Abilify and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify was the cause of the worst year of my life. Massive depression and constantly comatose. I was like a zombie. I woke up in the morning thinking, “When do I get to go back to sleep?” Suicidal thoughts were frequent. My wife would frequently comment on how I wasn’t myself, how I didn’t talk anymore. I was a shell. I also gained 20 lbs (I’m a skinny guy with a high metabolism). When I finally detoxed from the drug, I had energy again. My weight gain is now mostly gone, and I engage with my family and am more present. Abilify was the worst thing I have ever done to myself."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 21, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "Abilify has made me rapidly gain 40 pounds. Because of it, I now am obese and have type 2 diabetes. I took it as an augmentation to my antidepressant to see if it would help with my treatment-resistant depression. It helped a little, but at what price? I'm so ashamed of how I look. I'm in the process of weaning off this horrible drug. Drug companies apparently don't care about terrible side effects, they just care about making money."

• gin...
• April 15, 2014

For Depression "Abilify worked for me within 1 1/2 weeks. Yes, I gained weight, but I felt the best since my fibromyalgia started. But I have Medicare disability and went into the doughnut hole. The $800 price point was more than I can handle."

• dag...
• January 21, 2010

For Depression "This medication has made a great difference in my life. I have suffered from a very resistant form of depression and Abilify has helped. I take it at night and it helps me sleep. To avoid the weight gain, I make sure I don't eat anything after I've taken it and am ready for bed."

• Hat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 28, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I had commented approximately 2 weeks ago (under the name: I hate Abilify. on the 2019-07-09) regarding the 400 mg Abilify injection. Well, I saw my new pdoc on the 18th, and she is wonderful!!! I am no longer on the injection due to side effects. In addition to all of the side effects noted previously, I forgot to mention the major weight gain also. This drug is NOT WEIGHT NEUTRAL!! IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DRUG. If you're not happy with your current pdoc, find someone you are happy with. Just because we have bipolar disorder or have a mental illness does not mean we cannot control what we ingest into our body. You have a choice!!! If you have a feeling of being trapped and your pdoc is not listening to your concerns, MOVE on!!!! Good luck to all of you....."

• InS...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 2, 2022

For Depression "At first, Abilify seemed like a miracle. I felt more energy, and while it didn’t eliminate my depression, it kept me going to work and at least functional for myself and my family. 70 lbs of weight gain later, I attempted to go off of the medication. I was left with a severe resting tremor and excruciating neuropathy that feels like it is destroying my life. I am unable to work and barely able to leave my bed. I cannot care for my children, sleep, and am losing weight rapidly due to a nonexistent appetite. I am truly scared for my life after taking this drug."

• bas...
• November 23, 2009

For Depression "This medicine was prescribed to me as an add-on with Zoloft. It did help my depression and anxiety, unfortunately, I went from 118-122 lbs to 167 lbs, and I didn't even weigh myself at my heaviest. I thought my thyroid was crapping out on me, so I got that tested and it came back fine. Then my doctor was like, one of the side effects of Abilify is weight gain. One of my friends who took it also gained a lot of weight as well, not to say it affects everyone this way, but if you started taking it and are gaining weight like crazy with no end in sight, please talk to your doctor."

• Ive...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This medicine, Abilify, has done wonders for my hallucinations! They are 3/4 of the way gone, and I've never felt more stable in my whole life. Earlier, when I was just depressed, they added Abilify to my Zoloft. It did not spark joy at all, it made me gain 15 pounds. But a year later, I developed psychosis, and they gave me Abilify once again. It worked like a miracle this time! I have been on this medication for about 6 months, and it's been so good. Highly, highly recommend this if you are experiencing psychosis!"

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

For Schizophrenia "My dear lovely Abilify... where should I begin? And what have you done? You feel deeply ashamed, Abilify... who made you Abilify? Are they as poisonous as you are...? I would like to know... because you have destroyed my health and my life... no way back from here. Anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, confusion, apathy. I am not myself anymore... Abilify, what have you done? Who made you? And why so poisonous?"

• mgw...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 4, 2012

For Depression "Abilify has been a lifesaver for me, probably literally. I've tried at least a dozen different medications (for the treatment of depression and social anxiety) since I was 16 (I'm now 25), and Abilify has probably shown the biggest improvement of them all. My mood is great most of the time, anxiety is reduced, and I have a lot more confidence than I used to. The one side effect: weight gain. I'm hungry all the time and have gained 20-30 pounds. Previously, my mental health took priority over my physical health because I was so depressed. Now that I'm doing better, I may cut back on Abilify in order to get back in better physical health. Hopefully, the positive effects won't go away!"

• Anonymous
• November 2, 2011

For Depression "Abilify has been a miracle for me. For 14 years, I've tried to get relief from major depression, and until I got on this medicine, nothing else worked. No weight gain, a little side effect. My biggest gripe, TOO MUCH ENERGY."

• inC...
• October 15, 2009

For Tourette's Syndrome "I've been on Abilify now for close to 5 years. I'm taking it for Tourette's syndrome and OCD, and it has worked like a miracle. Of course, I give God all the glory for this miraculous healing! Yes, God can use medications to heal us. The one setback is that I've gained some weight, so I just watch what I eat and exercise more frequently."

