Aripiprazole and Nausea: What Users Say

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I just started this Abilify at a 5mg dose and am going up to 10 mg today. Side effects were - nausea briefly - restlessness that might keep waking you up at night. Both of these went away. I was told by my psych that I might feel shaky but that should pass. Positives so far are less rumination and constant thinking. Less daydreaming. It doesn’t affect my actual ability to think. I haven’t gone manic on this yet. My temperament seems to be even and my energy level is good. I'll check back in in a month with the 10mg review. Thanks all."

• Son...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2020

For Depression "I was on Abilify a grand total of 10 days before I had to stop. It's hard to describe how anxious/claustrophobic/panicky/nauseous I felt in that short amount of time. My suicidal thoughts spiked due to the intensity of the fever dream-like delirium. It felt like I was trapped on a roller coaster inside my own head, nauseous and ready to hurl, yet I couldn't get off. I guess you could say my depression subsided, but that's because my mind simply couldn't focus on anything besides how horrendous I felt. I've only ever suffered from anxiety and depression, but Abilify made me feel truly psychotic."

• 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."

• Lea...
• September 1, 2015

For Depression "Taking this in conjunction with Wellbutrin and Buspar gave me my life back. My mood is stable, I'm happy, excited, and not over the top either. The trade name really describes this medication well, that's for sure. However, this isn't for everyone. Also, I must note the first 5 days kind of suck. I felt like my head was spinning and I felt nauseated like I was on a roller coaster all the time. Never threw up though. SO glad I stuck with it though. Well worth it in the end."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2019

For Depression "I took a 2 mg dose of Abilify three days ago, and within hours regretted it. It is a horrible drug with horrendous side effects. I only took one pill, but due to its terribly long half-life of three days, I am still feeling nauseated, agitated, and have a stiff neck and sore joints. Yuck!"

• alb...
• January 26, 2010

For Depression "Over the years, I have taken a number of different drugs and combinations of drugs for depression. By far, the worst side effects I have ever experienced were associated with Abilify. The muscles in my legs became so stiff that walking anywhere was slow and painful. I felt nauseous all the time and several times experienced acid reflux. There was the constant feeling of needing to move and involuntary jerks of arms and legs. Sometimes, my legs would shake uncontrollably. It took a while for these side effects to subside after coming off the drug. It's really good to see that this drug has helped so many people, but it's not for me!"

• min...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 29, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "I am tapering off lithium and have switched to Abilify. I take 10mg a day. I started at 2mg, then went to 5mg and have been at 10mg for 2 months now. The increase from 5 to 10 made me nauseous for about a month, but it passed completely. It was worth it for me because I feel like an active participant in life again. I am reading (highlighting even!), cooking, lifting weights, and walking. I feel more like 'me' than ever, but not in an elevated or manic way. I've tried at least 6 other antipsychotics, and Abilify so far works best for me."

• Anonymous
• February 12, 2020

For Agitated State "Been on Abilify 2 mg for one week. Started Abilify to help with PTSD and lupus. Periods of high anxiety cause my lupus to flare. No anxiety = no lupus. Anxiety is gone, which is wonderful, but it's been replaced with nausea. It's not bad enough to cause vomiting, just annoying. I have no appetite and have lost 4 pounds so far. Some trouble sleeping. I take melatonin to help with that. I hope the nausea goes away. If it does, Abilify could be the one for me."

• CJa...
• March 6, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Abilify for 7 months now, 15 mg. Initially, for the first month, I felt restless but full of energy. I had mild nausea that made me lose 7 lbs. Then, over time, these symptoms disappeared, and I experienced calmness. No paranoia anymore, and my negative thoughts have been reduced dramatically. So did my manic episodes and my depression, so I’m now stable. However, I've put on 18 lbs, even with exercising every day, I can’t seem to shift the weight! But the good overrides the bad. I recommend this medication for BPD and bipolar, it’s changed my life."

• Hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on 5 mg Abilify for 5 months. I had frequent muscle spasms, insomnia, nauseous, lost weight, very restless, crying spells, worse anxiety, and no appetite. Ended up with an electrolyte imbalance and frequent dehydration. I’m taking nothing now and feel normal again. Thank God for THC!"

