Abilify
The below information on Abilify has been taken from official FDA sources, but we cannot guarantee it's accuracy. Please use this site for educational purposes only. This site does not replace a proper discussion with your doctor.
| Brand Name: | Abilify |
| Generic: | Aripiprazole |
| Availability: | Prescription |
| This drug was approved by the FDA in one form or another on: 2002-11-15 ,2004-12-10 ,2006-06-07 ,2006-09-20 , | |
| This drug is made in one form or another by the following companies: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | |
| This drug is available in the following forms: Injectables Oral Solutions Orally Disintegrating Tablets Tablets | |
| View the actual FDA approved label for this drug at the following links: PDF Label PDF Label |
About Abilify
- Abilify is in a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia that may include hearing voices, seeing things, or sensing things that are not there, mistaken beliefs or unusual suspiciousness.
- Abilify is used to treat mixed or manic episodes in adults who have a condition called Bipolar I disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness than causes extreme mood swings.
Precautions for Abilify
- Abilify may impair judgment, thinking, or motor skills. You should be careful in operating machinery, including automobiles, until you know how Abilify affects you.
- It is important to avoid overheating and dehydration while taking Abilify. Abilify may make it harder to lower your body temperature.
Side Effects of Abilify
The following are the risks and potential side effects of Abilify therapy. However, this list is not complete.
- Increased chance of death in elderly persons. Elderly patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, such as Abilify, for dementia had a higher chance for death than patients who did not take the medicine. Abilify is not approved for dementia.
- A life-threatening nervous system problem called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). NMS can cause a high fever, stiff muscles, sweating, a fast or irregular heart beat, change in blood pressure, and confusion. NMS can affect your kidneys. NMS is a medical emergency. Call your healthcare professional right away if you experience these symptoms.
- A movement problem called tardive dyskinesia (TD). Call your healthcare professional right away if you get muscle movements that cannot be stopped.
- High blood sugar and diabetes. Patients with diabetes or who have a higher chance for diabetes should have their blood sugar checked often.
- Strokes have happened in older patients treated for mental illness from dementia. Abilify is not approved for this use.
- Other serious side effects with Abilify may include low blood pressure seen as dizziness, increased heart beat and possibly fainting; seizures; increased body temperature; and difficulty swallowing.
- The most common side effects may include headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, anxiety, problems sleeping, lightheadedness (dizziness), sleepiness, restlessness and rash.
Who Should Not Take Abilify
Do NOT use Abilify if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Abilify
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Interactions with Abilify
Because certain other medications can interact with Abilify review all medications that you are taking with your healthcare professional, including those that you take without a prescription.
Your healthcare professional may have to adjust your dose or watch you more closely if you take the following:
- blood pressure medicines
- ketoconazole
- quinidine
- carbamazepine
- fluoxetine or paroxetine
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Abilify.
User Comments and Reviews:
Tiffany Why I Hate Abilify... May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.6667 I am a 21 year old who suffers from Bi Polar Type 1 and 2 (mixed episode) and I was recently put on Abilify, approximately two and half weeks ago in order to stable out my constant moods swings. I "used to" be manic about 50 to 60% of the time and have this abundance of energy on a very minimal amount of sleep (like 3-4 hours) and I would race around the house: folding laundry, exercising for hours on end, organizing my room, writing poetry, dancing and singing...in other words, I was always on the go!!! And then the other 40-50% of the time I would be this depressed, "down in the dumps", extremely emotional zombie... having unexpexcted emotional outburst and crying for no reasons at times, sometimes I would be very passive with my anger and then suddenly blow up at someone for something little that may have been irritating or hit a soft spot, make suicidal comments about how I don't want to live anymore (even though I do, just not like this), etc...the list could go on and on, but anyhow, even though I have been going through these emotional mood swings for about eleven years, it wasn't until I slit my wrist the beginning of this summer that my family decided I need more than individual therapy and medications. I had been on: zoloft, prozac, lamictal, trileptal, effexor and risperdal- none that worked out for me and so I got sent to McClean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts which is specifically a mental hospital and I had both individual and group therapy, along with feeling like a science experimented while my inpatient team there tested out different medications on me. The last one they put me on and sent me home with is Abilify, but not only has the Abilify reduced my manic episodes and cause me to sleep- but instead I feel drained out, oversensitive and sluggish all of the time and I have a loss of interest in the few things that I ordinarily have interest in. Does anyone know if these feelings will go away?
-tiff-Anonymous 6 YO Autistic May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.5000 My six-year-old son with severe autism had been regressing and showing a great deal of aggression towards others over the past few months. He also had a great deal of anxiety and numerous meltdowns as well as increased and unusual fears. His speech had also decreased somewhat.
