Abilify User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Dor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2024

For Depression "I was severely depressed. Lost my husband of 60 years 2 years ago. I felt so bad words cannot describe!! My provider put me on Abilify and I FEEL ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! It’s like I stepped into a new body!!"

• A92...
• May 12, 2017

For Depression "I am very very sensitive to medication. My psychiatrist and I tried several meds before landing on this one, which my body can actually tolerate. I was extremely depressed. Nothing seemed to lift the fog. After taking Abilify 2mg (at night), I noticed its benefits a week later. I'm more determined, focused, and actually want to get healthier. No suicidal thoughts. Don't feel like a zombie. It does make me sleepy which is why I take it at night. It's been almost a month on this new medication and so far so good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I cannot believe it. For the first time in my entire life, I am not tormented and overwhelmed by my own thoughts. I have never been able to think so clearly. I checked into PHP because I was constantly running, avoiding, quitting jobs, overspending, etc., and I was in trouble. Now, after a week of only 2 mg of this drug, I feel like I can conquer the world again."

• Sta...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 2, 2014

For Schizophrenia "My experience with Abilify has been great because I no longer have schizophrenia or psychosis. I have been on this medication since 2008 and I have never had any side effects at all, which is brilliant! I also feel so much better since I was diagnosed, like I am a new person."

• the...
• February 11, 2015

For Depression "Don't let others' bad experiences prevent you from trying this medication. It is strong, yes, and it will affect the chemical balance in your brain and shouldn't be taken lightly, but I'm an example of it working. I used to have bouts of crying randomly, seriously depressed, no will to do much of anything. I started this, kept with it through the side effects and it has been a life changer with my antidepressant. I still feel, but less intensely/exaggerated. It keeps me level-headed generally. The first week I felt a little nauseated, and it does increase appetite, but if you don't overeat, you won't gain weight with this medicine."

• Aus...
• August 25, 2013

For Depression "I started 20 mg of Prozac over a year ago and it has since been increased to 60 mg a day. In addition to that, I started BuSpar 5 mg about 6 months ago and that also has been increased to 15 mg a day. Even between the two, I still didn't feel like myself again. Then, I started 5 mg of Abilify a month ago. It has been a blessing. I am doing better now, becoming less introverted, and I get great satisfaction over small things like simple conversations with friends and family. Initially, it was difficult for me to be okay with admitting I was depressed to begin with. I was a little hesitant to take a medicine originally prescribed to those with schizophrenia. Now I am proud to say that I take it because now I have my life back."

• Lou...
• January 28, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Been diagnosed 18 years ago with Bipolar OCD, panic, and anxiety disorder. I've been on antidepressants since then. Then a few months ago, it got worse. 15 panicked attacks every single night, and I walked floors all night long. Every night, still sleep sitting up. I doze off and on all night. I've suffered all my life, feeling different since I was old enough to remember, say 5 years old, and I'm 49 now. I would like to share my experience to help someone else since I've always been paranoid and avoid people. I always felt shy and awkward, and I guess since my new blue pill Abilify, I feel so much better. After taking my first pill, my racing thoughts disappeared, my moods got better, and I finally feel normal. Everything seems so enjoyable now. It saved my mental well-being."

• Bos...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2013

For Depression "I was prescribed 5mg of Abilify as a 'booster' to the Wellbutrin 200mg I have been taking for over 5 years. The combination is great! I felt like myself in only a few days and it has continued to be effective over the past 18 months that I've been on the combination. I would highly recommend talking to your doctor about this, it has changed my life!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2017

For Depression "I have been treated for situational depression that turned into a chemical imbalance and have tried just about every SSRI/SNRI out there. I was on Cymbalta 60mg alone for several years and even with Abilify 2mg, but it wasn't until I tried Cymbalta 60mg with Abilify 5mg that I saw real results. I have more energy than I have had in several years, my anxiety and social anxiety levels have diminished to almost non-existent. I don't seem to have any side effects from the Abilify. Hope some of you try my advice."

