Abilify (Aripiprazole)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Abilify Used For?
Abilify contains the active ingredient aripiprazole and belongs to a class of medications called antipsychotic agents. These medications work by helping to balance certain chemicals in the brain that affect thinking, mood, and behavior.
Schizophrenia Treatment
Abilify is primarily used to treat schizophrenia, a mental health condition that causes disturbances in thinking, emotions, and behavior. It helps reduce symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
Bipolar 1 Disorder (Manic Episodes)
Abilify may also be prescribed for acute manic episodes in adults with Bipolar 1 Disorder. During manic episodes, people may experience periods of unusually elevated mood, excessive energy, reduced need for sleep, rapid speech with racing thoughts, and sometimes severe irritability.
Your doctor may prescribe Abilify for other conditions not listed here. If you're unsure why you've been prescribed this medication, ask your healthcare provider.
Good to know: There is no evidence that Abilify is addictive. However, you should never stop taking it suddenly without consulting your doctor.
How to Take Abilify
Taking Abilify correctly helps ensure it works effectively while minimizing potential side effects.
Dosage Instructions
Unless your doctor gives you different directions, take Abilify once daily. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. You can take it with or without food—whichever works best for your routine.
Try to take your dose at the same time each day. This helps maintain consistent medication levels in your body and makes it easier to remember.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you forget to take Abilify at your usual time: If it's almost time for your next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then resume your normal timing.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed one. This increases your risk of side effects.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, Abilify can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don't require emergency care. However, speak with your doctor if they persist or become bothersome:
- Digestive issues: Indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and constipation
- Sleep and energy changes: Insomnia, drowsiness, or feeling less alert
- Mood and movement: Agitation, anxiety, restlessness (akathisia)
- Other effects: Headache, light-headedness, dizziness, weight changes
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Seizures, fits, or convulsions
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Sudden high fever with sweating, fast heartbeat, and muscle stiffness
- Uncontrollable movements of tongue, mouth, face, or limbs
- Severe allergic reactions (rash, difficulty breathing, swelling)
- Yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Severe muscle pain, weakness, or stiffness
- Difficulty urinating
Impulse Control Issues
Some patients taking Abilify have experienced unusual urges they find difficult to resist, including compulsive gambling, excessive spending, binge eating, or increased sexual urges. If you notice any of these behaviors developing, tell your doctor right away.
Important Warnings
Who Should Not Take Abilify
Do not take Abilify if you're allergic to aripiprazole or any of its ingredients. Signs of an allergic reaction include skin rash or hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Abilify is not recommended for children under 18 years of age.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Before starting Abilify, tell your doctor if you have:
- Heart problems or blood vessel disease
- Low blood pressure or epilepsy/seizures
- Diabetes or high blood sugar
- Liver problems
- Alzheimer's disease or dementia
- History of alcohol or drug dependence
- Risk of blood clots or sleep apnea
- Difficulty swallowing or lactose intolerance
Elderly Patients With Dementia: Elderly patients with dementia who take Abilify may face increased risks of serious side effects, including stroke, mini-stroke, pneumonia, and heart problems. These can be life-threatening.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Abilify is not recommended during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Babies exposed to antipsychotics during the third trimester may experience withdrawal symptoms after birth. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking Abilify.
Drug Interactions
Several medications can interact with Abilify. Always tell your doctor about everything you take, including:
- Other medications for mental health conditions
- Epilepsy medications
- Parkinson's disease treatments
- Blood pressure medications
- Antifungal medications
- Heart rhythm medications
- Antibiotics or antiviral medications
- Cyclosporin (Neoral, Sandimmun)
- Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Grapefruit interaction: Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice may affect how Abilify works in your body. Discuss this with your doctor.
Alcohol & Driving
Alcohol
Be cautious about drinking alcohol while taking Abilify. Alcohol can intensify certain side effects like drowsiness and dizziness. Your doctor may recommend avoiding alcohol entirely during treatment.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Abilify can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and light-headedness in some people. Before driving, operating machinery, or doing anything requiring alertness, make sure you know how this medication affects you.
If you feel dizzy or faint when standing up, try getting up slowly from sitting or lying positions.
Temperature Regulation
Abilify may affect your body's ability to regulate temperature. During hot weather, you may have difficulty sweating and could feel dizzy or faint if you overheat.
To stay safe: Wear light clothing, stay in air-conditioned spaces when possible, drink plenty of water, take cool showers, and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest parts of the day.
Storage
Store Abilify in a cool, dry place below 30°C (86°F). Keep it away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight—don't store it in the bathroom or car.
Keep this medication out of reach of children. A locked cabinet at least 1.5 meters above the ground is ideal.
Don't use Abilify after the expiry date on the packaging. If you need to dispose of unused medication, take it to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
Overdose Information
If you think you've taken too much Abilify, seek medical help immediately—even if you feel fine.
Signs of overdose may include severe drowsiness, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, and reduced consciousness.
In an emergency: Call your local poison control center, contact your doctor, or go to the nearest emergency department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication. If you have questions about Abilify or your treatment plan, speak with your healthcare provider.
