Aripiprazole and Tiredness: What Users Say

• inv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2013

For Autism "After much deliberation and many, many meetings, we finally decided to put our 7-year-old on a low dose of Abilify. My child is officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS, which is an autism spectrum disorder. At first, the low 2mg dose seemed pretty effective in controlling the anxiety and outbursts. However, when our doctor prescribed a higher dose of 5mg, the exhaustion and weight gain were out of control. My child gained roughly 45 pounds in six months, even when we stopped the medication for the summer months. Abilify seems to make my child very hungry but unable to convert any calories into energy, simply storing all food as fat. We came to the decision that the side effects were outweighing the desired effects, and we are trying a new medication."

• Rak...
• November 16, 2014

For Depression "I have been struggling with postnatal depression for nine months; really, for the last 2.5 years as I had two babies 19 months apart. I was placed on Wellbutrin which helped with the physical effects but did not improve mood. I was then placed on Lexapro, then Prozac, then Zoloft and although some did improve my mood, they all made me so tired I couldn't stay awake. They also made me feel disconnected and like I was observing emotions instead of feeling them. I was cold. Finally, my doctor gave me Abilify to use with the Wellbutrin and it has completely changed my whole aspect. I feel like myself, for the first time in years. I am awake, working hard, engaged, focused... it's my miracle! Even if it is $800 a month!"

• Sub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 17, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I am a 24-year-old male with Bipolar II. Depression is what I struggle with 98% of the time. I have been taking this med, Abilify, for about a month now, so long enough. I switched to this from Zyprexa, and that switch was rough. My anxiety came back worse than before on this med, and the restlessness was too much for me. I took 5mg, and I would get an hour or two of sleep per day and not be able to sit still during the day. I will say that it cured my depression completely, so for that, I am grateful. As far as my anxiety, sleep, and overall mood, it has not improved. Moving up in dosage caused more restlessness, and moving down to 2.5mg or less made me tired and didn't do much for my mood. This med didn't work for me, but it's not the worst med, give it a shot. I'm switching to Latuda, wish me luck."

• Edd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 13, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been given this drug, 300 mg by depot every month, and am on a community treatment order, which means if I refuse, I get taken straight into the hospital. It stops psychosis in bipolar, but comes at a price: no emotions, extreme tiredness, sleeping 12-14 hours a night, so it's hard to work. I’ve lost my creative side, my sex drive, even my ability to cook. I just sit in a chair most of the time, gaining weight. I feel so sorry for my family, I’ve completely lost myself, and the psychiatrist doesn’t seem to care."

• Lol...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2014

For Depression "Abilify has truly changed my life. Before I started taking it, I was crying every day for hours. A day, I felt a sadness for what seemed like no reason, and it just would not go away. I started with 2.5mg and felt no change, but at 5mg I felt a drastic improvement in my mood. I take it in addition to Adderall XR for ADHD. I was taking Vistaril for my anxiety, but that doesn't do anything but make you ridiculously tired, so I just got Klonopin, going to give that a try. My only drawback to Abilify is that for me it makes me very tired, so I take it at night."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2019

For Depression "I started Abilify approximately 6 weeks ago, 2 mg. I had finally found a drug to help me. I was happy, busy, catching up on things I had let go. Then I noticed my legs were very weak. I thought I was anemic again, or was it a statin for my cholesterol? So, I had to see my neurologist for dystonia. I told him about my legs. He had me do different motions with arms and legs, and told me to get off of this Abilify. It had affected the Dopamine in my brain, which has caused Parkinsonism and will last 6 months to 1 and a 1/2 years. When I walk, I’m exhausted and when I can, I use a scooter. I’m so sad and upset... this medicine worked, but very bad side effect."

• opt...
• July 10, 2009

For Depression "At a tiny 1 mg dose, this drug was wonderful for about a month. Instead of having a crazy sleep-till-noon schedule, I started to wake up in the morning on my own. I wasn't as tired, and I got a lot of things done, which alone helped my depression. I was also able to start exercising and eating right without crazy cravings - so I lost about 10 lbs. The doctor increased me to 2.5mg/day, and things really went downhill. I can only sleep for 4-6 hours at a time, so I have to nap twice during the day, and as soon as I take the medicine, I'm so tired I'm basically incapable of driving. I'm cutting back down by half today hoping it was a dosing issue."

• 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."

• 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."

• Sam...
• July 13, 2019

For Depression "I was only on Abilify for a short amount of time, but my symptoms only seemed to worsen as I continued. I was constantly exhausted, like falling asleep in class level of exhausted, and I was experiencing a fair amount of emotional numbness. I don't know why my doctor put me on this medication, but I just couldn't handle it."

• Jes...
• March 12, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "Day one: TERRIBLE! Very tired, had to stay home from work. Day two: Getting better. Very tired in the morning but the day improved. Day three: Wonderful! I am not sure what 'normal' is, but if this is it, I am in heaven. Awake, focused, appropriate amount of energy, easygoing mood, less irritable, and lower anxiety (could be the Xanax on the last one). I am just beginning the medication, but typically meds have a quick effect on me and stick. I have not noticed any unusual appetite increases, but I am certainly going to keep an eye on it because I noticed a large percentage experience weight gain. As my fiancé says-mental health is more important than gaining a few pounds anyway."

