Aripiprazole and Restlessness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• JBr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2016

For Depression "I started this medication when I was about 11 or 12 and took it for 6 months. It made me so anxious and so restless, I remember having to get up in the middle of class several times to get a drink of water to try and stop my anxiety. I had several episodes of this and always felt that I had to be moving. Maybe I was too young to be on the medicine, though..."

• Noe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm not an easy patient, unsatisfied with the weight gain from the typical atypicals, lacking an 'oomph' from lithium, allergic to lamotrigine, and anti-depressants give me a one-way ticket to the manic rollercoaster. I started Abilify and within 3 days, I was hypermanic and nauseous to boot. No sleep, spending $400 on some bed sheets seemed like a marvelous idea, thrill-seeking etc., and throwing up every 3 hours. However, my psychiatrist guided me through it with sleep meds and something to settle the stomach, and I'm so glad I pushed through. Yeah, the restlessness is an issue, but I'd like to consider myself an 'experience and going out' person now. Anything better than the listlessness of depression or meds that are supposed to cure it."

• LaS...
• September 1, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Wow. I took it, and many of the reviews here could have been me. Was on it for 3 weeks, couldn’t take the side effects. My tongue was swollen 2x its size, uncontrollable salivating. Anger outbursts that were uncharacteristic of me, impulsivity, akathisia, horrible kicking legs as I tried to go to sleep. Doc was kind enough to pull me off it as I gained 20 pounds in this month. Ridiculous. It was not a “life saver” for me either."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2021

For Depression "I have been having pretty bad depression and a severe lack of motivation for a while. I have failed many antidepressants. I recently switched to Effexor XR 75 mg, which did provide some relief for both depression and anxiety. I tried slightly increasing the dose, but it made me feel a bit wired, so I stayed at 75 mg. I don’t like the idea of taking an antipsychotic daily, but I also couldn’t live with the way I was feeling and the lifestyle it brought. I started Abilify and have been taking 2.5 mg at night for a week (half a 5 mg tab) along with the Effexor. It has definitely provided additional relief from depression. Other psych meds I take are Klonopin 1 mg two to three times a day as needed, Remeron 30 mg, and Melatonin gummies 5 mg for sleep, as well as Seroquel 50-100 mg only if needed for sleep, and Adderall 10 mg as needed for ADD."

• gra...
• July 29, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Abilify for one month. I had restlessness, a feeling that I needed to do something. It was a good thing in a way. At first, I was more irritable, but that subsided substantially after a few days. It made me feel a lot calmer and in control of my emotions without making me feel like I was suppressing them. This is the first pharmaceutical medicine I have tried to treat my condition, and it definitely worked better than the natural remedies such as St. John's Wort, sam-e, and passion flower. It even helped more than meditation. I have just switched to Latuda because Abilify gave me chest pains. If the pain was anywhere else, I would have definitely stayed on the medicine because it worked. It helped me gain 10 lb, which is good for me."

• Nut...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2022

For Schizophrenia "I just got prescribed this yesterday, and I took it today thinking it would be a great drug compared to the Zyprexa I came off of a few months ago. BOY, was I wrong!!! This medication was GODAWFUL!! 20 minutes after I took it, I started feeling insanely tired, then that turned into extreme sleepiness and drowsiness. I became weak, I had severe akathisia, was insanely angry and irritable, I had hallucinations, vomiting, and diarrhea. I quit cold turkey. Most of the side effects wore off even though I took a nap, but I still feel tired, like I need to nap. Never again 0/10. I took this in 2012 when I was 13, but I don’t remember it being this awful. Terrible medication."

• big...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 1, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I like Abilify a lot because I used to be extremely irritable. I also couldn't ride my bicycle when I was manic because I would not focus on my safety. Luckily, I now only get hypomanic episodes thanks to Abilify. I feel like I am free to get off of my emotional roller coaster and explore the world outside. The only few problems it gave me were akathisia and weight gain. I'm 14 years old, and I don't know whether I gained 40 lbs from growing, the medicine, or both."

• Bip...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 21, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I am a 42-year-old woman and diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD. I highly recommend this medication. I was at 10 mg, and it rescued me from a manic episode that was so bad that I was psychotic. It not only cleared that right up, but it improved my concentration. I did suffer from minor akathisia. I was able to control it without a problem. However, three years later, I have gained a lot of weight. I am now taking 5 mg and monitoring with my doc. After a month, the weight is coming off, but I am now hypomanic...a beautiful yet scary place to be. Where to go from here, I’m not sure."

• 86K...
• May 20, 2020

"I took this medicine, Abilify, for two weeks. It gave me energy like never before. It was good energy. However, I was too hyper, and the medicine caused me to have restlessness and caused my left leg to hurt badly. I could only sleep for 3 hours a night."

• Anonymous
• January 18, 2011

For Depression "After just about a couple of days after taking Abilify, I feel much better. It has taken me from thinking about suicide all the time and not having any hope to actually wanting to go out and do things. The bad side is the restlessness I hear so much about. I almost feel like it's making me manic, and I cannot sit still. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Sometimes I just pace around for no reason, so I cut down to half a pill. Overall, I feel like it's helping."

• You...
• January 18, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "One day and done. I've never experienced side effects like this before. I took it before bed and then was up every few hours, restless, mind racing. Finally, I shot up at 4 am and NEEDED to shower. While in there, my head was so heavy, I couldn't stand anymore. I had to rest my head. Then I got so nauseated I started to dry heave. Now I'm heavy-headed, blurry, dizzy, restless, and afraid to stand up or drive. I will never take this drug again."