• Swa...
• January 23, 2020

For Depression "I benefit from Abilify for MDD. I noticed a huge improvement in my functioning and am able to get more things done. It's not that I have extra energy, I just feel less overwhelmed by doing things and therefore am able to do them. It has helped me lose weight by increasing my ability to be active, and also decreasing my stress/emotional eating. It increased my sex drive, which was something I was struggling with during depression. Overall, I recommend this drug for MDD. However, I just recently increased from 7.5mg to 15mg and am starting to feel dizzy and get headaches. Maybe this will lessen or pass soon. If it gets worse then I'll reduce my dose. But I've found this medication to be particularly helpful whereas I've tried a LOT of other meds and found no results. I am also taking Lamictal 200mg for BPD/PTSD."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 5, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I had so many horrible experiences with meds for my bipolar. It scared me to try one more but I'm now on 2mg of Abilify once daily and found my old self again after a very long time living an unbearable life. The only side effect is slight insomnia and I'm losing the ton of weight that I gained while on Seroquel. Abilify saved my life."

• cyc...
• January 22, 2015

For Depression "I was in severe depression. Working with a great psychiatrist who had me on Lamictal and Celexa with no change. He added 2.5mg of Abilify and by the 2nd day, I was myself again. Still feel great with good energy level and ability to cope."

• Gyp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 3, 2020

For Schizophrenia "My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2017 at the age of 21. He tried just about every psychiatric medication in the market over a period of two years with little improvements and lots of side effects including weight gain, etc. Finally, he was put on Abilify 20mg daily tablets. Within less than a month, his condition started to improve significantly. He is now on a monthly injection, which is very convenient. No side effects whatsoever. It is now almost a year, and we are very pleased with the results. Abilify was a godsend."

• CMH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2013

For Depression "I have been taking different depression medicines for over 20 years. I've been taking Celexa for the past 4 years, but even with an increase, I noticed no difference. I didn't realize that depression was causing me to sleep constantly. I could barely function due to my fatigue. I'm a homemaker who could barely get through one little chore a day. After starting 5mg of Abilify, I am a new person! No more naps, rested in the morning, and getting a lot accomplished every day. I am so relieved and feel so much energy! My appetite has increased, so I hope this is a temporary side effect. Sometimes I feel like I can't sit still either, so I may cut back on the dosage. I've got my life back and so hope this medicine can help others that are suffering!"

• jjp...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 25, 2013

For Schizophrenia "I used to hear bad voices in my head, and thought the government was watching me, had evil thoughts in my head while hearing voices. My doctor prescribed me Abilify, and within 2 days all the voices went away, as long as I take it, the voices are not there. What a miracle it has been for me."

• Tin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 19, 2020

For Autism "Abilify has been life-changing for our family. Our autistic son's aggression towards his siblings had been a major problem for many years, and other drugs that were prescribed didn't help much. Much to our surprise, a day or two after starting Abilify, our son immediately backed down from arguing for the first time in his life. We were all absolutely stunned. My son's irritable and aggressive behavior (due to his autism) wreaked havoc on our family and destroyed relationships between our kids. I just wish our son had been prescribed Abilify before so much damage was done."

• bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been a longtime observer of this website. I always said that if I found something for me, I'd review it. I have been through 8 different medications, SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs over a 9-month period. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type II. This medication worked within 1 day at 5mg. All the negative rumination, severe depression, and anhedonia lifted within 4 days. Honestly, I know it sounds cliché, but this medication truly saved me. It works by balancing the chemicals, not blocking them like other antipsychotics. It truly is a mood stabilizer in everything but name. I have zero side effects, yes zero! I take it in the morning and go about my day as a normal, living person. I feel like my old self, or the self that I feel is natural. After identifying rapid cycling from antidepressants, this was an absolute godsend. I'm from the UK, so this took a lot of time due to NHS bureaucracy. It took one private psychiatrist who listened to me, diagnosed me, and recommended this medication for my GP."

• Ken...
• October 17, 2014

For Depression "I have had it all basically. Had a manic episode in 2009, and then a repeat in 2011, but not as severe. I was okay before that, had no problems with anything, maybe a little anxiety. Now that I am older and on my own most days, I've had some pretty rocky months, and I was concerned and a bit frightened that the depression would rip me up. I was hesitant to try it because I take Ativan during the day. My doctor suggested Abilify. I have bipolar as well and can't take any antidepressants. He told me to start with a quarter for a week, and really thought it wouldn't work. It was a miracle. I then started taking 2mg at night and have been noticing I've been waking up earlier. Doing things that I would hold off till 3 pm. Wonderful."

