Abilify Maintena (Aripiprazole) for Bipolar 1 Disorder

Abilify Maintena (aripiprazole) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating adults with bipolar 1 disorder.

How Abilify Maintena Works and How It’s Taken

Abilify Maintena works by changing the activity of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin. The exact way it works is not fully known. These changes may help rebalance signaling in the brain, which may help some people stay more stable over time and lower the chance of mood episodes returning.

Doctors prescribe Abilify Maintena alone as maintenance treatment of bipolar 1 disorder in adults. The medication is given as an injection into a muscle in the arm or buttock by a healthcare professional, usually once a month. When starting treatment, people may receive either a one-day start or a 14-day start plan.

Abilify Maintena Side Effects

In clinical trials of Abilify Maintena (aripiprazole) for other uses, the most common side effects seen in studies occurred in about 5 percent to 17 percent of people. These include:

Weight gain
Akathisia (feeling restless, like you cannot sit still)
Injection site pain
Sedation (sleepiness)

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Abilify Maintena can cause serious side effects that require immediate medical attention. These include:

Increased risk of death and stroke in older adults with dementia-related psychosis — This medicine is not approved for dementia-related psychosis.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome — This rare, life-threatening reaction can cause high fever, severe muscle stiffness, confusion, and unstable blood pressure or heart rate.
Tardive dyskinesia — Uncontrolled movements, often of the face or tongue, may not go away.
Metabolic changes — High blood sugar or diabetes, unhealthy cholesterol or triglyceride changes, and weight gain are possible.
Compulsive behaviors — These include strong urges you cannot control, such as gambling.
Orthostatic hypotension and syncope — A drop in blood pressure when standing can cause dizziness or fainting.
Falls — These can lead to fractures or other injuries.
Low white blood cell count — This can raise infection risk.
Seizures — Convulsions are a rare but serious side effect.
Cognitive and motor impairment — This includes symptoms like sleepiness, drowsiness, feeling tired, and difficulty with thinking and doing normal activities like driving a car.
Body temperature regulation problems — Overheating is a risk.
Dysphagia — Trouble swallowing can raise the risk of choking.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

How To Save on Abilify Maintena

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of Abilify Maintena, offers the Abilify Maintena Savings Card Program. Eligible people with commercial insurance may pay as little as $10 per 30-day calendar month.

The Abilify Maintena Savings Card Program offers a savings card you can take to the pharmacy. To learn more, read about the program or call 833-742-0795.

What To Know Before Taking Abilify Maintena

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to aripiprazole or any ingredients in Abilify Maintena. Do not take Abilify Maintena if you have had a serious allergic reaction to aripiprazole or any of its ingredients.

Before receiving Abilify Maintena, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

Have never taken aripiprazole before
Have or had diabetes or high blood sugar, or a family history of diabetes
Have or had high cholesterol or triglycerides
Have or had low or high blood pressure
Have or had heart problems or a stroke
Have or had a low white blood cell count
Have or had seizures
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements. Abilify Maintena and other medicines may affect each other, causing possible serious side effects.

Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Abilify Maintena affects you. Abilify Maintena may affect your judgment, thinking, or motor skills.

Do not drink alcohol while taking Abilify Maintena.

Do not become too hot or dehydrated while taking Abilify Maintena.

Abilify Maintena is also FDA approved to treat schizophrenia in adults.

It is not known if Abilify Maintena will harm your baby. If you become pregnant during treatment with Abilify Maintena, talk to your healthcare provider about the risk to your baby and about registering with the National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics. You can register by calling 866-961-2388 or visiting the program’s website.

Abilify Maintena can pass into your milk and it is not known if it may harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you receive Abilify Maintena.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Abilify Maintena?
Abilify Maintena has been shown to help people with bipolar 1 disorder stay stable over time. In a 52-week study, people who took Abilify Maintena had a longer time before any mood episode came back compared to those who took placebo (an inactive treatment). It helped delay the return of manic and mixed episodes. However, it did not show a clear difference in delaying depressive episodes.

How long does Abilify Maintena take to work for bipolar 1 disorder?
In studies of bipolar 1 disorder, Abilify Maintena was tested for maintenance treatment over 52 weeks. The medication reaches steady levels in the body after the fourth monthly dose. The studies looked at how well the medicine helped prevent mood episodes over time. They do not clearly state exactly how quickly it starts to work for each person.

Can Abilify Maintena cause weight gain for bipolar 1 disorder?
Yes. Weight gain can happen with Abilify Maintena. In a short-term study, people taking Abilify Maintena gained about 3.5 kilograms on average, compared with 0.8 kilograms with placebo. Your healthcare provider should check your weight during treatment. This medicine can also cause other metabolic changes, such as high blood sugar and changes in cholesterol or triglycerides.

Can Abilify Maintena be used with other medicines for bipolar 1 disorder?
Abilify Maintena is approved to be used alone to help maintain stability in adults with bipolar 1 disorder. Some other medicines can be taken with it without changing the dose, such as lithium, valproate, lamotrigine, lorazepam, or sertraline. Other medicines may change how Abilify Maintena works, so dose changes may be needed. However, your healthcare provider will decide which medicines are right for you.