Aripiprazole and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Cou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Abilify on two separate occasions along with other medications to help with depression and bipolar. Both times was a disaster. This time I've tried to tough out the side effects (working on three months now), and I still can't deal with the way it makes me feel. I feel flat, tired, depressed, low motivation, worthless, hopeless. You name it. I see my doctor tomorrow and plan to demand stopping Abilify."

• Dru...
• February 15, 2020

Aripiprazole for Schizoaffective Disorder "I was forced to take the maximum dose of this drug through what is called a CTO 'community treatment order.' It did absolutely nothing but make me tired and put on weight. And very low sex drive. In 1 year and a half after trying a number of antipsychotics, I went from weighing 160 pounds to now weighing over 220... that's about the only thing these drugs seem to be good for. I have absolutely no motivation to do anything either. I'm now on Loxapine, which is supposed to be weight neutral, but still I seem to be putting some weight on. I would recommend Loxapine more than any antipsychotic I've tried, only because it has put on the least amount of weight."

• jk1...
• July 23, 2010

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was the most awful thing that I've ever experienced, bringing me back to terror unlike anything I've felt for over 15 years. My love for my kids saved my life. I already have depression, fibromyalgia, SAD, many anxiety types, and likely narcolepsy, currently taking 8 medicines that did nothing for the trauma. Only 2 mg of Abilify stopped all of the symptoms, but made me very tired, falling asleep at 8 pm (narcolepsy). Other than that, I regard this medication as being extremely effective. I had bad side effects (even more sleepy), but it took 7 days to lessen (now less sleepy than before), unlike the 2 days typical of these medicines."

• Anonymous
• May 17, 2010

Aripiprazole for Depression "Combined with Remeron, it initially lifted my mood for a few days, but it made me too tired to function when I took it during the day. Also, it may have contributed to seriously compulsive eating (though Remeron is implicated in that too). The worst aspect was this weird agitation in my brain. It felt like there was a traffic jam of thoughts every so often, and this went away when I stopped taking the drug. Everyone's brain is different though."

• Cdn...
• August 3, 2021

Aripiprazole for Schizophrenia "I was hospitalized for having a psychotic episode where I was having delusions and hallucinations. I was originally started on the highest dose of Invega Sustenna but had the dose lowered and was switched over to Abilify Maintena after 5 months once my doctor was convinced I did not have schizophrenia. It completely cured me of my paranoia but left me, like many others here have described, without any emotion or motivation, which is why my doctor switched me and lowered my dose after complaining. My doctor said the antipsychotic contributed to maybe 5% of my lethargy and the rest was something else-i.e., depression/anxiety. In the end, we both agreed 1 year on the antipsychotics was enough. I am now 1 month off and am starting to feel like myself again. I felt the need to post this because not everyone gives updates. The drug worked, but I would not want to be on it for too long. Hang in there if you are coming off it. It does get better-at least for me."

• Yam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2021

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "Is this trash or is this trash? This made me so sleepy and tired! It made me hungry all the time! A useless medication for me! I got off of it! I am much better off without it. Other than it making me sleepy and hungry, I had no other side effects. It did nothing for my bipolar disorder!"

• Mia...
• July 29, 2015

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "I'm a 22-year-old female, recently diagnosed with bipolar. I took this medication for a month, and it was pure hell. It made me an emotional wreck (never was emotional), crying out of nowhere, made my anxiety even worse, made me extremely tired, made me paranoid to the point where I thought I was going to die. Overall, I have no positive notes to tell. Didn't work for me, but hey, everyone is different."

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2017

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "Was put on Abilify to control hypomania. I'm very, very sensitive to pretty much every medication. Initially, I had a stomach ache that only lasted one night and some tiredness the first two days. However... after this, I had severe hypomania and restlessness that just didn't go away. It wasn't akathisia, though. Unfortunately, I can't reach the mood stabilizing effect - being at least 10 mg - since I can't go any higher than 1.25 mg without having side effects such as emotional numbness, numbness of my face, twitching, increased eye blinking - which, of course, scares me since there is a risk of Tardive Dyskinesia. It's definitely a very powerful drug. But it really did help my depression and anxiety, just didn't help control my hypomania. LOL"

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been on this medicine for three months (7.5 mg), my mood has been better, but I am always extremely tired and sleepy. Hard to get anything done. Not sure if I even need to be on this type of medicine. Have a doctor's appointment in a few weeks."

