72 patient evaluations for Aripiprazole

1,026 members have decided to share their profiles only with other members of PatientsLikeMe.

May 25, 2012 (Started Nov 15, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for schizoaffective disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (difficulty falling asleep, restlessness (akathisia), problems concentrating, difficulty staying asleep)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take

  • 0 helpful marks

Feb 15, 2012 (Started Nov 15, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (restlessness (akathisia), shakiness worsened)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

May 26, 2012 (Started Jun 15, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for borderline personality disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (apathy)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 2 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: This medication really saved my life. It acts like a fire retardant blanket over my intense emotions. Now I experience emotions at a controllable and pleasant intensity level. When I took it alone (without any other medication) it did lead to a flat lined type of apathy. It was unpleasant and caused depression. This has been alleviated by the addition of Lamotrigine. Abilify does still cause general mental slowness, that increases with a higher dosage, however my doctor and I have managed this symptom to a tolerable level with a very low dose.
Cost: $200+ monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 10, 2012 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for mania)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (sedation, nausea, increased appetite, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: This helped me out when I was "manic" and saved me a couple of times from deep depressions. HOWEVER, I'm getting to be overweight now and with a history of eating disorders, this is NOT ideal. I'm at the point where I'll take crazy and thin over sane and fat. Totally. I just stopped this of my own accord but I called the doctor to let him know. I would not advise that ANYONE just stop a medication on their own. I am just another idiot.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Apr 7, 2012 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (sedation, nausea, increased appetite, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Abilify worked wonders for me, personally. It really helped my anxiety and depression. I gained about 22lbs on it over the course of two years. But it was worth it for the stability. I'm only going off it because I feel good now and think I can manage without medications.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Aug 30, 2010 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I take this at night because it makes me a little drowsy. I haven't had any unexpected benefits from it, well, I suppose I have, I didn't expect it to keep me sane and it has.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Jun 15, 2010 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for anxious mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for paranoia)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (sedation, nausea, increased appetite, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I don't even know why I was on this so long. I took it every day for a couple of months, I think it gave me acne and made me gain weight. Though it did work well for "paranoia"
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Apr 14, 2010 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for paranoia?)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (sedation, nausea, increased appetite, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I have to take it now around bedtime because after about two hours, I can't keep my eyes open any longer. It's REALLY helped with paranoia, and I think it's helping the anxiety the Wellbutrin caused. The two drugs got me out of a weird mood thing VERY fast and back on track and I feel more stable and less anxious now. The only problem is that I can't stop eating. I'm going to try and work on that because I feel good on this drug.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Mar 31, 2010 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for paranoia?)
  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (sedation, nausea, increased appetite)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 2 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I think it's helping something, when doc added it to the mix, I got better within two days. I think this pill is the one making me eat an entire pie in one day, plus some cake, plus a bunch of mini-reese's. I wish I could exercise better self control. So far so good though, besides the eating thing (we'll see if I say that 4 months and 30lbs from now) and some serious drowsiness, but I'm albout to start taking it at night and see how much that helps with that.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

Mar 25, 2010 (Started Mar 16, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for paranoia?)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 2 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I hate splitting a 5mg pill in half, even with a pill splitter, it's really hard. I take it in the afternoon because if I take it in the morning, i get VERY tired around 7PM and that is NOT bedtime! Instead of making my anxiety go through the roof, I think it may be helping it, I expected to be a vervous wreck. This with Bupropion has made m e feel a LOT better, it's like day and night. I was crying all day every day before, didn't think I or anything was worth anything, now I can find joy in things.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: increased appetite, drowsiness, sedation, nausea

  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 21, 2012 (Started Jul 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (increased symptoms due to stress)
  • Adherence
    Sometimes
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Dosage: As needed
Cost: $25-49 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Aug 2, 2012 (Started Sep 23, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (incontinence)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I experinced my eyes being a yellowish color. I suspect this medication caused.
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 23, 2012 (Started Jun 08, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 4 mg Daily
Side effects: sexual side effects, excessive daytime sleepiness (somnolence)

Jul 4, 2011 (Started Jun 08, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (excessive daytime sleepiness (somnolence), sexual side effects)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 2 mg Daily
Side effects: sexual side effects, excessive daytime sleepiness (somnolence)

  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 2011 (Started Nov 15, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take

  • 0 helpful marks

Dec 22, 2012 (Started Mar 11, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for depressed mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for Increase effect of another treatment)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (jerky movements)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 5 mg Daily
Cost: $25-49 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Oct 5, 2012 (Started Aug 21, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (insomnia agitation)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 2 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Agitated and mania increased, Rare but known side effect of patients with bipolar illness. When I stopped it, I had withdrawal symptoms for a month after taking only 6 or 7 weeks. My pdoc said this is normal
Cost: $50-99 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks
Last updated:
Showing 10 of 72 patient evaluations for Aripiprazole