• CGo...
• April 17, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Abilify helped me go from hardly being able to get off the couch for months to cleaning the house. Things feel 'possible', and you see something and think 'I'll take care of that now.' I'd say it doesn't make your mental state better so much as it fixes the body depression. I take Abilify for MDD with Wellbutrin, and they're a great combo for me. The Wellbutrin is great for my mood, and Abilify allows me to get off the couch. I was worried when I started taking Abilify because I didn't feel anything at all until day 9 or 10, so give it some time to start working. I haven't experienced any side effects, and have actually lost weight because of how much more I'm moving around. I'm on 4mg (two 2mg pills). One weird thing about the pills is that they're TINY, like 1/4 the size of a tic tac, no joke."

• MSE...
• November 12, 2013

For Depression "I have been depressed most of my life. It runs rampant in my family. I really don't have much to be depressed about. I have a good life. I have some bumps. I've been taking 'Sertraline 200mg/daily' forever. I was stuck. There were days I would stare out my window for 8 hours doing nothing. Zero energy, zero interest in anything. I had to force myself to do things. I thought some of this was due to being menopausal, but the doc gave me Abilify. I started with 2mg. About 2 weeks later, I felt something but not enough. I went to 4mg a day with my depression pills. I'm telling you, in one week, someone turned the light on. Amazing. Energy, interests, everything. But the cost is unattainable. I have no insurance, I've been getting free samples. It's $1400/month. Help, I can't go off these."

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 8, 2021

For Depression "I took Abilify 10mg for several years. It really helped me stabilize my moods and get my depression under control and took away a lot of my urges of self-harming behaviors. I have found Abilify much more helpful than any other traditional SSRI/antidepressant I have tried in the past like Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft. None of those medications really made a significant impact. The reason I stopped taking Abilify is because of the weight gain. Personally, antipsychotic medications have always caused weight gain for me. I gained about 50 pounds while on Abilify. I switched to 50mg Lamictal and have started losing some of the weight. Abilify can really be life-changing, but you just have to be aware of the possible side effects."

• Eli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2023

For Depression "A light switch has been turned on! Actually, ALL of the lights in the stadium are on!! I have suffered from depression for 20 years. Was I suicidal? NO, but I realized after the 10mg dose began to work that I have not felt like myself for over 10+ years. For the last 7 to 10 years, I have been on Prozac 40 mg, Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, and 40 mg of BuSpar per day. I have never had the kind of success with any drug that I have had with Abilify. I feel like my creativity is back, I feel like my desire to get out of bed is back, I feel like my motivation to do projects and organize in my house is back, and I feel my desire to communicate and reach out to friends and family is back. I really do hate it for anyone who has negative side effects with Abilify because it has changed my life in three short weeks! I highly recommend it."

• gbs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 23, 2015

For Autism "My high-functioning ASD son started taking 5mg of Abilify at age 11 to control his irritability and aggressive outbursts (never hurt anyone else, but would throw himself repeatedly into the wall when he became frustrated). The Abilify helped immensely. At age 14, a new physician wanted to see how he would handle being off the medication. Seemed okay for the first month, but by month three, he ended up in the emergency room on hold for suicidal ideation. He was immediately put back on Abilify, and things started getting better. Now at age 16, he takes 15mg once a day. He's more social, more conversational, and just doing well overall. His weight is ideal for his height."

• Ber...
• August 10, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I was ready to walk out on my husband because of his hateful, stressful presence. I sent him to the doctor, and he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started on Abilify. It was a lifesaver for our marriage and family. He is happy, fun, and hopeful again. I thank God my prayers were answered."

• Mag...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2018

For Depression "I’ve been very depressed since losing my mom two years ago. My depression had worsened to the point where I could hardly drag myself out of bed in the morning. I’ve been on Celexa for anxiety & depression. It was like a magic bullet for my anxiety but did nothing for my depression! My doctor started me on Abilify two weeks ago and I can actually feel it working! I’m actually doing things without having to drag myself. Another positive thing: I’ve always had wonderful dreams at night, but have never had a single dream since I lost my mom. I actually started having dreams again! I feel like my brain is waking up from a long sleep!"