• alr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2014

For Depression "By the third day that I have started this medication, I have now begun to experience severe dizziness and horrible headaches. Blurred vision and nausea occur when the dizziness and headaches are at their peak. The side effects are hard to deal with and do not seem to be going away at all, but in fact, seem to intensify."

• bri...
• May 27, 2015

For Depression "I started taking Abilify a week ago. I was very tired and felt kind of sick to my stomach the first few days. I started to get my appetite back, which is awesome, and I feel a little more motivated and well. It physically just makes me feel good, and emotionally I feel the same but more able to deal with things in a reasonable way instead of stuffing my face with cigarettes and coffee. The exhaustion got too much for me when the doctor upped the dose, so I just went back to a dose I can manage right now with work and life. I will post more later."

• RoQ...
• June 16, 2015

For Depression "I started on 2.5 mg, and it really worked in conjunction with Prozac to pull me out of deep depression. Eventually, my doctor said it was okay to reduce to 1.25 mg since I had gained weight. I eventually gained more weight, my sugars and cholesterol rose, and I shake slightly now. I decided to stop completely, and that was a BIG mistake. This drug has serious withdrawal symptoms, even at a low dose like mine. The recommended weaning process is 10% less for 30 days, then a 30-day waiting period to adjust. I am currently on 1.125 mg, and I'm starting to have some withdrawal symptoms, but not too bad like stopping cold turkey. I experienced panic attacks, anxiety, fearfulness, agoraphobia, and nausea."

• Bun...
• July 11, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "This is what I've always needed. My mood is lifted, I have energy I never had before, I don't feel sad and helpless anymore, my anxiety has lessened and I'm easier to get along with. This may just save my failing marriage. I was afraid of all the side effect warnings but I only experienced mild nausea for about a week, and for the first few days I woke up intermittently during the night, but could easily fall asleep again almost immediately. Feeling so much better!"

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Thank you all so much for your candid feedback! I needed this for support and better understanding. I sobbed reading every comment because I can relate. My 18-year-old son has psychosis and mania. Meds just changed. Lithium dropped due to “out of range” high toxicity. Antipsychotic med, risperidone, no longer effective after a year. He has been on Abilify for 1 week. After 1 day, I could tell his psychosis was disappearing. He realized the date on the calendar, acted as if he had missed a month of his life. Then immediately jumped back in the game! He showered with soap! His obsessive, fixated thoughts and actions stopped, and he quickly reprioritized his responsibilities. Side effects: nausea, sick, no appetite for days. Zofran is helping. Slightly more aggravated at times, pesters family, a little removed, impulsive, and quick to snap. It’s only been a week, so hoping these symptoms stop and mood levels out. Thank you again for sharing! Love and wellness to all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2020

For Agitated State "Honestly, I feel horrible, even after 24 hours of taking Abilify, I am a mess. I can’t keep anything down, I feel sick. I feel like I should just run around to get rid of this horrible feeling. My ears are ringing. I can’t get rid of this weird muffled head feeling. It’s a nasty drug. I just cannot relax. I’m more panicky and agitated than usual."

• Bev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2024

For Depression "I was on Pristiq 25, Adderall 20, and Reluxti 0.5. I have depression, severe anxiety, and panic. My provider kept me in samples of Reluxti for 5 years, and then quit getting them, so I tried weaning off. I went to hell without even a glass of ice water. It was horrible torture. Severe panic and anxiety out of control. I was running out of samples to take 1 every 3 days. My provider finally started me on Abilify. I forgot to mention that Reluxti costs $1800.00 for one month, the Abilify is $17.00. In 2 days, I was better! Panic stopped, anxiety eased. The shakes, nausea, and vomiting stopped. I’m on Abilify 5 mg, and I’m doing good. A little upset stomach. It has helped me so much. I praise God every night."

