Aripiprazole for Schizoaffective Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Kr0...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 7, 2021

Aripiprazole "I've been on Abilify 400 mg injection a year and a half now, and I've got to say I think it's doing its job. I don't get paranoia or anxiety, and my overthinking thoughts of bad scenarios that probably aren't going to happen stopped. I feel just normal now and am generally happy. I work fine, I can exercise fine. I haven't put on any weight because of it, even when I wasn't active, and haven't gotten any other side effects (so far). I am pleased with Abilify and thankful."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2021

Aripiprazole "This drug works for the paranoia and hallucinations. It helps me organize my thoughts and not forget everything I'm doing when I walk into another room. I lost 20 lb on this drug, but I was on a higher dose of Seroquel before... so not sure if I just lost weight because I came off the higher dose of Seroquel. Now I weigh 118 lb at 5'3", instead of 130-140 lb. It's great, other than some restlessness. Push through the initial restlessness, it gets better."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2017

Aripiprazole "I said that I have trouble with focus and concentration, forgetting everything, unable to do simple jobs, but can do creative stuff. I have a normal IQ (142), and I'm skeptical all the time. I don't believe in ghosts, magic, gods, and all other stuff like horoscopes, karma, and souls, but my grandmother was paranoid schizophrenic and very religious. I thought there was a condition called ADHD, but they prescribed me 'Abilify' because they said it's depression. First was an injection into the muscle. Then I took small, very expensive pills. But after a few weeks, I started noticing side effects and no improvement in anything. Unable to sit normally, smoking more cigarettes, and later I even had a problem moving my muscles. My eyelids didn't move, face like 'frozen'."

• Jod...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 26, 2021

Aripiprazole "They call it Abilify for a reason: take away any ability to be a normal functioning human, but I guess that's the point. Had many side effects, including hair loss and weight gain, a 100 pounds in a few months of use. Also, constant pin cushion feeling in the head. Still facing withdrawal effects, being four months off."

• Bab...
• February 21, 2017

Aripiprazole "Did nothing for my delusions and hearing voices. It only made me twitchy, unable to sleep, agitated, and gave me extreme tremor. On only 5 mg. I much prefer olanzapine, more effective with milder side effects."

• ade...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 12, 2016

"For the past two years, I have been taking Abilify (aripiprazole) 5 mg per day. I have so much more motivation and energy compared to when I was on a low dosage of Risperdal. The only disadvantage is that it is very expensive, and I don't know how much longer I will be able to afford taking it. My question is - will there be a safe generic coming out soon? My condition has always been hard to classify - either bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. I feel well, and my psychiatrist agrees since I have switched to Abilify, which I call a 'wonder drug.' The side effects I experience are frequent urination and a dry mouth, where I am constantly thirsty. I can live with that. I do not drink alcohol. Generally speaking, I feel far more creative."

• shr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2022

Aripiprazole "I hoped this medication would work for years before it went generic, but for my illness, it seemed I had a relapse. I took the amount the doctor told me, 15 mg, maybe not the most effective dose, I dunno. I just hoped that's all because when I was on it, I felt like I was taking a Tylenol, no head pain or dry eyes or anxiety, it just felt like a placebo. I would try it again if I run out of options, but for me, I really like my Seroquel, which seems to help me with all my many illnesses in just two pills per day. I took the little rectangle ones."

• Neu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2018

Aripiprazole "This drug did not agree with me! I got a very sore throat from it and other cold symptoms (though not an actual cold) - worse than any cold! Psychologically, neither positive nor negative. Had to immediately discontinue and try something else."

• Mlf...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 4, 2017

"This medicine is barely weight-neutral, but it works! I recommend an appetite suppressant alongside it to make you feel normal. I've been around the antipsychotic block, and I only recommend Abilify or Geodon, with an appetite suppressant such as phentermine and Topamax. Gained 40 pounds twice before I figured out that trick. Only left with 15 to lose. But living a happy life. If you are struggling with weight on this medicine, I also did a VLC diet (while on this medicine) through my primary doctor that was an easy 25 pounds off. Food provided. Expensive but so worth it. Weight easy to keep off too."

• Cre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 30, 2021

Aripiprazole "I take 30 mg Abilify for schizoaffective disorder. It has helped me with my problems, including psychotic thoughts and disorganized thinking, as well as aggressive behavioral tendencies. For those feeling as if it has impaired their abilities, I don't feel as if it has done so for me. That was an initial concern of mine for taking medication. But Abilify has only enhanced my concentration. The only reason I give this score an 8/10 is because there is always more that can be done, it isn't a miracle cure. Although it is an effective use of medicine for this type of disorder, and it does help."

• dou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2021

Aripiprazole "Garbage, switched from Invega to Abilify. Major side effects even with 5 mg are fatigue, stiff muscles, restlessness, horrible insomnia, akathisia with higher dosages. What is good about it is that it doesn't induce sexual dysfunction like other AP drugs, and it lowers prolactin, which is a plus. Seems to enhance the anhedonia caused by the Invega in a bad way. The half-life is pretty long, about 3 or 4 days, it can overload your system if you are a poor metabolizer. Seems to lift depression but also seems to induce waves of depression, the drug itself is pretty schizo in that regard. The drug itself isn't that bad, but its metabolite has a lot of negative effects. All antipsychotics are crap in general, but as long as it prints dollars, they will keep getting prescribed. Don't go above 5 mg unless you want akathisia. Disregard comments about it being weight neutral, you will gain weight nevertheless. It's just overall less worse than other APs regarding weight."

