Prescription medication · Atypical Antipsychotic
aripiprazole
Also sold as Abilify. Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 118,365
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 19
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- 97% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- 3
- Recall records
What the data shows
aripiprazole (Abilify) is a prescription Atypical Antipsychotic, more reported than most tracked drugs (118,365 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 97% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
aripiprazole (Abilify) is a prescription Atypical Antipsychotic. Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens.
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems. It can help to improve your mood, thinking, and behavior.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$18.69/unit
Generic Price
$0.49/unit
Generic Savings
97%
Generic Available
Yes (26 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens.
Common side effects
Nausea, Vomiting, Constipation
Key warnings
Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from aripiprazole's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Aripiprazole works by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, can affect mood and behavior. By balancing these chemicals, aripiprazole helps to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.
How to Take It
Take aripiprazole once a day, as prescribed by your doctor. You can take it with or without food. Try to take it at the same time each day to help you remember. Your doctor may adjust your dose over time.
This is a plain-language summary of aripiprazole's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems in newborns if taken during the third trimester. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take aripiprazole during pregnancy.
This is a plain-language summary of aripiprazole's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of aripiprazole's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store aripiprazole tablets at room temperature, away from heat and moisture.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 118,365 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for aripiprazole, by number of reports
- Gaining weight
Gaining weight
7,698 reports
- Feeling worried or nervous
Feeling worried or nervous
4,995 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
4,188 reports
- Thinking about suicide
Thinking about suicide
3,991 reports
- Feeling sad or hopeless
Feeling sad or hopeless
3,952 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
3,904 reports
- Trouble sleeping
Trouble sleeping
3,817 reports
- Shaking
Shaking
3,610 reports
- The medicine is interacting with another medicine
The medicine is interacting with another medicine
3,589 reports
- Trying to commit suicide
Trying to commit suicide
3,504 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for aripiprazole each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where aripiprazole sits
aripiprazole has more FDA adverse-event reports than 88% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is aripiprazole; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 118,365 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2003–2025.
Total Reports
118,365
Reports Mentioning Death
6,577
5.6% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
34,687
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | WEIGHT INCREASED | 7,698 |
| 5 | ANXIETY | 4,993 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 4,188 |
| 7 | SUICIDAL IDEATION | 3,991 |
| 8 | DEPRESSION | 3,950 |
| 9 | NAUSEA | 3,904 |
| 10 | INSOMNIA | 3,816 |
| 11 | TREMOR | 3,609 |
| 12 | DRUG INTERACTION | 3,589 |
| 13 | SUICIDE ATTEMPT | 3,504 |
| 14 | SOMNOLENCE | 3,484 |
| 15 | HEADACHE | 3,146 |
| 16 | DIZZINESS | 3,142 |
| 17 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 3,129 |
| 18 | AKATHISIA | 2,961 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. It is not approved for this use. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening mood or suicidal thoughts.
Known Drug Interactions
In addition, no dosage adjustment is necessary for substrates of CYP2D6 (e.g., dextromethorphan, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or venlafaxine), CYP2C9 (e.g., warfarin), CYP2C19 (e.g., omeprazole, warfarin, escitalopram), or CYP3A4 (e.g., dextromethorphan) when co-administered with aripiprazole.
Mechanism: Aripiprazole does not change how your body processes omeprazole, so the levels of the medicine in your blood stay the same.
What to do: No dose adjustments are necessary when taking these two medications together.
Additionally, no dosage adjustment is necessary for valproate, lithium, lamotrigine, lorazepam, or sertraline when co-administered with aripiprazole [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] .
Mechanism: Aripiprazole does not interfere with the way your body handles sertraline.
What to do: You can safely take these medications together without needing to change your dosage.
In addition, no dosage adjustment is necessary for substrates of CYP2D6 (e.g., dextromethorphan, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or venlafaxine), CYP2C9 (e.g., warfarin), CYP2C19 (e.g., omeprazole, warfarin, escitalopram), or CYP3A4 (e.g., dextromethorphan) when co-administered with aripiprazole.
Mechanism: Aripiprazole does not affect the levels of escitalopram in your body.
What to do: No changes to your medication doses are needed when using these two drugs at the same time.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Dosage adjustment due to drug interactions (7.1): Factors Dosage Adjustments for Aripiprazole Known CYP2D6 Poor Metabolizers Administer half of usual dose Known CYP2D6 Poor Metabolizers and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors Administer a quarter of usual dose Strong CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 inhibitors Administer half of usual dose Strong CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 inhibitors Administer a quarter of usual dose Strong CYP3A4 inducers Double usual dose over 1 to 2 weeks 7.1 Drugs Having Clinically Important Interactions with Aripiprazole Table 25: Clinically Important Drug Interactions with...
Mechanism: Fluoxetine blocks the enzymes that break down aripiprazole, which can cause the drug to build up to higher levels in your body.
What to do: Your doctor should reduce your aripiprazole dose by half if you are also taking fluoxetine.
7.2 Drugs Having No Clinically Important Interactions with Aripiprazole Based on pharmacokinetic studies, no dosage adjustment of aripiprazole is required when administered concomitantly with famotidine, valproate, lithium, lorazepam.
Mechanism: These two drugs do not significantly change how the body processes or removes each other.
What to do: No dosage changes are needed when taking these medications together.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
Can I stop taking aripiprazole suddenly?
Will aripiprazole make me gain weight?
Can I drink alcohol while taking aripiprazole?
How long does it take for aripiprazole to work?
What should I do if I experience side effects?
Can I take other medications with aripiprazole?
Does aripiprazole cause drowsiness?
What if my symptoms get worse?
How often will I see my doctor while taking aripiprazole?
Is aripiprazole addictive?
What are the common side effects of aripiprazole?
Does aripiprazole interact with other medications?
What drug class is aripiprazole?
Is there a generic version of aripiprazole?
Is aripiprazole safe during pregnancy?
Has aripiprazole been recalled?
Active Recalls
Cross Contamination with Other Products
Second Tokushima Factory, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Cross Contamination with Other Products
Second Tokushima Factory, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Cross Contamination with Other Products
Second Tokushima Factory, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Related Medications in Atypical Antipsychotic
Other drugs grouped near aripiprazole - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acamprosate
Campral
Acamprosate is a medicine that can help you stay away from alcohol if you are alcohol-dependent and have already stopped drinking.
Compare with aripiprazole →
alprazolam
Xanax
Alprazolam (Xanax) is a medication that can help you with anxiety and panic disorders.
Compare with aripiprazole →
amitriptyline
Elavil
Amitriptyline is a medicine used to treat depression.
Compare with aripiprazole →
amphetamine/dextroamphetamine
Adderall, Adderall XR
Adderall XR is a stimulant medicine.
Compare with aripiprazole →
asenapine
Saphris
Asenapine (Saphris) is an antipsychotic medicine.
Compare with aripiprazole →
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
Why some drugs demand precise dosing and monitoring
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on aripiprazole
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What the FDA Data Shows for aripiprazole
The FDA label for aripiprazole (sold under brand names such as Abilify) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Atypical Antipsychotic class. Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. Official labeling lists 8 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Vomiting, Constipation.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 118,365 voluntary reports. The database also lists 19 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.49 versus $18.69 for the brand - a 97% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 3 recall records on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: February 3, 2025
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages