Abilify and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Mak...
• February 5, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "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
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2018

For Schizophrenia "Not myself on this medication. Feel lethargic. Plus, symptoms of depression have gotten worse, and so has being more paranoid. Feel emotionless and zombified after 2 months of taking it. Will never take this medication again."

• tay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I would love to share my experience with this medication. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with major mood swings affecting my daily life, such as work. I tried Abilify 10 mg, and it made me feel like the living dead, no energy, feeling tired, and a really bad increase in anxiety and feeling paranoid. I was then lowered the dosage to 5 mg, however, it still made me tired and increased my anxiety. My physician does not want to take me off of it. I really do not wish to proceed with this medication. I stopped taking it without letting my doctor know. I really hope to try something else. Thanks."

• tay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I would love to share my experience with this medication. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with major mood swings affecting my daily life, such as work. I tried Abilify 10 mg, and it made me feel like the living dead, no energy, feeling tired, and a really bad increase in anxiety and feeling paranoid. I was then lowered the dosage to 5 mg, however, it still made me tired and increased my anxiety. My physician does not want to take me off of it. I really do not wish to proceed with this medication. I stopped taking it without letting my doctor know. I really hope to try something else. Thanks."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Abilify for a week. It has already taken the edge off the rages. However, I am still experiencing high anxiety. My family says I am calmer, so that is definitely a plus. I feel tired and wired at the same time - it is a weird feeling. I am very paranoid. I was paranoid before, but this seems to have made it worse. But I am only on 2 mg. At least the rages are better. I am hopeful that this medication, along with help from my doctor, will be enough to get my life back."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2022

For Depression "I took it to “help” my Effexor with my anxiety and depression symptoms. But it was not the right drug for me. I got side effects the first 3 days like headaches and tiredness, but after that it was ok. After a few days, I felt more energized. Sadly, it made me feel angry and eager."

• And...
• February 10, 2021

For Depression "I've been on Abilify Maintena 10 mg for 4 months, and I asked to be taken off the drug a week ago. It didn't help with my depression, I am emotionally numb now, still have an increased appetite and no energy. I used to be incredibly active. I don't know how much longer it will take for the side effects to disappear. Do not take this drug if you have the same symptoms."

• sho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "Loving it so far, seems to be giving me a life. I am a single mom who struggles with bipolar disorder every day and has been on almost everything and a combo of things out there with no success. The only problems I've noticed so far are nausea, dizziness, and being extremely tired throughout the day. I have only been on the medicine for a short period of time, so I'm hoping these side effects will start to go away, but compared to what I normally deal with, they are nothing. The big issue is I do not have insurance, so my doctor is currently giving me samples. I'm trying to qualify for the financial assistance program, but if I don't, I won't be able to take the medication."

• Dre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2020

For Schizophrenia "This drug is okay for psychosis, but it can make me tired at times, and sometimes I cannot sleep. I have insomnia from it. It takes away the bad thoughts, but can make me have OCD-like thought patterns and ruminating thoughts. I have been having odd side effects from it as well, like blurred vision, needing to look up all the time, and sensitivity to light in my eyes. I feel more tired on it than I do off of it. My dose is 400 mg monthly, and these are the side effects I am getting off of it."

• Nut...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2022

For Schizophrenia "I just got prescribed this yesterday, and I took it today thinking it would be a great drug compared to the Zyprexa I came off of a few months ago. BOY, was I wrong!!! This medication was GODAWFUL!! 20 minutes after I took it, I started feeling insanely tired, then that turned into extreme sleepiness and drowsiness. I became weak, I had severe akathisia, was insanely angry and irritable, I had hallucinations, vomiting, and diarrhea. I quit cold turkey. Most of the side effects wore off even though I took a nap, but I still feel tired, like I need to nap. Never again 0/10. I took this in 2012 when I was 13, but I don’t remember it being this awful. Terrible medication."

• fre...
• December 18, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "In a cocktail of anticonvulsants, this non-neuroleptic antipsychotic is great in stabilizing mixed manic symptoms and the depressive side. It took me one month to bear the side effects, but now it's okay. Better than all the antipsychotics I tried before that gave me unbearable tiredness or tremors/jerkiness."

