Abilify Weight Gain: How Much Will You Gain?


By Robert Riding


Abilify can cause some people to gain weight. A small weight gain while taking Abilify is not unusual but some people gain large amounts of weight rapidly. Being overweight can cause a number of health issues, particularly if someone stays overweight for years. The more body fat a person carries, the less efficiently their body metabolizes energy. Abilify can complicate this process even more.

The amount of weight gain caused by Abilify varies from person to person. Actually, there have been reports of some people losing weight while on the medication. This is not the norm, however.


A study recorded children patients taking medications in the same class as Abilify gained about one pound per week. After eleven weeks the average weight gain was nearly ten pounds and two inches around the waist.

The risk of diabetes increases with each pound a person is overweight. If someone is twenty pounds overweight, the risk of diabetes increases substantially as does the risk of high blood pressure, cardio disease and stroke. If you must take Abilify and find yourself gaining weight, your doctor may prescribe a medication to increase your energy and metabolism.

Abilify is thought to create insulin resistance in the body. This may be why some people taking the medication find it difficult, if not impossible, to lose the added weight, even when they stop taking Abilify.

When the body is resistant to insulin, the cells of the body cannot easily absorb sugar from the blood. This leaves a residue of sugar circulating through the body. To prevent this residual sugar from damaging nerve and heart tissue the liver must clean it up.

The liver cleans the excess sugar out of the blood by converting it to fat and storing it on the belly. If this process continues it will eventually lead to a pre-diabetes condition in the body and ultimately full blown Type II diabetes. Be sure to keep your doctor informed of any weight gain you might experience. Monitoring blood sugar with a simple drugstore glucometer would be helpful too.

It is recommended that you discuss a proper diet, exercise and mood management strategy with your doctor before taking Abilify. This will minimize or, possibly avoid weight gain. A full night's sleep, daily sunlight exposure and positive social support are also essential and can contribute to overcoming depression without compromising your health.




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