Rexulti and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Mel...
• February 19, 2020

For Depression "I have been on Rexulti for approximately a month now, starting at the 0.5 mg dose and now I am titrating up to 1 mg. I’m on an 8-day cycle of alternating between the 0.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively. This medication was prescribed to me as an add-on to Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia) by my psychiatrist. I am also prescribed Wellbutrin XL 300 mg and Cipralex 20 mg. This cocktail seems to help me enough to get up for work and continue my duties in home life as a husband and father without considering killing myself. Before I was given Rexulti, I was semi-suicidal daily, so I guess it is helping. It is supposed to stabilize mood and give me an extra boost to get going, however, I do feel somewhat sedated while on this drug, especially on the days I take 1 mg, which to me is not a bad thing. I would rather feel okay and sedated vs. sad but energetic."

• Mma...
• June 26, 2017

For Schizophrenia "Rexulti has helped my bipolar mania in so many ways. From previous experience with antipsychotics, I was expecting side effects like increased appetite, excessive sleepiness, etc. I did get akathisia when I first began, but I did begin at 3 mg (a high dose). I reduced back down to 0.5 and gradually increased to 1 mg. So far (1.5 months), I have seen extreme improvement in my mood and sleep schedule. I feel more motivated and am getting more of my responsibilities done. My social anxiety is pretty much gone, as is my GAD. The only issue I have is periodically having trouble falling asleep, but this is not significant. Overall, I think Rexulti has really helped me in many ways, and I attribute the positive results in my recent life to Rexulti."

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was put on Rexulti to help with the Wellbutrin I’m on and Pristiq. I wasn’t happy to be prescribed this medication after looking at the side effects. My psychiatrist said that she will run a cholesterol panel to make sure that it’s not going up. Unfortunately, after I started taking this medication, I felt floating head (if that makes sense). I was almost falling asleep at the wheel driving around 4 p.m.-7 p.m. I should not be this tired. At this time at all. It’s never happened to me before. I stopped taking it, and I’ll be asking my doctor for a different prescription. I will be doing my research."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I am not sure how many months I have been on this medication, but while I have been on it, I have managed to gain almost 10 pounds. I do not feel like I overeat either. The weight just seems to pile on. I feel incredibly sleepy during the day. So much so that on most days, I take a long nap. I have very little energy. My stomach seems to bloat out more. Otherwise, I seem to be doing just fine, both mentally and physically. So if you don't mind being fat, lazy, and lifeless, but not crazy, this might just be the drug for you!"

• Abi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 8, 2018

For Depression "I was on Abilify for almost ten years, but, as well as it worked, I could not stop gaining weight because I was always starving. My psychiatrist suggested Rexulti, and my weight gain has stopped without a change in diet or exercise. I take Rexulti for psychotic depression, and it keeps me stable and fully functional. I take 2 mg a day at night, because it is sedating. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an alternative to Abilify."

• Suz...
• June 17, 2017

For Schizophrenia "For the first week I took this, I had some nausea and very intense sleepiness that made me take one and even two naps during the day. But I changed the time of day I took it, and that seemed to help. For the first month, I was so happy and a lot less delusional. I'm not quite sure where it all went wrong. Now, my delusions have worsened, I've developed an intense phobia of driving and being in a car in general. I have many intrusive thoughts, and honestly, I'm considering stopping it. Which sucks because it worked there for a while. I wouldn't say don't take this medicine, but pay attention to your body and be wary of any anxiety you're experiencing, and talk to your doctor to get a handle on it before it gets out of hand."

• AJ6...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 14, 2021

For Depression "I took Rexulti for almost 2 years for depression. I had tried many different medications, and it was the one medication that I responded to at the time. I started out on 0.5 mg and slowly increased my dosage to 2 mg. It worked for a while, but then stopped working. It also made me feel flat and sedated. My doctor added a stimulant (Adderall) to counteract the sedation, which only helped a little. We tried adding on other antidepressants with not much response. Any time I started a new antidepressant, I would feel more sedated (now I realize it was a drug interaction with the Rexulti). Finally, I decided to wean myself off of Rexulti, and the fog has finally lifted. I realize a lot of my fatigue that I was attributing to my depression was actually the Rexulti. I feel like I lost 2 years of my life! And I feel like I made a lot of poor decisions on this medication. Be careful if you are taking this medication."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "This drug was a nightmare for me. My doctor initially prescribed 0.5 mg Rexulti as a monotherapy for depression and anxiety. The first month, I didn't feel much-except sedation after taking the drug. The second month, I actually started feeling better. I had more energy, motivation; sleep was better; sex drive improved. Then my doc increased the dose to 1 mg, and the horror began. First, I started feeling really tired. Sedation became much more pronounced. Then my depression came back-but now three times worse than it was before. My sleep became bad. My libido disappeared entirely. Fatigue became overwhelming. I lost any motivation to do anything. Worse, I lost any ability to do intellectual types of work. I'm a software engineer, and this is just horrible-when you feel yourself incredibly dumb. And when I try to force myself to work, I start feeling intense headaches and nausea. I stopped taking Rexulti two weeks ago. I am slowly, very slowly improving. Hope to recover from it soon."

