Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Ked...
• November 18, 2009

"It did wonders for my mood, however, I was not told of the risks involved. And the positive did not outweigh the negative in this case. After only a month, I developed atrophy and my legs hurt badly. I can't sit still, I pace, I cry, ...anything to get the pain to stop. My psych said it was from the Abilify. I'm now on Geodon and praying this isn't permanent. Please be informed before taking this medication!"

• Jen...
• January 31, 2018

"I've suffered from Bipolar II and GAD and ADD for 15 years now. I take Lamictal, Effexor XR, Abilify, and Adderall. Not until I started Abilify 3 weeks ago have I had any improvement with energy levels and depression. I have treatment-resistant depression, and my anxiety causes me to not be able to work, and I barely want to leave the house. But since starting Abilify, I feel almost fantastic. I wake up early, ready to start my day. And I've never been a morning person. I'm more positive about my life, and I am even thinking about getting a job. I haven't worked in 6 years. But I do have problems staying asleep. I mean, it's 3:06 am, and I am wide awake writing this. So yeah, restless sleep. And the sexual side effects aren't good. Total lack of interest, which is difficult when you're in a relationship. But I'm not willing to stop this medication. The good far outweighs the bad in so, so many ways. Good luck to all and give this med a try."

• que...
• October 24, 2013

"I was diagnosed as bipolar type II, and my nurse practitioner in WA prescribed me Abilify, and I gained 30 lbs within a month of taking it. I blew up like a balloon, and he said he doesn't have that side effect. I looked online, and it says that it clearly does. He said to take it a few more weeks and see how I did. I gained ten more pounds, and my mother insisted I stop taking it. I went from 148 to 188 lbs. It may have started helping with my symptoms, but I was too concerned about my weight gain, so he finally put me on Topamax."

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2012

"I was prescribed Abilify 15 mg in addition to Depakote 1 g daily for bipolar affective disorder, and my mood was stabilized, but it was constantly low and on the edge. I was heavily sedated that I slept 15 hours a day, and when I was awake, I didn't feel 'completely there,' and I also had blurred vision. I was taken off the Abilify and put onto Quetiapine and was more alert, and my vision improved, so in my case, Abilify really didn't suit me."

• Wha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2019

"I was prescribed Abilify after experiencing a 3-4 month long hypomanic episode. I was on Lamictal 100 mg, but that wasn’t helping alone, so my psychiatrist decided to add in Abilify. She also said it would help with the mild paranoid thoughts I was having. This was a horrible medication for me personally. It may work for other people, but it wasn’t for me. It made me flat, and I didn’t care about anything anymore. I wasn’t depressed on it, I just didn’t care about anything. Even the people around me commented on how apathetic I had become. It made my fears of psychiatric medications come true. I lost my personality, passion, and energy. I am off of it now and feel way better. I think it served its purpose of getting me out of my hypomanic episode, which is why I gave it a 4-star rating, but I couldn’t see being on this medication long-term."

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

"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."

• Mak...
• February 5, 2016

"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
• March 10, 2012

"I've just finished my first week on Abilify, and although I've been told that the med is ready to do its job from the 2nd or 3rd day you take it, I don't think my brain chemistry has settled down to one reaction. Right now, I'm pleased. I have Bipolar Type 2, and Abilify was prescribed to help with my constant depression. Now I am going back and forth between a little anxious and mildly manic, sometimes in one day. This is a huge improvement. I have energy! I can smile! Hope this is permanent."

• Lou...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 13, 2019

"Starting in 2003, I have had problems. By 2009, it increased, and my family finally took it seriously when I tried to jump out of my mother's vehicle. In 2012, I saw a new psychiatrist who finally got me stable on Abilify Maintena 400 mg dose. It has been a miracle drug for me. Side effects suck, but I can deal with the weight gain, I guess. To counteract the fatigue, I also take Nuvigil and Vyvanse, which I can sleep through, these drugs, that is how strong the fatigue is. But I am functional, happy, and have no crazy wild thoughts. If I do have them, they are not as strong, and I tend to just shrug them off. I can tell the shot is working because at the end of the month, I start getting irritable and sad, and immediately when I take it, I feel better. Oddly enough, I cannot take Abilify in pill form because it causes akathisia. I have tried every psychiatric drug there is, and nothing has gotten me to where I am today except Abilify Maintena."