• Clo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 13, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify 400 mg injection at first made me so anxious and felt suicidal. My doctors said it wasn't the drug, it was my depression and anxiety. They persisted with it, as I'm not compliant with tablets. I have bipolar 1 with psychosis. It has helped with psychosis, but the side effects are destroying me. Extreme lethargy and total numbness, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has made me gain weight also, despite daily exercise. I have no libido whatsoever anymore. When I complain to the psychiatrist, they just say it's not supposed to do that, there must be another reason for these things. I also feel like I have no memory but have impulses to gamble and spend money. I have no energy to fight anymore, it's so sad and disgusting that my quality of life is not a factor to these people, doctors, etc. As long as I'm not in the ward, it's all that matters to them."

• Ale...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 14, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Abilify when I was 16. I live in Italy. I've been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and took Abilify until I was 22, under various forms. I used to take two pills a day and ended up eventually taking it from injection at the hospital because it didn't help me at all. I honestly had a feeling things were only getting worse. I was always extremely tired and sleepy. I had some troubles tolerating heat, even with very low temperatures outside and excessive salivation. I gained 105 lbs during these years and couldn't move much. As soon as I stopped taking Abilify, I got so much better, physically. I contacted a private psychologist and things got better without that therapy."

• cee...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 16, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I am diagnosed bipolar, and I have tried Lamictal, Lithium, Latuda, and I don't even know how many other combinations. Abilify was the only one that has shown results for me. Yes, it tends to make me tired about 4-5 hours after taking it. And it makes me eat like a piggy sometimes, which has caused some weight gain. But nothing too severe. I take 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg at night, the perfect dose for me. It keeps my moods perfectly balanced, but I have been taking Abilify since I was 15, and I am now 20 and do not plan on stopping it anytime soon. I have tried that, and it did not end well."

• Pol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was once told by a man online that serotonin and dopamine are happy feel-good neurotransmitters. And that to contain my bipolar volatility, my doctor was turning down the volume. Side effect. I have no get-up-and-go. My head was once a storm, now a glassy lake. But there is no wind. No sound. No nothing anymore. I feel empty. Numb. Tired, weak, never sad, never happy. Just flat. I’m tapering off of all antipsychotics and moving on to lithium orotate. Life could be so much better."

• gec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2023

For Depression "Been on it for about a month. Was taking Xanax 0.5 mg a day and Adderall for energy. Was prescribed Abilify 2 mg. Felt super happy. Reduced it to 1 mg. May need to go back to 2 mg. This is a miracle drug for me. I take it in the morning. I feel normal and happy. Off the Xanax now. I do feel sleepy and tired but will stay on it. Have gained about 8 lbs even though I exercise. I pray it continues to help me."

• Aun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I have taken 15 mg of Abilify for 5 months, no side effects or weight gain yet, so that's good. I don't crave food and gain weight like I did on Risperdal and had bad side effects on Zoloft. I feel tired for 2 hours after I take Abilify. It's hard to stay asleep. I wake up and do the same thing over and over all night long."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 28, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I’m on a 400 mg shot for schizophrenia NOS. I don’t recommend lowering the dosage because you get tolerance to it. I was very impulsive and erratic before going on this. I’m on disability, so I could not even maintain working. Doing much better, thinking clearly and hardly any side effects besides tiredness the first month, that is all."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2015

For Depression "Abilify does not work. It is not the medication for me. My heart races, I can't breathe half of the time, I get dizzy, I'm panicky and unmotivated, I'm groggy and always lethargic, very down, and it has the opposite effect."

• AJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 1, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "Took Abilify 2 mg/day for two weeks, so far, so good. Upped the dosage to 5 mg/day, and things started to go very wrong for me. This medicine started giving me terrible panic attacks (after about a month in) and threw me into the worst mental state I’ve ever been in in my life. I also could not sit still for very long and was generally tired throughout the day. This medicine may work well for you, but this medicine temporarily ruined my life."

• NHe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify is the only antipsychotic that works for me. The extreme hunger, lethargy, restlessness, and memory problems I had on other antipsychotics are nonexistent with Abilify. I was in the middle of a severe depressive episode when I took it, and it only took several weeks for me to be back to normal functioning. I sleep better, have more energy, and fewer mood swings. This medication is great. I find that it is more 'activating,' while other drugs in the same class, like Zyprexa, are more 'tranquilizing.'"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2012

For Schizophrenia "I have recently been placed on Abilify 20 mg for early onset schizophrenia. Previously, I was on Amisulpride, which made me very tired and gave me problems with sexual dysfunction. Abilify has provided me with a symptom-free solution."

• 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."

• xfr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2022

For Depression "I will not have enough space to share all of the horrifying side effects. My resting heart rate went from 64 to 100 on day one. Stomach pain was intolerable. Constipation. Agitation. Brain fog. Hallucinations, constantly seeing bugs that weren't there. Exhaustion. 20 lb weight gain in 3 weeks. Intense food and cigarette cravings. Terrifying and vivid nightmares. Wanting to attempt suicide after 3 weeks on a very low dose, and the doctor told me to stop the meds. The most horrifying side effects I've ever had on a pill. Coming off the med after 3 weeks was a nightmare too."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 11, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Abilify for nearly 2 years. The first month or so was rough (tired early at night or after a cocktail, restless sleep, waking up early, dizziness, foggy head), but after my doctor reduced my dose to 2.5 mg/day, side effects improved. The ones that remain are profuse night sweats (soaked sheets) and constipation. It does make you a bit tired, but I take it before bed. It completely helped with my irritation/agitation towards people and my children. I have a ton more patience and less anxiety overall. The biggest issue I have is the cost. Get the Abilify Savings Card if you are starting a new prescription!"