He recently underwent a functional behavior assessment at school as the behaviors (hitting, kicking, throwing furniture, meltdowns) are also present while in class and especially on the school bus (jumping screaming etc).
His doctor suggested Abilify (aripiprazole). He's been taking it for about two weeks. The aggression is completely gone. The anxiety has lessened to a great degree and speech is back to normal (normal for him anyway).
He takes clonidine for sleep, so I can't say if this has affected his sleep patterns -- they were always terrible anyway. His appetite is about the same as always.
The only thing which has not improved is that he refuses to use the restroom without me coming in with him. At school he doesn't use the restroom until he is told to do so. This sort of behavior actually began about a month before the abilify was started. He is still very hyperactive, but not in a really bad way. He has always moved around a lot. He loves to run and jump. I confess that I'd be worried if he suddenly became very still and inactive. It would be too much of a change in his personality.
He has never taken any other meds besides clonidine before.
I was terribly afraid to start this med, but now I'm glad we decided to do it. He is too -- I'm sure. He seems to be a much happier kid now.Cindy Feeling emotionless May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.4737 Since being on Abilify I feel like I have lost all emotion and ability to have "feelings." The drug has worked well for my symptoms and I will continue to take it. But I feel dead inside and extremely unmotivated and useless. I feel like my personality is gone. I have changed dramatically since the drug. I am laid-back calm and not intrested in anything like i used to be. It is definitly the drug and gets worse with each mg. increase. I was given Topamax which helped at first but now I'm back to that dead feeling again. Has anyone else had this side effect? concerned mother ABILIFY May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.1667 Hello, I just want to say, if anyone is planning on giving a child abilify, to keep a close watch. My 10 year old daughter who has bipolar disorder was doing well, and was happy on 100mg of seroquel. She had some problems with weight gain, sedation at night, and some stammering. The doctor thought it would be better to put her on 10mg of abilify. She made it seem like this medication was a miracle drug. We thought we would give it a try. We were living a nightmare for 5 days on the medication. My daughter could not sleep ( but was exhausted ) and was walking around like a zombie the whole time. I kept thinking it would get better, but she begged me to put her back on seroquel. The final straw was on a school morning, she fainted and fell to the floor. Thank goodness my husband and I were close by. She is now happy back on her old meds. The doctor said this medication is not for everyone. If a loved one is planning on taking a new medication, PLEASE listen to them and ask them how they feeling. If they are happy with the medication that they are on, there is no reason to switch. All meds have side effects and nothing is going to be perfect. I would love to hear comments from other moms about the medication that their child is on. Holly 6 weeks on Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0385 I have now been on Abilify for 6 weeks. I LOVE it!!!!!!! No major side effects. My energy level is up, my mood swings are down. The only bad thing is that I don't sleep as well at night as I did when I was on the Risperdal. I have also lost 17 pounds of the 68 that I gained. So you'll get no complaints from me about this medication!!! Anonymous Abilify for Alzheimer's patients May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 My mother has Alzheimer's Disease and had become completely unmanageable, getting up 8 to 12 times a night, packing up and trying to leave. She had hallucinations, was screaming and swearing(all this from a very quiet, passive, sweet, gentle woman when she was well). After only 2 weeks on abilify she is like a different person. She understands when we talk to her and she can speak sentences that make sense. Her doctor told me I was going to see a miracle after a few weeks. She is still confused and uncertain but she is like the mother we had. Thank God for this drug. I will be able to keep her at home with me for a while longer. The bad thing is it cost me 347.50 for 30 pills. With the results I have seen I will pay it, because it helps her, but I think it should be available at a more reasonable price. PAM 8YO SON WAS ON ABILIFY May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 That was prescribed to him by Psychiatrist who thought he was becoming psychotic. I was not at the appt. when he was prescribed this, my husband was and failed to ask the Dr. about possible side effects. Within 2 days of taking this med (5 mg per day) my son was complaining of pains to his side, back head and mouth. At one point he could not move from the pain and we ended up taking him to the Emergency room...we were told to stop the medication immediately. VERY SCARY experience, he will never take that again!!! judy Abilify side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 My son who is 31 yr. is now taking Abilify. He takes clozopine and lithium and zoloft as well. The Abilify has made him much more able to think, clean and organize. Usually music gives him racing thoughts but for the first time in years, he told me he actually was able to listen to some music. He is much more chatty which is wonderful. My only concern is that he says he feels nauseous when he initially eats. Does anyone else have this symptom? Is it related to the throat thing above? Mom. Michelle Good Results May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 I have been on Abilify for about a month now. I did a lot of research before asking my Dr. to let me try it. I've experienced no nausea, some insomnia easily taken care of with .5 mgs of Klonopin and one day I felt a little pain in my heart just when inhaling. I've also developed a very slight tremor in my right hand just when trying to write. Before Abilify, I was on Zyprexa and gained 25 pounds, quite horrendous when one is only 4'11". I also had to take another drug to stop the tremors in both my arms and legs with Zyprexa. So I feel Abilify is a wonder drug for me. I have not experienced the bad side effects that so many on this board have spoken about. Abilify has given me my life back, which Schizoaffective disorder was trying to steal away from me. Be sure and have your Dr. initially titrate the medication up to full dosage. I started at 1/2 of a 15 mg. tablet and now just take that amount at night along with 1000 mgs of Depakote Er and plus Klonopin for sleep. Life is much better now. Bryan Abilify Sux May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 I've try'd Abilify for mania associated with Bi-Polar. I would have to agree with "Anonymous".. I would have to say that I would describe the way I feel after taking it, as a feeling of "death" dizziness and feel like I'm just str8 up dying. I never thought I'd know what that felt like, but know I do.. This new medicine sucks.. On top of costing in the range of $13 per pill (for the 10mg) I've got 13 of these spensive bastards left now or $170 worth.. (REDICULOUS) for something that made me feel like I was dying.. For those of you who it makes a world of difference for.. Best of wishes.
