Abilify (aripiprazole) is taken once a day, with or without food, at whatever time works best for your routine. There’s no specific requirement to take it in the morning or at night, though many people settle on a consistent time based on how the medication affects their energy or sleep. It comes in several forms, and the dose depends on what condition is being treated.
Available Forms
Abilify comes as standard tablets in six strengths: 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, and 30 mg. There’s also an oral solution (a liquid) dosed at 1 mg per milliliter, which is useful if you have trouble swallowing pills or need very precise dose adjustments. Orally disintegrating tablets, which dissolve on your tongue without water, are available in 10 mg and 15 mg strengths.
If you’re using the orally disintegrating tablet, place it on your tongue and let it dissolve. You don’t need to chew it or wash it down with liquid, though you can drink water afterward if you’d like. For the liquid form, use the measuring device that comes with the bottle rather than a kitchen spoon, since household spoons vary in size.
Typical Doses by Condition
The starting dose varies significantly depending on why you’re taking Abilify. For schizophrenia, most adults start at 10 to 15 mg once daily, with a maximum of 30 mg per day. For bipolar mania, the typical starting dose is 15 mg daily when taken alone, or 10 to 15 mg when combined with a mood stabilizer like lithium or valproate. The maximum is also 30 mg per day.
When Abilify is used alongside an antidepressant for major depression, the doses are much lower. Most people start at 2 to 5 mg per day, and the usual range tops out at 15 mg per day. Your prescriber will likely start you on the lower end and adjust based on how you respond over a few weeks.
Food, Drinks, and Timing
You can take Abilify on an empty stomach or with a meal. Food does not change how the medication is absorbed. This flexibility makes it one of the easier psychiatric medications to fit into a daily routine.
One notable interaction to be aware of: grapefruit and grapefruit juice can increase the amount of Abilify your body absorbs, which raises the risk of side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and restlessness. The recommendation is to avoid grapefruit products while taking this medication.
Certain other medications also interact with Abilify by affecting the liver enzymes that break it down. If you’re prescribed a new medication while on Abilify, your prescriber may need to adjust your dose up or down. This is especially relevant with some antifungals, certain antidepressants, and some antibiotics.
Choosing Morning or Night
The prescribing information doesn’t specify a time of day. In practice, many people figure out their preferred timing based on side effects. Some people feel drowsy on Abilify and prefer to take it at bedtime. Others feel more alert or even restless on it, and find that a morning dose works better because it doesn’t interfere with sleep. If you notice restlessness or difficulty sleeping, try shifting your dose to the morning. If you feel sluggish after taking it, try the evening instead. Just keep the timing consistent once you find what works.
If You Miss a Dose
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it’s close to the time for your next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed one and continue with your regular schedule. Don’t double up to make up for a missed dose. Because Abilify stays in your system for a relatively long time, missing a single dose is unlikely to cause an immediate problem, but skipping doses regularly can reduce the medication’s effectiveness.
Storing Abilify Properly
Keep tablets and oral solution at room temperature, ideally around 77°F (25°C), though brief exposure to temperatures between 59°F and 86°F is fine. Don’t store it in the bathroom, where heat and humidity can degrade the medication. If you use the liquid form, it stays good for up to six months after you first open the bottle, but check the expiration date printed on the label since you should never use it past that point regardless.
Side Effects Worth Watching For
The most common side effect people notice early on is akathisia, a feeling of inner restlessness or an urge to keep moving. This can feel like anxiety or agitation, and it sometimes gets mistaken for worsening of the condition being treated. If you experience it, let your prescriber know because dose adjustments or timing changes often help.
Other common effects include drowsiness, dizziness (especially when standing up quickly), and nausea. These tend to be most noticeable in the first week or two and often improve as your body adjusts.
Metabolic Monitoring
Abilify, like other medications in its class, can affect your metabolism over time. Clinical guidelines recommend checking your weight and BMI at baseline, then at weeks 4, 8, and 12 after starting the medication, and every three months after that. Blood sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked before you start, again around 12 weeks in, and then at least once a year. If you notice significant weight gain, increased thirst, or frequent urination, bring it up with your prescriber rather than waiting for your next scheduled lab work.
Stopping Abilify Safely
Don’t stop taking Abilify abruptly. Discontinuing antipsychotic medications without a taper can cause withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, tremor, and irritability. Some of these symptoms start within days of stopping and resolve in a few weeks. Others can develop more gradually and take months to fully clear. Your prescriber will typically reduce your dose in steps over a period of time to minimize these effects. Regular physical exercise during the tapering process may help manage symptoms.