• Dud...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 15, 2021

Aripiprazole for Schizoaffective Disorder "Takes away joy of life. Feel slow and dumb with less personality and ability to joke around. Saliva in mouth, I'm feeling so lame on this med, where I used to be so passionate and full of life, now I just feel lethargic and unamused. It helped balance me out when I really needed it, but after a couple of months, it goes downhill. It's very sad, and I'm fighting to get off it and stay off all meds. I'll fight my mental battle without these numbing meds. I want to find that zest of life again. Also, I don't agree with my diagnosis. So yes, helped for a time, but long term, no, I can't stay on this."

• Coc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2021

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "I've only been taking this medication for a week, but it has been a life changer. I am no longer irritable, I no longer have this psychotic tension in my head that made me sad and paranoid. I am happier, more capable, and my libido is back. I'm on 5 mg. The only side effect is that I’m very tired multiple times a day, but that should disappear."

• rad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 17, 2018

For Agitated State "I am a 51-year-old veteran. I have been on Abilify for six months now. I started at 10 mg and now up to 20 mg. I had hoped for a lot out of this drug based on reviews and my doctor's advice. Instead of the hyper-aggressive behavior of before, I now feel like the unpopular kid at recess. It has made me into a very lethargic person. It does help with the aggressive behavior, but other than that, the drug has not lived up to its hype. I also have seen weight gain and now have been prescribed a sleep aid (Ambien) to help with the racing thoughts at night."

• Bre...
• July 30, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "This drug is an absolute lifesaver for me. Things are so good for me right now. I've been on it for about 2 weeks now at 5 mg at bedtime, along with 50 mg of Amitriptyline and 150 mg of Sertraline. The first week was kind of rough because it made me gag easily, and I was constantly nauseated. I felt really weak and tired. This is the end of the 2nd week, and the side effects have subsided for the most part. I have regained my sex drive, and I can feel emotions again. I recently bought a house with my fiancé, and when we heard the news of our clear to close, I actually cried from happiness (mind you, that's NEVER happened to me before). If you feel like the side effects are unbearable, stick it out. They seem like they go away."

• Ali...
• March 24, 2017

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I had taken Abilify (aripiprazole) for around 6 months when I decided to stop taking it. Not only is it super expensive, but I found it didn't work for me at all. When I first started taking it, I was very sedated and tired. Eventually, it had no side effects on me, but no positive ones either! My mood swings were constant, and my outbursts weren't any less. Nobody in my immediate family who were aware of my BPD noticed a difference. It didn't work for me, but it is definitely worth a try because it doesn't have any major side effects like weight gain. Just very pricey."

• Roo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was prescribed aripiprazole 10 mg for tics originally, and I have been taking it for about four months now together with a pre-existing prescription for fluoxetine 60 mg. It's worked great for tics as well as my OCD, not quite in remission, but I'd say 80% of my symptoms are gone. Not sure if it's just my depression, but I feel as if I've been a lot more tired after starting the med. Just my two cents."

• Mom...
• September 24, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "My son suffers from bipolar and really loves his manic episodes. It was a constant fight to get him to take his medication. I was at a loss with his violent episodes, no sleeping, and all that comes with this condition. When the doctor recommended the injection, I admit I was scared. I saw some bad reviews, but I felt there was no other solution. After 3 days, he started coming down. It's now been 1 month, and all I can say is thank God for this medication. And thank God it comes in injection. The only side effect at the moment is that he is tired. But next month, he will get 300, and then 200. I thought I lost my son for good, but this saved my son and our family. Nothing but good reviews till now. My son is 18 years old."

• abe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2021

Aripiprazole for Agitated State "For my OCD symptoms, and they are, or were, severe, 10 mg of Abilify works wonders. Though I am experiencing impulses that I usually don't have-I'm basically binging in what I enjoy most, way more than usual. I'm also gaining weight and am tired a lot, but I'm still giving it an 8/10 because my OCD ruminations, intrusive thoughts, and overall quality of life have GREATLY improved since on Abilify, which has been almost a month."