~Bryan~
Smart Enough to know better, Crazy Enough not to care.anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 My doctor put me on this medication. i had taken zyprexa before and gained a lot of weight. while on the ablilify i have lost a lot of weight and am feeling good. the weight problem has went away and i find myself thinking more clearly. also it has helped with the problems i had. racing thoughts and paranoid. it has really helped that alot and i feel like my old self again. also i seem to talk with people alot more. it really is a great medication and i have had no side effects with abilify. Carol Wonder Drug May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.0000 I've had Bipolar for 11 yr's now and have been on either Zyprexa or Risperdal until 3 mo's ago. Along with the help of depakote I gained 136 lb's over the years. Since starting abilify 5 mg, I have lost 19 lb's additional effects are an increase in energy, motivation, concentration, problem solving ability and numerous others. I have genuine joy in my life for the first time in 11 year's. I had a few side effects the first week ie: headache, fatigue,hand tremors and nausea. I encourage you to give this med. a chance. Also if you have to pay out of pocket, have your Dr. write Rx for double dose times 15 tab's and take half a day, this will save you 50%.
Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.9143 I need to share something here. Abilify gave me my mind.
I have been on it for less than six months, and unlike Zyprexa, it has treated my symptoms without making it so I couldn't form a coherent thought or sentence. I can think, focus, speak and do anything else I need to do with my mind. And I am free of psychotic symptoms for the first time in 3 years. I just cannot say enough. If nothing else has worked, try this. I lost the weight I gained on Zyprexa. I can think. I am almost the person I was before.
supportive wife Bipolar and abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.8108 My husband was diagnosed with bipolar recently. He was started on geodon and that medication did not help his psychotic symptoms associated with his manic episode. He was then started on abilify and has shown a vast improvement. He is back to work, thinking clearly, has been able to sleep but has not complained of being overly sleepy. I believe this medication helped bring him back to me along with Depakote and caring doctors. I am a registered nurse and also wanted to add to those who have had bad experiences that unfortunately not all medications work for all people and that is why follow up with a dr and understanding the possibilities is so important. Medications do have side effects for some people, but if a medication has a chance to change your life it may be worth a try. Unfortunately there isn't an exact answer to everything right away, but I hope if people are thinking about abilify they will at least talk to their doctor to see if it may be good for them to try. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.7500 My 14 year old son has been on abilify for about 3 months for bipolar disorder and he is greatly improved. Much better attitude, less oppositional and more cooperative. At this point the only side effect is that he is ready for bed at 9am and is a little zoned in the morning.