• Sta...
• July 21, 2021

Aripiprazole "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."

• cji...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2019

"Was misdiagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Was put on a 400 mg shot for two months. Bad experience. Gained 20 pounds. I'm not sure when this drug will be out of my system... I've been off it for 6 months now."

• Msl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2022

Aripiprazole "I am on the Aristada shot, and I get breakthrough symptoms after 3 weeks. My psychiatrist prescribed Abilify 5 mg tablets for my breakthrough symptoms, and my only regret is not getting it sooner. I had a trauma response today, and I took one for breakthrough symptoms, and it provides a buffer to the reaction I'm experiencing. And it stopped my shaking from the adrenaline I had as a result of my trauma response. Hands down, Abilify 5 mg is a magic bullet."

• Psy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 6, 2022

Aripiprazole "Not effective enough for the long-term, therapeutic management of certain psychoses. I coped well on Aripiprazole or Abilify initially along with an antidepressant, but the benefits soon stopped. I’m now back to square 1 - paranoid, delusional, and horribly depressed and anxious. Some swear by Abilify and its non-sedating, alerting effects. I personally cannot tolerate this med any longer and will be handing it back to my pharmacy."

• Nop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2022

Aripiprazole "I was recently diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar I type. This was an 'upgrade' from just plain old bipolar I, so I tried antipsychotics. I was tried on risperidone, which gave me RLS; olanzapine, which made me hear even more voices and believe my right arm wasn't real; latuda, which was okay but VERY expensive. My insurance started becoming a hassle. Then Abilify. At first, everything was okay. I went from 2mg to 20mg over several weeks. The 20mg was too stimulating, so we backed it down to 15mg. I didn't notice at first, but I started losing my appetite. I started losing weight. I thought it was good, but noooooo. I started also becoming fidgety, skipping meals, and becoming tired during the day and awake at night. This is not good for me. I had to taper off after three months and almost 20lbs lighter without trying. I'm starting to feel better already."

• Mil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2021

Aripiprazole "My doctor misdiagnosed me with schizoaffective disorder, even with an ADHD diagnosis as a child, but I figured I'd try it anyway because, hey, maybe they got it wrong back then. So I took Abilify, and by the end of week three, I damn near went psychotic and was suicidal because of it. This is the single worst drug I've ever had the displeasure of taking. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but if you get misdiagnosed, which happens often enough, you're going to have a very bad time."

• all...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2016

"I was on Latuda, and I heard it was good with Abilify for paranoia or as an extra antipsychotic, but no, it was not. I was doing much better on Latuda, fully motivated to do everything I ever wanted to do. Then I got a psychotic episode, got added Abilify to my Latuda, and I had no motivation whatsoever. I was living in another world with no consequences that turned into a hell, and my life was ruined forever, and I couldn't do anything about it with the lack of motivation or being able to do anything except be really angry with my family for so long. I never used to be that angry or hostile with them before that, or at least it wasn't fake. I'm on 12 mg of Invega and 325 mg of Lamictal and am doing much better now."

• Jon...
• June 29, 2016

"Have endured 10 mg for 9 weeks. It has been a living hell. Can't sleep more than 3-6 hours a night. As time went on, I have felt more agitated and stressed, which never goes away. I keep getting the urge to shake my legs. My symptoms haven't improved. I'm not taking any more of this drug - had enough. My pdoc gave me some clonazepam for 3 weeks, which helped a bit, then 2 weeks of melatonin, which didn't do much. Now for the last 2 weeks, she has ignored me. I don't tolerate psychotropics that well."

• ric...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2018

"At 40 mg/day, aripiprazole stopped my manic episodes, but did little to decrease auditory/visual hallucinations. My pdoc will add 12.5 mg of clozaril to help with the hallucinations. I have gained some weight, but other than that, have had minimal side effects."

• Wes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 18, 2022

"Was on for about 6 months, after being on paliperidone for several years. Good drug, much more motivation and definitely more of my old personality. No weight gain or anything. Worked well for symptoms on 10 mg. I couldn’t stay on it though because I had really bad akathisia and couldn’t sleep. I would wake up every hour and be up for the day at 5 a.m. You can only do that for so long until you’re too tired to function. Also, it made me super hot and sweaty. Would have stayed on it though if it wasn’t for the sleep problems."

• h8n...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2024

"Was on it while an inpatient in a psych ward. Vomited all day long on it. Did nothing. Have heard good things for people. Also was told it's a less hardcore one and is used more for minors. But can still be really good and many psychiatrists have recommended it to me, before knowing I had already taken it. Did nothing for mood stabilizing or reducing any psychotic symptoms. My own experience though."

• Str...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2021

"Been on it for a short while. I seem less obsessive, my bipolar mood swings have stabilized (also medicated with lithium), and I feel very stimulated/energetic, almost high. Much better than my previous antipsychotic, Invega Paliperidone. I hope this period of good mental health lasts with the combination of medication I am on."

• Nat...
• June 26, 2022

Aripiprazole "This pill made me suicidal and overly anxious. I wonder how it got so many good reviews."

• Nei...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 1, 2020

Aripiprazole "Abilify is the only antipsychotic I've tried that works. I take the injection 300 mg every 28 days."