• Bar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2016

For Depression "I was told by my doctor that I might gain weight. He said that the signal in the brain that says, 'Thank you, I've had enough!' which is what I always go by, and it keeps my weight steady, is delayed. It's true. He says portion control is the key. We shall see. I'm trying, but I've already gained about three pounds and notice that I eat way more. I'll let you know if I get a handle on it. The drug is the one added to my cocktail that made the difference."

• lin...
• April 3, 2008

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I took Abilify for my OCD symptoms. Though it worked as far as my obsessive thoughts go, I gained 50 pounds while on this medicine. I am currently off of Abilify (no withdrawal symptoms) and have slowly been losing the weight."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2012

For Depression "I have been taking this medication for several months along with Viibryd for depression and anxiety. This has really helped with my depression almost immediately, but I have gained 14 pounds in 2 months with exercising! I have decided to stop both medications and try something new when I see the doctor on Friday. I can't handle the weight gain, not worth it to me."

• lak...
• March 23, 2019

For Depression "I was on Abilify for 4 months. I was on only 2 mg. Gained 17 lbs after 2 months. Had an enormous appetite, always hungry even an hour after eating. Really did nothing for me. And I am still trying to get this weight off."

• Kay...
• January 8, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I am 31, female with bipolar 1 along with depression (obviously lol), extreme social anxiety, and PTSD. I was on Abilify, all the way up to 20 mg for the last year or so. I truly thought it wasn't working or doing ANYTHING for me anymore, so I switched to Latuda. Well, the pharmacy was out of stock of Latuda, and I had just finished my taper off of Abilify, so I was about 4-5 days off of any mood stabilizer. And now I can say that although it may not have been as effective as when I first went on it, it definitely made a difference! Since the second week of my taper (down to 5 mg, then 2), I applied for some more credit cards and thought nothing of it. In the past 2 days, I have maxed out all those credit cards. It wasn't until last night that I put the connection to me not being on anything. I gained a little weight on it, but at the same time, I allowed myself to eat what I wanted and didn't exercise. During the taper, I tried Seroquel, and Abilify is nothing as bad as that weight-wise."

• mot...
• April 14, 2012

For Depression "Abilify at 2 mg has felt like my depression is finally under control. However, the weight gain has been a difficult one to accept, and I am going to try to go down to 1 mg to see if that makes a difference. I started out at about 124 and am now 131, with watching everything I eat and exercising hard 3-4 times a week. Doesn't seem to matter if I eat very little. Still can't lose the weight. I don't like this side effect, but it far outweighs the depression I have felt for years, so I may have to put up with it. I am very hungry in between meals and crave sweets. Willpower has been tested, and so far I am passing because I have never had a weight problem in my life and don't want to start now."

• Fer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify helped with my manic episodes, but gained 15 pounds after a month and spiraled into a horrible depression that saw me in bed for weeks after I tried to come off the drug. Felt near completely disabled. Not for me."

• Mic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 16, 2022

For Agitated State "I went to the psych ward when I was 18 after going through a rough stretch of suicidal thoughts and depression. I voluntarily went and checked myself in. All I wanted was someone to talk to about what was going on in my life because I was bottling everything up for a few years. I went into the psych ward, and I didn't want to take the medication. So they shot me up with the max dosage of Abilify, 6 months extended release of this, and it messed me up. Some of the side effects were restlessness, I could not sit down for 2 minutes without having to get up and move around. It's been 4 years, and I still deal with this today, although it has gotten better. Extreme weight gain, I gained 80 pounds in 8 months. Impulse control problems, I found myself doing weird stuff I never did before, and I had abnormal thinking. My mind would blank out when I was thinking of something, and this happened all the time. My limbs would move without me trying to move them. I do not advise taking this, but everyone is different."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication, Abilify, almost killed me. I started it in January for bipolar and felt flat and slightly suicidal (as I had before starting it) for about two months on it. Experienced some weight gain. After the two months, I began to have obsessive suicidal thoughts to the point I couldn't concentrate. Oddly enough, I didn't feel depressed, just non-stop suicidal thoughts. I got off of it and switched to lithium, haven't had a suicidal thought in months!"

• Mam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "For fibromyalgia and MDD. The pain from fibromyalgia kept me in bed or on the couch, out of work and had no interest in socializing. After taking 5 mg of Abilify daily, within 2 weeks, I was so much happier. I am loving life again. It is a true miracle for me, the downside, I gained 15 pounds in 6 months. I’m starving myself to not gain any more and cannot lose 1 pound, therefore, I rated the drug accordingly."

• Diz...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 30, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve tried every mood stabilizer, typical psychotic and atypical antipsychotic for my Asperger's and bipolar depression, and Abilify always helps the most. I feel happy on it, and it helps me with dysphoric mania consistently. It does cause weight gain, but I have been able to lose weight on it by cutting calories to 1500 a day and walking regularly. Plus, it has a generic version now, so it’s cheap!"

• She...
• January 11, 2018

For Depression "After 3 years, I'm miserable taking this drug. Worked great at first. Felt clear and awake. Now I have to stop this med. Gained a lot of weight. My breathing is difficult, and I find it hard to swallow food. I have stopped breathing 3 times now. I have reflux problems and worsening anxiety. Sad because it worked so well at first."

• Aun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I have taken 15 mg of Abilify for 5 months, no side effects or weight gain yet, so that's good. I don't crave food and gain weight like I did on Risperdal and had bad side effects on Zoloft. I feel tired for 2 hours after I take Abilify. It's hard to stay asleep. I wake up and do the same thing over and over all night long."