I would recommend trying this drug. It takes 5 weeks according to my dr. to get through the side effects. He says after 5 weeks at the same dosage that what ever benefits you are having is probably the benefit you will getKim Elbert Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.7500 Hi. I'm Kim, a 44 year old woman with schizophrenia. I have been on so many different drugs it's unreal and hospitalized just as much! Nothing has worked like the Abilify has. I was on clozaril which caused my diabetes and made me gain an extra 100 pounds. I've been on the Abilify for around 4 months now and I've lost 45 pounds! I have been alittle nauseated and have trouble staying asleep at night. But my family says they have their daughter back! My aunt who lives next door to me says it's like living next door to "Awakenings". I was almost like a zombi for about 15 or 20 years and having auditory and visual hallucinations and now I don't have ANY!!!! I take an active role in my life and my Church now, I am a member of Womens Missions and a Bible Study and am about to start volunteering a couple days a week at the hospital. My boyfriend also has schizophrenia and they just put him on Abilify also. It really is like watching "Awakenings"! He is talking for the first time since I've known him which has been for 9 years! He never said I love you or that I was pretty, and now he tells me everyday! It really takes some getting used to because it's like beeing around someone new. I just can't say enough thanks to my Dr. Boyer for taking a chance on this fairly new drug with me! There aren't too many Dr's who would take someone off Clozaril. Anyway, if anyone would like to email me, feel free. I'll be sure and write you back. Thanks for the oppurtunity to write about Abilify. Kim Elbert Chris Don't work May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.6000 My wife (who has schizoaffective disorder) was on Zyprexa for quite awhile and was living a perfectly normal life. About 3 months ago her doctor switched all of her meds at once. She went from Zyprexa and Depakote to Abilify and Gabatril. Within one month she had deteriorated to the point that she had to be hospitalized. She was in for 24 days, with no improvement, even though the doctor kept upping the dosage. She was eventually released in worse condition that when she was admitted, and I and our two children have been living a nightmare ever since. She suffers from auditory, visual, and occasionally tactile hallucinations. She also has some very disturbing delusions. We have had to lock up everything in our home which might be dangerous. I don't know how long it takes a doctor to accept the fact that some medicines do not work for some people. People who are so worried about weight gain should be thankful that is their biggest concern, as for me and my children we would like to have this precious sweet woman back regardless of her weight. I have been taking care of my wife when her disease flared up for 20 years. Under the new HIPPA laws, that ability was taken away from me this last round of hospitalization. A spouse no longer has a right to know what is being done to or given thier spouse. Had I any say, she would already be back on Zyprexa. All I can say is, try it. If it hasn't made SIGNIFICANT improvements in one month, DEMAND your doctor switch you to something different. Yes, sleep disturbances are common. Yes, continued hallucinations and delusions continue. Also, there simply isn't any evidence that this drug doesn't cause long term severe problems. It was rushed through the approval process by it's lobbying supporters without any studies of long term usage, or even effects manifesting later from short term usage. If I had my way, this drug would be pulled from the market. Next step for us is to find a doctor that isn't working for the drug company. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.6000 I'm 19, and have been taking Seroquel for two years until I reached 700mg thereof. I developed minor trachycardia, so Abilify was next in the list for me. I'm on the fifth week on Abilify and at 15mg. At first my changes were that I started talking more fluently. Then I started feeling a combination of desperation and fatigue. I can't keep my back upright, and get sessions where I want to do what's next or after instead of the crystallized-formal focus I had with Seroquel. My left thigh has started twitching though not exactly involuntarily. I'm also a different kind of hungry than that of Seroquel, and postulate that I'll have to adapt to it too in a different way.
In my opinion, for exercise, I think Abilify is better because your vitality is awakened faster than with Seroquel. For performing in front of audiences I think Seroquel is better because of the mental alterations. For editing writing, Seroquel is better. For talking, Abilify is better. For formality Seroquel is better. For moods, Abilify is better.
If my dose increases in time I'll need to get my check up on the creatine p levels in my blood to avoid dangers of concieving NMS and TD.
But this is only my fifth week on Abilify. I hope I can get it right with the way Abilify affects my mental energy distribution, besides the dopamine/serotonin stuff I need to learn about.Ernest T. Thanking God everyday for Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.6000 I am a very treatment resistent Bipolar 1. I have some bad rapid cycling everyday. When manic I have hullucinations and delusions. I was diagnosed 17 years ago and have been prescribed everything you can imagine. I was on zyprexa, seroquel, and depakote for almost 4 years with frequent med dose changes.. It just was horrible with side effects. Three weeks ago, I was hospitalized for my bipolar and the doctors decided to try Abilify. My life has changed amazingly. I do not have any rapid cycling and my mania has leveled out like the person I was 17 years ago. Abilify is awesome. It still is early to tell if it will work long term, but at least I am leveled, happy and feeling just great! Thanks to God for Abilify! Anonymous Abilify side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.5135 These people who are having side effects need to talk with their doctors. Hopefuly they have honest ,concerned, well