• Oko...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2023

For Depression "I took this drug for 2 weeks in different doses, from 1 to 3 mg. No effect or even deterioration while taking Rexulti. I did have problems with thinking, concentration, low mood, lack of motivation, big fatigue, and somnolence."

• Isc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2022

For Depression "Initially, it was a great drug. It acted, mostly, as an anxiolytic. At an initial dose of 0.5 mg, it made me calm, made my depression fade away. It even increased my energy, improved sleep, and libido. The problem, however, was the timing of the medication. I could not take it in the evening because it was making my sleep worse. In the morning, it made me sedated - but not too much; it was tolerable. After 2 months, my doctor bumped the dose to 1 mg - and that's where hell went loose. I slowly started developing side effects from it. The feeling of energy went away. Sedation increased to the point where I was unable to work. At the same time, it made my sleep much worse. Again, these side effects developed slowly - until, at some point, I realized that I felt really, really bad on Rexulti. Now I am trying to get off it before I get fired from my job."

• Jlg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2024

For Depression "I was on the verge of admitting myself. This medicine pulled me out of the depths of despair in a week. I'm up to 0.5 mg now and may increase more. I hope the effectiveness lasts. I do think I have gained some weight from it but I would rather be fat and sane than thinner and out of my mind. The first day I took it, I felt a bit energized but that only lasted one day. The next days, I felt zero side effects. Maybe a little more sleepy in the evening. Oh, and I also take 25mg of Lexapro since this is an add-on. I've been on Lexapro for ten years and Rexulti for 2 months."

• rad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2021

For Depression "I had high hopes because of the positive reviews, it helped for a little while. I wasn’t suicidal, and I felt in control, but soon my hands began to shake so much I couldn’t do my work, and I’m so painfully tired all the time and constantly groggy, like I just woke up. I feel more depressed on the meds than I did off. I slowly felt more and more numb until nothing felt good anymore. I don’t do anything other than work and sleep."

• Dre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2022

"I had a hypomanic episode, and they put me on this. It did knock out the hypomania quickly. And I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Promptly flushed it down the toilet. I’m gonna stick with my tried and true Lamictal. Doesn’t help much to stabilize my mood and then end up with diabetes. It also makes me groggy as anything. I feel like a zombie on this drug. I don’t like it at all."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 9, 2021

"I take this for bipolar type 1 with psychosis at 1 mg. I know it's the subtherapeutic dosage, but I also take Depakote along with it. I started out at a higher dosage but have been able to slowly decrease the dosage. My only main gripe about it is the akathisia. I pace a lot or have the urge to pace or move around constantly. I had that same side effect but worse on Abilify. Other than that, it's probably one of the 'better' atypical antipsychotics that's worked for me in terms of the side effects. It's definitely helped with my depression, paranoia, and anger. At higher doses, it really sedated me to the point where I can't do much of anything and was really apathetic towards life. Honestly, I am grateful for this medication since all the others have practically ruined my life with how awful the side effects were. I would rate Rexulti higher, but the akathisia is pretty annoying to deal with."

• ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 19, 2025

For Major Depressive Disorder "I'm female and in my mid-thirties. I've been on Rexulti for 5 years. I started on 0.5 mg, and my doctor upped it to 1 mg a year and a half ago to help manage my co-occurring anxiety. I'm also on Trintellix (20 mg) for my depression and Concerta (18 mg) for my ADHD. An added bonus of this medication is that it helps with the irritability and psychomotor agitation I experience as an autistic person. I have noticed weight gain (it kind of snuck up on me, lol) and fatigue, as well as a feeling of sedation, and my dreams have been vivid and strange. But I'll take these side effects over a consistently low mood, an inability to experience joy, and complete dysfunction in all areas of my life. Since taking Rexulti, I've been able to work, take a course, study for a continuing education exam, socialize more, and feel better overall. While I don't love the side effects, this drug has been helpful overall."

• Rob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2025

For Schizophrenia "I took it for 1 month, getting up to 3 mg. It had less akathisia feeling than Latuda or Vraylar, but it still had some, which I couldn't tolerate anymore. There was no sedation. The biggest problem for me was sleep. I could not get a good night's sleep on Rexulti. Lastly, I could not think or focus on anything while on 2-3 mg. It made me completely unmotivated to do anything but lay in bed. I had to stop taking it. I hope it works for others."

• Jud...
• April 5, 2022

For Depression "Rexulti. Nope, never again. For me, it had a negative effect. Suicidal thoughts constantly. Sleeping all day. No enthusiasm for anything. Weaned myself off it and feel “normal” again."

• joh...
• May 8, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "Very dizzy and lightheaded, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Don't get prescribed this medication. Also, I feel groggy and sleepy."

• Anonymous
• June 23, 2023

"Immediate sedation within one hour of taking the first dose. Dizziness and disorientation within a few hours. Overall not feeling well."