• Jul...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 21, 2019

"I was on this for over 3 years. To start with, I thought it was working, the last year, I had a racing head and high anxiety. Was discharged from psych, so I had to fight to get seen again to change medication. Realized a few months after coming off it that my finances had changed shortly after starting Abilify and not in a good way. I was never in debt before Abilify. I am 37 too. I’m in a lot of debt because of Abilify, because I started taking out loans shortly after starting it, amongst other things. Have since read that the FDA made the manufacturing company list compulsive shopping, compulsive gambling, and other excessive behaviors, etc., as a side effect in May 2016. I started it in August 2015, so was unaware when I researched this medication when I first went on it. No doctor made me aware of this side effect at any point. Please note I have been manic prior to this medication and had never taken out credit or borrowed money."

• Boo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2021

"I was just released from an acute inpatient hospital for severe suicidal ideation and burning myself. They put me on Abilify 2 mg. It’s been a week, and I already feel a positive difference. I am diagnosed with bipolar type 2 with borderline traits, PTSD, and autism. This medication has seemingly taken away my severe anger and irritation, my previously constantly running thoughts, and has given me the drive and energy to function. I just finished organizing and cleaning out my car that had things in it from 8 months ago. It’s 3 pm, and I don’t feel like sleeping for 6 hours, then sleeping all night again until 12 pm the next day. I went out to eat with a friend and felt zero annoyance. I’ve showered, shaved, and cleaned my room today, too. My thoughts feel clearer and feel focused. Zero side effects. I wish I had tried this medication sooner."

• TJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2018

"It did not stabilize my moods. I’m still all over the place, and the fact that I can’t sit still gets really under my nerves. I’m super paranoid on this. I feel 10x worse than I did before. It messed me up completely. Side effects: Severe akathisia, high anxiety, paranoia, delusions, mania, depression, suicidal ideation. I only took this for 2 weeks at a low dose of 5mg, and I'm done."

• Anonymous
• August 25, 2021

"This med wasn’t good for me. It made my anxiety really bad, to the point where I couldn’t even leave my house. I became lightheaded and dizzy and wound up in the hospital because of it. I am currently on Zyprexa to fix what the Abilify has done to me. This was my experience, which may not be the experience you have. Good luck."

• Anonymous
• January 8, 2009

"I have been on Abilify for a month now at 15 mg. It works great, I can control myself now. No more rages or trouble. My family is glad this pill works for me. I have been on six other medicines, and they didn't work. Thank God for Abilify."

• I...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2019

"I am on the 400 mg Abilify injection, and I am miserable! My pdoc is the worst. She does not listen to anything I have to say about the drug regarding side effects. I am having muscle spasms as I am typing right now. I also have dry mouth, constipation, depression, and agitation. I had this doctor with tunnel vision ten years ago, you think I would have learned my lesson, but I do have an appointment on the 18th with a new proc, thank God!!!! God help us all!!!"

• JKW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2022

"Prescribed two weeks ago, 2.5 mg to start, and I've been at 5 mg the last four days. I've really felt it since the increase, and general early impression is: this stuff is great! A few side effects: moderate bathroom issues, a slight hand tremor now and then, and - worst to me - so far my libido has been flattened. Can I give up my sex life for a luxury like mental health? Hope not, but might be necessary so I don't end up in the news; the rage monster will always be there, but this could really help. The GOOD effects are good: mild euphoria, a real-feeling contentment, I want to be social again, a willingness bordering on pleasure in mundane tasks. My house and garden have not been this tidy in years - love it! Final notes: I have bipolar II, and I've been on 200 mg of lamotrigine for six years now; it's great but was becoming less effective, so my doc just added the generic Abilify. I'll revisit this review after I've been on it for a while, but so far, pretty good."