read psychiatrists only prescribing these very powerful drugs such as Abilify. Their side effects are serious and need to be dealt with by only the best prepared. Only Psychiatrists who keep up with their reading and conferences are worth even spending their money or time on. Other Dr.s do not have the time to keep up on psychiatric drugs. If a psychiatrist does not know medicine well he needs to refer his patients to a very good Internal Medicine Dr. to assist him. If he does not make the referral go on your own! It's your life! You need to stand up for yourself no matter what it takes or how difficult it is. Find people or agencies that will assist you. They are there to help you. That is their job. dan abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.4118 my 17 yr old son has been on abilify , for approx 3 weeks, he was on risperdal for about 2 yrs and gained alot of weight. he takes his pill in the morning and he seems to have no side effects, he has started to lose weight. he is adhd an has explosive anger syndrome, we have seen no change in behavior since coming off risperal. the abilify seems so far to be working well for him. he is a good student and you couldn't ask for a better behaved teenager. we have a doctors appt. saturday.the weight caused him to be self conscious, and he is already feeling better about himself. Mark Abilify/Lamictal May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.2500 I am from Sydney, Australia, where Abilify is considered off-label for the treatment of bipolar disorder. I have had severe bipolar for 10 years and been committed 6 times. My bipolar had psychotic features and has now been reclassified as schizoaffective bipolar type (so I can get Abilify now). I have tried just about everything: mood-stabilizers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, tranquilizers etc. Since I am medically trained, I have also researched the available medical literature very extensively. The result is the following conclusion: Lamictal is the best mood-stabilizer for bipolar disorder. This is because of its efficacy against biploar depression (which has higher morbidity than mania) and because it is generally very well tolerated (few side-effects) which makes it good for maintenance therapy. However, Lamictal's drawback is its lack of efficacy against mania. Therefore an anti-psychotic is also indicated. There are five second-generation candidates: risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone and aripiprazole. The first two have the most evidence for effectiveness in mania although the others probably have fewer side-effects. The real stand-out however in terms of side-effects (weight gain, sedation, hyperglycemia, EPS, hyperprolactinemia, arhythmias etc.) is aripiprazole (Abilify). Although it has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for bipolar maintenance since 2004, the evidence this is based on is extremely dodgy. Therefore, there is a question mark over whether it really is effective against mania. If it turns out that it can be effective (and I suspect it will be) then this suggests that the combination Lamictal/Abilify may be some kind of "magic bullet" for bipolar disorder. No one in the world to date (Sep 2006) has studied this combination of drugs although there are some trials currently recruiting. I was on Lamictal/Zyprexa but have switched recently to Lamictal/Abilify. The transformation has been truly incredible. I would say now that I am in remission. If anyone out there is also on just these two drugs please post your experience, because there is very little (even anecdotal) information on the Abilify/Lamictal combination. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.2308 My child has been on Abilify for 4 months now. Prior to that he was on Seroquel. The abilify has evened his moods out and makes it easier for him to cooperate. He has also showed empathy for the first time in several years. He is 9 years old with PDD,nos. Sandy Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.1250 I have been on Abilify for 1 1/2 months now and find that I am getting more and more restless, and much less able to concentrate. I go from doing one thing to another completely forgetting that I was doing something else. This is certainly not my normal demeanor and it is very depressing to me. I find myself eating complusively also and then hate myself for doing that. What is it with this drug...is it safe?? I sure would like to try something a bit cheaper. My doctor gave me a coupon for 14 free days of pills on my next script, but who can afford to pay $274 each month...this stinks. Has anyone else experienced the restlessness??
I cannot sit down and relax in a chair or bed without jumping up every 5 minutes to do something I forgot about, then do not have the concentration level needed to complete a project. HELP!!!Anonymous Abilify and anxiety May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.0000 I have had anxiety problems and chronic depression since my teen years. I am now 50 years old, and finally began treatment for these problems 2 years ago. I seem to be one of those people who reacts to everything, even in low doses, which is awful. I take Lamictal for depression, and it has helped tons with no side effects. My Dr. has been working with me to find an answer for the anxiety. I have been on 2.5 mg of Abilify for 12 days now and am ready to bail out. I am having the strangest thought patterns! I can't concentrate for a minute. I will do things like wond if I put the aluminum foil in the drawer while I'm flossing my teeth. My family gets a yuck out of watching me walk through the house, floss dangling from my mouth to check on the foil, only to find it in the freezer! This is an exaggeration, but these are the types of thought patterns that are occurring. Speech has been difficult too; lots of mixing up of words. I also can't sleep, even with 30 mg of Restoril. I'm afraid of doing the Judy Garland thing while just trying to get a night's rest!I have already taken my doseof Abilify for the morning, but if things aren't better today, I'm outta here! This whole process is really frustrating. I would love to find something that works for me, but Abilify doesn't seem to be it.
