the time."

• Hen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 18, 2016

For Schizophrenia "Weight gain! Increased my hunger and affected my metabolism! Need to eat often and was not myself on it!"

• Wan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2022

For Autism "This stuff helps me with emotions, but I always want to be eating something. Like, I am always in the mood to eat. I just want to snack all the time."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2016

For Schizophrenia "Taken Abilify for over 8 months, gradually put on 20 lbs or so. Better than Seroquel XR for weight gain and hunger pangs."