• 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."

• Xst...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 5, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm 29 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 22 years old. I had bipolar 1, but with Abilify and Lamictal, I now have bipolar 2. I forget a lot of things, have become lazy, have gained 25 pounds in a year, have low motivation, am tired all the time, and have been feeling depressed. I plan on not taking Abilify anymore because I feel as if I've lost myself ... I don't feel unique."

• gar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "Update: I have been on Abilify 2 mg and 45 mg Remeron for three months and still doing good. Have gained 10 pounds but needed it. A little tired at times, but well worth it. No sexual side effects. Hoping for long-term success!"

• Anonymous
• March 9, 2009

For Schizophrenia "I've used 5 mg daily for three weeks. My delusions and paranoid feelings passed. I still have hallucinations (voices and visual). It's helped my thinking, though it makes me very tired in the day. I hope it will continue to help."

• Hel...
• August 6, 2016

For Depression "I was on Abilify for 18 months and packed on 80 lbs and discontinued it. It made me feel very flat and very tired. My doctor said it was weight neutral, but it definitely isn't. Seroquel also made me gain, but I'm on Risperidone now, and though I have gained a little, it's not as bad as the others. Abilify didn't help my delusions at all, and I felt quite depressed on it. I quit it cold turkey and lost 6 stone in 7 months but then became ill again. My biggest weight gains were always after I had been out and had a few drinks! Glad to be off it and might look into trying Latuda."

• CBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2021

For Depression "The first three days or so after I began taking Abilify 2 mg were pretty bad - I was exhausted, nauseous, and felt like a zombie. However, through the third day, these symptoms began to improve, and by the fourth, they were barely noticeable. Now, on the sixth day, I'm still a little nauseous, but not enough to be bothersome, and I'm hoping that'll go away too. The positive effects are incredible so far. I wake up feeling positive about the day to come, have much more emotional energy, and don't have to hype myself up for 20 minutes before each tiny task - I can just get up and do it! I'm glad I was able to get through the first days; it was worth it. I'm also taking Prozac 10 mg to help with OCD symptoms and have been for years, but it has never helped with depression like it was supposed to."

• des...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 31, 2015

For Schizophrenia "This medication made me feel like my brain was fried, it was so hard to think, and it made me feel hyper on the inside but made my body feel tired and lazy. It was a horrible feeling, and it made my schizophrenia worse!"

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I have been on Abilify for 1 year now at 30 mg. I think the shot made the side effects worse, like dizziness upon standing up and drowsiness. It made me have no drive and feel like a zombie, but at that time, I needed that to not think of what I just went through with domestic violence. My doctor won't take me off it. He just lowered my dose and put me back on pills. He increased my Cymbalta to 60 mg. Hopefully, this will help with the dizziness, drowsiness, and depression. Overall, it helped when I needed it. It makes me sleep too much - 12 hours a night plus naps, very tired. I want off it, but since my doctor won't change it and I don't want to get my depression back, I can't stop it."

• 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."

• Dru...
• February 15, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was forced to take the maximum dose of this drug through what is called a CTO 'community treatment order.' It did absolutely nothing but make me tired and put on weight. And very low sex drive. In 1 year and a half after trying a number of antipsychotics, I went from weighing 160 pounds to now weighing over 220... that's about the only thing these drugs seem to be good for. I have absolutely no motivation to do anything either. I'm now on Loxapine, which is supposed to be weight neutral, but still I seem to be putting some weight on. I would recommend Loxapine more than any antipsychotic I've tried, only because it has put on the least amount of weight."

• Anonymous
• May 17, 2010

For Depression "Combined with Remeron, it initially lifted my mood for a few days, but it made me too tired to function when I took it during the day. Also, it may have contributed to seriously compulsive eating (though Remeron is implicated in that too). The worst aspect was this weird agitation in my brain. It felt like there was a traffic jam of thoughts every so often, and this went away when I stopped taking the drug. Everyone's brain is different though."

• 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!"

• 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."

• 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"