Thank you!Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.0000 My x-daughter-in-law has our grandson on Clonidine,Depakote,Abilify and Strattera. She has to drug him like a zombie. That way she doesn't have to deal with him. He will be 7 next month and we had him for 20 months and never had him on any drugs. I don't know why parents can't deal with there children without the use of drugs. By the way Abilify is not suppose to be given under the age of 18. Anonymous side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.0000 my husband is at the hospital right now because in the past 3 days something is going on with him. He is beyond fatigued- he keeps passing out on us, he has been complaining about his vision blurring up on him, and his tongue was hurting. i called his psych and she said that it wasn't a side effect from abilify (which he has been on for a month for being bipolar.). reading all of this i'm having second thoughts to her answer. I looked on the abilify website and darned if all of those aren't symptoms. I thought he might have had a small stroke (he just turned 29 by the way). his speech is what really set me off to something being wrong. it started out as slurred speech but over the past 3 days that has morphed into unrecognizable speech. i can't understand ANYTHING that he is saying and he is getting frustrated that he can't talk right. I think that its the medicine, i won't know for sure yet but it has me wondering. Barb No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.9444 To the perspn taking resperdal and the doctor wants you to try abilify. I would tell you that it is definitely worth the try. I was on reperdal for years and gained alot of weight. And all of a sudden about 3 1/2 months ago my prolactin level just shot up and I was lactating like crazy which was extremely painful. I've been on abilify since then and have felt much better. I'm not sedated anymore, I see changes in my weight and I'm very alert. The only warnings I have for you are that I get frequent headaches and I do not well at all at night. Holly No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.8824 I started taking Abilify 2 weeks ago, after being on Risperdal for almost 2 years. My biggest problem with the Risperdal was the weight gain!!! So far, I've had no problems with the Abilify, well, other than restlessness at night. I don't sleep well like I did on the Risperdal. My biggest hope is that the weight gain will stop!!! I went from a size 10 to a size 18, which has sent me spiraling down into depression. Some of what has been said here about Abilify has been scary, but I know that my own personal dealings with it has been good so far!!! Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.8500
My 10 year old has had all signs of psychosis disappear! After 6 years o f trying everything, this has been a welcome miracle. I know things may change down the line, but for now we are grateful and deliriously happy.Norma Reaction from a 6 yr old on Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.6316 I have a 6 yr old grandson who has been on 10 mg of Abilify for 3 weeks...In the 3 weeks he has been on this he has changed so he has been throwing temper fits, screaming and crying all the time..He has NO trouble sleeping....I would like to know if anyone else has a child this young on this medication...He is always hungry..No matter how much he eats he is never full... Anonymous abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.5000 I have been on Abilify for 2 weeks, 1/2 of a 15mg tablet and it is about to drive me up the wall with shortness of breath, shallow breathing, headache, aches all over, sleepness nights, having to sit up in recliner to breathe and sleep. Sure it does not have the effect that paxil and other antipshchotic medications do on the sex life but the side effects are harendous. I had to stop it last night as I could hardly move I hurt so bad all over and felt as if I was having a heart attack. I was dizzy and very tongue twisted at times to get out my sentences, is it possible I was taking too much or too little for a balanced feeling or what could it possibly be? Cathy Too Many Side Effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.5000 I started taking Abilify as a mood stabilizer and it was a disaster! I developed akathisia. I couldn't sit still for a second, and if I tried, my muscles felt like they would burst. I developed tardive dyskinesia and my left hand started moving involuntarily and that side effect ended up being permanent. I still have it a year after going off the medication. Eventually I started running a fever with a racing pulse every time I took the medication and had to stop it.
I had been reluctant to stop this medication because it was helping my treatment-resistant depression. I discovered that I am dopamine-deficient which is why all the classical antidepressants haven't worked for me and why I had all the side effects. Now I'm taking Mirapex and it works great! I don't know why any doctor would prescribe this medication to someone who has depression that is not due to bipolar disorder. If you are taking it for depression and are experiencing significant side effects, consider a different medication, such as Cymbalta, an antidepressant that increases dopamine instead of decreasing it. YMMVAnonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.4286 Abilify seemed to be making a good difference - my son seemed happier - until he had a reaction. Involuntary movement in his tongue - then his tongue swelled so much he almost couldn't swallow. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.3333 To all of you. All drugs have side effects. They effect people in different ways. what might be really bad for one person might be really good for another. I know you want to share your experiences but you may be scaring off someone that the drug could really help. My daughter is allergic to sulfa drugs but I would never tell someone else not to take it. none bipolar/abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.3333 My son is 19yrs old and has just started on abilify for about 2 mos. hes now on 10 mgs. so far hes worst then ever. Hes not sleeping and is agitated, paranoided, agrumative, and verabily abusive. when does this drug start to work. Hes one step away from a residental at this stage. Michele Just started May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.2857 I'm a 25 year old female, on day two of Abilify, 2.5 mg. This is in addition to 225 mg of Effexor, 300 mg Zyban, and 2 mg of Lunesta at night. I slept like a log last night, without the Lunesta! This is very important to me, as I just naturally need a good 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night to feel refreshed, always have. So far I've had very few side effects. I'm absolutely phobic about getting physically sick, so I was terrified the first few hours after I took the initial dose. Nothing at all happened. Well, I did eat some crackers about an hour after taking it, and felt like I had to eat them slowly or I might get sick. Well, I can live with that. I've only been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but after approx a year and a half of a changing cocktail of drugs, nothing is better. I have had worsening problems with rage, completely inappropriate anger, and inability to control it. I get so angry at little things (hair not doing what I want it to in the morning, etc.) that I literally have to bite my tongue from screaming, and then it melts into sobbing and horrible despair. It's like going through puberty all over again. However, so far with Abilify, I feel that little ball of hate going away!