• koa...
• January 11, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Risperdal, but that caused tiredness and lactation, so I had to stop. I was put on Abilify (only 5 mg). It was one of the worst things I have ever experienced. I could NOT sit still. When I was standing, I had to pace, when I was sitting, I had to rock back and forth, and I absolutely could not lie down. I'd have bouts of rage and crying, but I'm not sure if that was the medicine itself causing agitation or if I was just upset because I was so restless. I also couldn't sleep more than 4 hours a night, and not at all during the day. The whole 2 weeks I was on it, all I did was pace around crying and restless. These side effects definitely don't happen to everyone, but they are possible, so you're aware."

• chr...
• April 20, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Abilify for almost two months. I got up to 15 mg, but have taken myself down to 5 mg due to several reasons. First, I noticed rapid weight gain, which surprised me since I'm very active. Also, it made me physically very tired but restless at the same time. Going jogging felt like torture since my limbs felt so heavy. I tried to stop taking it but experienced extreme sleepiness, which is usually a sign that a depressive episode is coming on. I think it's evened out my sleeping, but I wake up pretty early on it. I take it at night now. I'm undecided whether it's worth taking, since I think my Depakote is doing a better job of stabilizing my moods, and it's cheaper."

• Dea...
• June 29, 2021

"A very mixed experience. I was given this drug for my 20-year Panic Disorder and GAD. I have tried almost all drugs, and none have helped. The first few days were great, I experienced a massive reduction in anxiety and anticipatory anxiety. It freed my mind up. My anxiety went from a 10 every day to around a 3. It also cleared up my depression. But... the side effects for me were unbearable, completely unbearable. I didn't sleep for days, and when I did sleep, it would be for about 2 hours, then wide awake again. But I was tired all day. I was like a zombie. I could not sleep, and when I was awake, I was exhausted. This went on for weeks. In the end, I was taking loads of Benzos to sleep, but even they were not helping me sleep. Then the agitation started really bad. I was agitated, restless, tired, exhausted, and very irritable... which in itself started bringing on panic attacks. My advice: if you suffer from depression, GAD, or bad anxiety... give this medication a try."

• Lun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm on Lamictal for half a year now for bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety and started heavily dissociating a few weeks ago. I got 5 mg aripiprazole to try, and the side effects immediately started on the first day. I've got a sensitive stomach, and the combination of those two meds made me incredibly nauseous. Then I got really tired, slept the whole day, and felt like having a fever. But the worst one is the photopsia at night. I constantly wake up, and when opening my eyes, I see pulsating flashes of light. During the day, my eyes feel dry, and some pressure is there too. I think that this is just bad luck. Sometimes meds work, sometimes they don't. I will go off aripiprazole as soon as possible, but I can see it working since I've experienced short moments of clarity. The side effects, sadly, are just too much for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking it for 12 days. First week I felt very tired and breathless. Second week I was mentally unstable, fearful, paranoid, anxious. Couldn't face eating. Had to drink vodka every day to get through it. Feelings that I wanted to harm myself, briefly. My mood completely lifted last night. I'm hoping I'll be okay now. Very negative side effects but worth it if I continue to feel good now."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 21, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "Started on 10 mg, had blurry vision and felt super tired, didn't feel myself on it and was asking to be slowly weaned off it. But after a year when I came off it, I had early stages of mania, like irritability, so I went back on it at 5 mg. Overall, it basically deletes mania but also your happiness, so I just feel flat all the time. It's better than nothing, and it's worth a shot, but now I'm going to try Lamictal in addition to aripiprazole as I've heard Lamictal reduces depression."

• Ktr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2021

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Started on a low dose to treat my depression/anxiety/PTSD all at the same time. We upped my dose. It did nothing but make me dissociate for days at a time. When I wasn’t in a fog, it made my ADHD unbearable. I was restless and exhausted all the time. The only good that came out of being on aripiprazole was learning how to ground myself when I started dissociating (because I was doing it so often). Definitely not for me."

• San...
• September 18, 2014

Aripiprazole for Depression "Caused me to feel tired with no effect at all."