• Jua...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2013

"I found out I was bipolar about a month ago. The first pill my PCP gave me was Abilify. Starting on 2 mg for the first 2 weeks. I didn't notice anything until maybe the third day. However, the rest of that week and the following, I have been on a roller coaster. I just started taking 5 mg of Abilify, and I notice the next day. I had the feeling of being normal again. The only side effect I've noticed was when I was depressed, I was depressed. Since upping the dose, I feel way better."

• cla...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 13, 2024

"I've been on aripiprazole 10 mg for 1 year now, and it has changed my life for the better. I also take it in combination with the antidepressant Remeron. My symptoms have decreased by 90% with this drug, my depression finally lifted for the first time in years, and I'm no longer crying on a daily basis. In the last year, I got a job and got my life together emotionally for the first time since my 20s started (I'm about to turn 30). The only negative side effect I've experienced from this medication has been akathisia, which has gotten somewhat better over time. I still experience episodes of restlessness from time to time, but for me, the positives of this drug outweigh the side effects. Unfortunately, it hasn't helped much with my anxiety. But for lifting me out of depression and nearly 0 manic episodes, I would recommend this drug to others. I am so grateful that my doctor prescribed this drug to me, as I was hesitant to try it after experiencing terrible side effects from lithium and Seroquel."

• Chr...
• May 4, 2016

"I take Abilify 2 mg along with Wellbutrin 300 mg as well and feel so much better. No side effects at all. I was on Risperidone, which was awful! I think this medication must work differently when taken with Wellbutrin because I noticed a big difference for the better!"

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2008

"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."

• Bir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2016

"Started taking Abilify, and I noticed my mood became nothingness. I didn't feel happy nor sad. I just felt nothing. Has anyone experienced the same things? Prior to the feelings of nothingness, the night before (after I took it), I started becoming manic, then about an hour later, I started becoming suicidal. Took Benadryl and became calm and sleepy. My manic and depression episodes were usually on a day-to-day basis, whereas when I took Abilify, it shifted within an hour or so. Also, the side effects were so bad I couldn't get out of bed. Felt very dizzy with a headache, wanted to puke, heart rate was faster than usual, loss of appetite, and weak (very weak)."

• Luc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2021

"I have always been against taking medication, although I have epilepsy and have to. I was very wary of starting this one, or any other mood stabilizer. Now that I have been taking it for two weeks, I'm so glad I did. It was like walking out of a dark room and back into the light of day. I used to just go about my daily activities with dread. Now I am excited to be a part of society again. I have gotten back in contact with old friends, don't experience hardly any social anxiety, and have so much energy. Thank you, Abilify."

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

"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."

• roy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 3, 2019

"Before Abilify, I was in and out of the hospital for years. They had me on olanzapine, and it made me feel like a slug, so I would stop taking it and end up back in the hospital because of manic attacks. They finally suggested this med for me, and it has really worked! I don't feel manic, I can think clearly, I feel normal emotions, and I have a decent amount of energy. The only side effect I had was that it made me feel sick for the first month every morning. It has really worked for me, but you have to give it a month for it to actually work if you are on it."

• Mis...
• November 13, 2010

"I have tried just about every bipolar medicine there is out there and then some. I am completely satisfied with this medicine. All of the others had terrible side effects. Neurontin, Zyprexa, Lithium, Tegretol, you name it, I've tried it. It is very hard to get someone who is bipolar to take medicines due to the fact that there are so many side effects. In my opinion, Abilify does what it says it is supposed to do with no side effects. Of course, everyone is different. This medicine works. It keeps me from going high or low. Most bipolar patients should probably be on an antidepressant, which is only my opinion since everyone is unique."