The only side effects I've had so far are feeling like I'm stuck. I can't explain it. I can move my body, but whatever position I'm in feels like I'll never move again. I actually have to THINK about moving to get anywhere. Same with my thoughts. I have to concentrate to finish a thought or sentence. But these effects have been mild, and almost enjoyable, as it's such a relief to not be filled with rage all the time. I welcome just "zoning out", which Abilify is causing.
To people perusing these forums for guidance, please keep in mind that no drug CAUSES diseases like Lupus or cataracts, as one person posted. That's absurd. It had to have happened coincenidently with the timing of Abilify. Every drug has side effects, there is no magic pill that will make you happy and healthy for the rest of your days. Each person's body chemistry is different. You should not be afraid to try a potentially good drug because someone else's body reacted a certain way to it. Hopefully you are under the care of a knowledgable physician, and can work with them to find what is right for you. For me, Abilify is great so far. But I would neither recommend or deter someone for any drug. Your body and mind are unique, and you will have a unique reaction, positive or negative, to any drug. Just keep an open mind, and keep your doctor informed of EVERYTHING.
Good luck to all, I know what you are all going through, I wish you all the best and hope for you to find your "cocktail" soon.Jason Abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.2000 It seems like alot of comments here are BS. I suspect many are probably from people who work for other drug companies trying to scare people and push their drugs. This drug is at the top of the class for people with schizophrenia and works great for some people and has minimal side effects. Maybe there are others who have side effects, but probably the only people writing here are the 1% with complaints. Bill abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.1765 this is an inside out drug---it turns on hallucinations---it stimulates---I haven't had a night's sleep in six weeks.
Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.1667 My sister has been on Abilify for 6 mo. She can go for 3 days at a time without sleeping and then becomes psychotic for a day or so until she sleeps from exhaustion. It causes her to become extremely compulsive and to do things that are dangerous to herself. Also it covered up an underlying serious illness because she was always so high. She now has had a psychotic break and is in the hospital. Her medical Dr. took her off this drug and her Psychiatrist put her back on it and increased it. I am praying that she will be OK or that her medical Dr. makes an intervention. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.0588 Does anyone know if abilify can create more anxiety and hallucinations? Dottie No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.0000 My daughter takes 2.5 mg of Abilify. Her mood has improved, her outbursts have decreased and she is finally interested in school again. I am very happy with the results, but remain concerned over the long term affects. She too eats alot but she is very active, dances and plays volleyball. Which brings up a question, do I need to be concerned with her taking this and playing sports? She also takes Paxil and Topamax. She is 11, will turn 12 in October. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.0000 Seems to cause shortness of breath. Will this go away? Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.8333 If we look at the p-colgy of the drug, since it is a dopamine modulator, it would make sense that some people get worse and some people get better. Althought Abilify has it's niche, it cannot and should not be used first line. It is too unpredictable in its actions. And may not adequately control psychotic or affective symptoms consistently. It may be used as an add on, however, I wouldn't use it first line.
Romeo No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.7500 To Gina, I was just prescribed Abilify (along with Lorazapam for anxiety and sleep problems) yesterday, and I am having the same problem as you. Terrible hiccups! They've been going on for the past 4 or 5 hours! I'm very frustrated. At least now I know which drug is causing them.
By the way, I was prescribed Abilify for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, not schizophrenia. Has anyone's Doc prescribed this drug to them for OCD?Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.7000 My first two weeks with abilify where awful with nausea and sea sickness, but it went away about the 12th or 13th day. I've lost 10 pounds since going on abilify. This is great since I gained 86 pounds on Zyprea. I still have problems sleeping. I take the abilify in the morning instead of night to help and take benedryl 25mg generic from the dollar store to sleep at night. I just found out they don't have my medicine at the clinic so I will have to go off it and back on it next month so I guess I will be sea sick again. I could pay for it but at $249.00 a month, I just don't have that kind of money.