• Kyr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I have a delusional disorder. I had a good experience. Calmed me down to the point I wasn't making rash actions and statements. Benefits: ups your dopamine in the right places, lowers it in the right places (rather than just lowering it altogether). Side effects: little to no side effects. There is a slightly dulled or sedating sensation... and at the same time, a little restlessness. But unlike when on other antipsychotics, I was able to go about my daily activities (and enjoy them). Dosage: 400 mg, also available in 300 mg injection. Ease of use: nurse comes straight to my door to administer. You might have to go to a hospital to get it done if you don't have a nurse. Notes: combines well with Zoloft (sertraline). Highly recommend this drug if you have to take it to stay out of the hospital. If you have to choose between this and Invega Sustenna, always take this one."

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I think this medication has really helped my state of mind and my ability to cope with new situations that I come across. Some side effects, mainly the restlessness, are something I have an issue with, but it's entirely manageable. I feel like this medication has dramatically improved my quality of life."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "First started the med, my sleep, appetite, and energy started improving. At 5mg, it helped my moods a little bit. I thought finally, a medicine that works. Side effects were restlessness, a little daytime drowsiness. Then increased my dose to 10mg, from there, my depression got a lot worse. I was so restless, and my tiredness was very bad, I was disoriented. I wasn't driving. All I did was lay in bed, going crazy."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2019

For Depression "On Abilify, I felt great for about one month, then began feeling blah. About 6 weeks in, I felt very restless. I was afraid to have any downtime at work because it made me feel crazy. I don’t feel like myself anymore. Weaning off currently. Only ever took 2.5 at the highest dose."

• Anonymous
• December 8, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I took 10 mg tabs in the morning for like two and a half weeks. It had me believing in myself again. Almost manic-like. Thinking I'm a genius, maybe I am. So also, my emotions are deeply repressed, like I don't ever cry. After taking Abilify though, it seemed I was consciously aware of my own duality and that my emotions and thoughts are separate. Now that I'm on Abilify, I can switch between what I want: emotion or thought. That's new for me. Then the side effects stopped me cold. Akathisia or whatever hit me bad. Physical tiredness. Stopped taking it."

• Anonymous
• January 27, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "It seemed to work well, but I developed akathisia on this medicine. I took it for a few months. I felt like I could not sit still. I had to keep moving. I could not enjoy anything. I also had trouble sleeping. I tried lowering the dosage, then we tried increasing the dosage, but nothing helped. I finally had to stop taking it because of the side effects."

• Whi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 2, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Abilify for just over 2 years. At first, I was started at 5 mg, then increased to 10 mg and finally upped to 15 mg. At 15 mg, the psychotic symptoms vanished, and it prevented almost all manic episodes. It did nothing for my depressive symptoms, though. I also developed terrible akathisia within a few months of reaching 15 mg, and they didn't stop when we briefly tried going back down to 10 mg. My legs bounced up and down every minute I was awake, I rocked backward and forward, I paced, and one of my arms even trembled too. I couldn't read, eat with a knife and fork, and strangers would give me funny looks. I had akathisia for two years. Other than that, I had no other side effects with this drug. No weight gain or tiredness."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Having increased hallucinations and paranoia, and feeling isolated. This is making it hard to get out with people, and I have been on 10 mg. Good things are I am feeling more active in general, taking better care of myself. Not too happy with the amount of voices that occur when on this med. It has made me more hungry and restless."

• Abi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I had gone through most standard antidepressants without seeing much benefit, and Abilify was the drug that finally pulled me out of depression... at least initially. I had so much energy on 2 mg, but the depression came creeping back after about a month. Upped my dose to 4 mg, and I am now so restless that it’s affecting every facet of my life. I need to constantly be on the move because sitting still for more than a minute makes me feel like I have a mild electric current running through all of my muscles. It works so well for my depression, though, that I’m currently seeking treatment for the side effect rather than stop the Abilify completely. Not a fun place to be. I’m currently also on Lexapro and Adderall - the Abilify seems to negate any benefits of the Adderall almost completely..."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I was on Abilify for constantly thinking disorder, it made me gain a lot of weight. I have a lot of thoughts, the medicine did nothing to stop them. I feel like it just created more anxiety and akathisia."

• Anonymous
• June 26, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I didn't notice a big difference on Abilify. I feel more level-headed, but also I feel more indecisive, dizzy, and restless. I was on 10 mg for 3 months, and the restlessness was so bad I couldn't sit still."

• Jul...
• May 5, 2011

For Depression "I've been on Abilify for about 2 weeks now. As most everyone else has said, this medication does miracles when it comes to fixing depression. My depression struggle of 4 years is gone. But also, it comes with side effects. It's this restless, agitated feeling that just won't go away. When I sleep, it seems to be better, but other than that, it's always really bad. My vision is also really bad, but that could be because of the Seroquel XR that I'm coming off of."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I started Abilify recently, and it makes me restless, like my mind is awake, but my body is asleep. But for the bipolar, I feel so much better and like a new person. Besides the restlessness, I love this pill."

• Bro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify levels out my mania like nothing else, but does nothing for my depression. Causes regular chest pain, weakness, and awful akathisia. Works for the most part, but I would definitely not recommend it due to side effects."