• NeG...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "My diagnosis was atypical depression (a type of MDD) and was prescribed Abilify paired with Lamictal. My Abilify dose was a 5mg pill per day. From day one that I took it, I became incredibly irritated. I felt agitated and restless almost immediately. I was so restless, like I was itching from inside my chest and soul, I don't know how to describe it. I couldn't eat, couldn't feel hungry, slept fewer hours, had insomnia, felt stressed, felt anxious, and constantly felt nauseous/stomach pain. The only benefit was that I had intense energy to get up and move, but it didn't feel nice. My motivation for getting up was because of how irritated I got when I lay down or rested. Working out would help but never enough to calm down my restlessness. Overall, I gave it a chance for 1 month (plus a few days of withdrawing it with the assistance of my psychiatrist), and it didn't get any better over time. Horrible experience."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2022

For Schizophrenia "I took Invega for a year, and it was a nightmare: depression, erection problems, yellow semen, blood in semen. Two days ago, the doctor switched me to Abilify Maintena, and I have to tell you it is the best drug till now for me: no deep sedation, erection is there, I feel normal again. I have some side effects like a little less sleep, but it should be only a couple of days; headaches, nausea, but you can feel normal again with a smile on your face and a great feeling. And also, I noticed that I don't want to smoke that much, and I read that one guy, after one week, had no desire to smoke, which I can feel already now. :) If you feel bad on Invega, like I did, maybe give it a try."

• kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "After the loss of my emotional support animal and 5 months of being completely shut off from the world and my husband. My psychiatrist started me on Abilify 5 mg at first (already on Paxil, Lamictal, Adderall, and clonazepam). The first 2 days were amazing, my head was quiet, but the headaches were horrible, along with increased anxiety and nausea that was decreased with constant eating. So I discontinued it. We tried again at 2 mg a month later since I started to self-harm and was overwhelmed with life altogether without the support of my best friend. 2 mg was great, I was even studying for 30 minutes every other day. But I was so jumpy. Startled easily and constantly, and uncontrollable movements at times. But no headaches, so I was all for it. Then after 2 weeks, BOOM, stopped cleaning and stopped walking. Complete apathy, loss of sex drive, and dry mouth, dry stools (never a problem, I actually love using the restroom minimum 2 times a day) went down to 1 time forcefully and quickly gained weight. Discontinued back to normal."

• Chr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2019

For Schizophrenia "My daughter was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression almost 2 years ago. They started her off on Abilify Maintena 300 mg, which helped her a lot, but it made her restless and didn’t stop the voices, and she still had trouble thinking clearly because she was always tired but wired on it and had trouble sleeping properly. She was given a sample of Aristada one month, and it was like a miracle, I felt like I had my happy daughter back. Then the NP gave her too high a dose, too soon, and she struggled with suicidal thinking and feeling terrible for 4-6 weeks. That was terrible, but once we got her on the 441 mg dose, she did really well. She is able to think more clearly on Aristada and sleep better, which helps her voices to be not noticeable (better than when on the Maintena). She is constantly a bit nauseous, which may or may not be a side effect. Aristada has a copay assistance program that helps cost to be reasonable."

• Anonymous
• November 20, 2009

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I take 12 mg per day. Side effects are minimal - slight nausea, slight diarrhea, loss of appetite, insomnia. I'm also taking NuVigil to deal with any sedation and Ambien for the insomnia. I feel like a stable, grounded human being again!"

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify was horrible to me. Very soon after starting medication, I started to experience blurred vision, extreme nausea and vomiting, unable to sleep, headaches. Dose: 2.5 mg. Diagnosis: bipolar disorder and CPTSD."

• Lin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2021

For Depression "I’ve never experienced such horrible withdrawals from coming off 5 mg/tab in my entire life… I thought I was going crazy!!! I experienced anxiety attacks, sweating, nausea, uncontrollable movements, ringing in my ears, confusion, and the worst thing was I couldn’t stop thinking that my husband was going to die and I was going to be left all alone while not even being able to take care of myself!!! Please be careful before going on any antipsychotic drugs… because when it is time to get off the roller coaster… your withdrawals can literally make you feel like you’re losing your mind."

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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)."