guy abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.7000 I have been on abilify for several months and found that it
doesnt make you sleepy but will give you a hard time controlling
your thoughts and speech. I went back to geodon because of this.john No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.6667 I just tried Abilify for about 3-4 weeks. I eased onto it and eased back off. I couldn't sleep--or if I could, it was broken up in a series of little 2 or 3 hour pieces. The problem is that I've now been off of even the little dose I finished with and I still can't sleep. I don't know if it's the anxiety and depression I usually have to deal with that's causing it, some last bit of the medicine in my body, or whether it's changed my sleep patterns for good. I have the impression from a couple of times waking up that the problem may be sleep apnea--which I now see somewhere that Abilify may cause to worsen. I sure hope this is temporary, because I'm getting very tired and very depressed. I'd be very, very careful with this stuff. Has anyone else had a similar experience after going off the stuff? I did have all the jazzed-up restlessness that others describe while on it, which is why I went off. Ori Abilify vs. Zyprexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.6667 I've had no trouble tolerating Abilify after switching from Zyprexa. I started at 15 mg. and am now up to 30 mg. I'm being treated for bipolar I. Have lost 43 pounds of the weight I gained while on Zyprexa. My analogy is that Zyprexa was like sleeping under the weight of many heavy blankets, and Abilify is like sleeping under a cozy lightweight, but warm down comforter. I have more energy to do things, am able to think straight, and have had none of the side effects mentioned. For me the weight loss alone has made abilify an invaluable ally. (Also on Celexa and Lithium) Lee problems with abilify May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.6667 I take 10 mg. of abilify a day. I am constantly sleepy. If I stop being active and sit still I fall asleep during the day. At night I have trouble going to sleep and have bad dreams. I have trouble swollowing liquid--causes me to choke. I take another drug to help with restlessness. Even with that I can hardly concentrate to read anymore, which was one of my great joys. I don't read the paper anymore. I have low energy, easily tired, can't remember things. I think my biggest problem is sleepiness. I slept all day today. It does help with aliviate my deep depressions. Ingrid For 9-yr old w/ depression & OCD May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.5000 My almost-10-yr old son has been on Zoloft for about 7 months for depression and it was great at first, but the good effects seem to be diminishing as far as his self-esteem goes, though it did really help with the bizarre over-reactions and misinterpretations he was exhibiting more and more before going on it. Also his OCD was never alleviated. The weird thing is he began being really mischievous and untrustworthy. He saw a psychiatrist yesterday who prescribed Abilify, which I'd never heard of, and I'm shocked to find out it's for schizophrenia. The doc said this might alleviate the "impulsive" behavior that my son has been exhibiting since he's been on the Zoloft, and help relieve anxiety (i.e. his OCD behaviors and worries). I read this and really worry about side-effects, exacerbated by the fact that my son has allergies & asthma so has enough trouble on that front. Has anyone had any luck with this working for childhood chronic depression and OCD? Or BAD luck? Look forward to hearing back if so. Anonymous Abilify and Medical Cannabis May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.5000 I was curious to know if there were any negative side effects or reactions when using Abilify for someone who also uses medical cannabis. Karen abilify for panic attacks and depresssioon May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.4444 I have been put on this medication for depression and severe panic attacks and have been told theree are no bad side effects likely. Has anyone else been put on abilify for this reason and if so , what results have you had.
After 14 years of being on xanax, it has stopped working effectively for me. Please respond, especially if you have any real knowledge in this area. Thank you so much. KarenNadine No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.2500 I need to know how this medication works. I have 3 kids to take care of and i can't handle taking it through the day. I can't handle how sick and tired it made me. I someone can e-mail me and give me your opinion.
Thank You,
Nadine
Philip Eye Cysts and pains... May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.0000 My wife was prescribed Abilify at the beginning of November 04 (15mg per day). She has experienced the sleeplessness mentioned in earlier comments. But in late Dec 04 she developed a corneal cyst in her right eye which has since been accompanied by a second cyst in the left eye. Both eyes are irritated by light and she has resorted to dark glasses. She is also experiencing pain in each eye plus shooting pains from eyes to ears and pains in the ears.
She experiences/complains of continuing abdominal pains. The eye problems are a real concern and she is due to see an eye specialist next week. At this time we are not sure whether these problems are the result of Abilify usage or coincidental to taking the drug.
We live in England where the drug is currently not generally available but seems to be provided on a named basis only (ie restricted usage)
If any Users or Carers, who have had or know of similar effects which have or can be associated with Abilify we would be grateful to hear.
I should also say that before the eye trouble, I have never known her be so happy and contented on any anti psychotic before.Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 4.9167 Hi there,
Does anybody know if Abilify contributes to rolling of eyes to the ceiling? Ever since I was on Zyprexa this sort of conditioned developed. Since Ive quit using Zyprexa (months now, long enough to be out o