Abilify Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Introduction

Abilify is a prescription drug that is used to treat a variety of conditions.

• mixed and manic episodes related to bipolar I disorder in adults and some children
• schizophrenia in adults and some children
• major depressive disorder in adults
• Tourette syndrome in some children
• irritability related to autism spectrum disorder in some children

Like other drugs, Abilify may have interactions.

One substance can cause another substance to have a different effect than expected. Alcohol, another drug, or a supplement can affect how a drug works in your body. If you have certain health conditions, interactions can occur.

Keep reading to learn about Abilify’s possible interactions, including a list of medications that should not be taken with Abilify. And for more information about Abilify, including details about its uses, see this article.

Abilify vs. Abilify Maintena and Abilify MyCite

Abilify is a pill that you take by mouth. Abilify is also available in the following forms.

• Abilify Maintena. This is a liquid suspension (a type of mixture) that you receive as an injection into your muscle.
• Abilify MyCite. This is a tablet with a sensor inside that records when you’ve swallowed a dose of the drug.

Aripiprazole is an active drug in each form of Abilify. The same interactions are expected for Abilify Maintena and Abilify MyCite. This article is about Abilify only, not Abilify Maintena or Abilify MyCite.

For more information about how Abilify compares with Abilify Maintena and Abilify MyCite, see this article.

When should I avoid Abilify?

If you have a health condition, you could be at risk of harm if you take Abilify. Your doctor may not prescribe Abilify for you in these cases. These are not good for you. Abilify is not recommended for thiscontraindication.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Abilify or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Abilify. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better options for you.

If the factor above applies to you, talk to your doctor about Abilify. Your doctor can tell you if Abilify is safe to take.

Does Abilify interact with alcohol?

It should be safe to drink alcohol during your Abilify treatment. But keep in mind that drinking alcohol while taking Abilify could worsen certain side effects of the drug. Examples include dizziness, nausea, and sleepiness. (For more information about Abilify’s side effects, see this article.)

If you drink alcohol, talk to your doctor about how much you should not drink while taking Abilify.

Does Abilify interact with other drugs?

Inform your doctor and pharmacy about any drugs you take before you start taking Abilify. Sharing this information with them may help prevent future interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

The drugs that may interact with Abilify are listed in the chart. The chart does not include all drugs that may interact with Abilify. The “Drug interactions explained” section gives more information about some of the interactions.

* To learn more about Abilify’s side effects, see this article.

Drug interactions explained

There are drug interactions with Abilify.

Interaction with benzodiazepines

Taking Abilify with benzodiazepines could increase the risk of Abilify’s side effects. (Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs used to treat anxiety.) This interaction is explained further in the table below.

What you can do

Tell your doctor if you take any of the drugs mentioned. They will tell you if it is safe to take these drugs together. If you take Abilify with a drug called a benzodiazepine, you should be alert for extreme sleepyness. Lightheadedness or feeling faint when standing after sitting or lying down are some of the symptoms of blood pressure changes.

If you have these side effects, your doctor may adjust your Abilify dosage to help lower your risk. Or they may have you switch to a drug other than Abilify.

Interaction with certain antidepressants

Taking Abilify with certain antidepressant drugs can raise the risk of side effects from Abilify. (Antidepressants are a group of drugs used to treat depression.) This interaction is explained further in the table below.

What you can do

Before taking Abilify, tell your doctor about any antidepressants you take. They’ll likely prescribe a lower Abilify dosage than usual. This will help reduce your risk of side effects from the drug.

Interaction with quetiapine (Seroquel, Seroquel XR)

Taking Abilify with quetiapine (Seroquel, Seroquel XR) could raise the risk of side effects from Abilify. (Quetiapine is an antipsychotic drug. It’s used to treat certain mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia.)

What could happen

Taking Abilify with quetiapine could increase the risk of certain side effects. These may include abnormal heart rhythm, sleepiness, dizziness, and orthostatic hypotension.

What you can do

Before taking Abilify, tell your doctor if you take quetiapine. They’ll determine whether it’s safe to take these drugs together. If you do take Abilify with quetiapine, watch for the side effects of orthostatic hypotension, such as feeling faint when you stand after sitting or lying down. Your doctor might also monitor your heart for an irregular heartbeat.

If you have any of these symptoms, your doctor may adjust your Abilify dosage to help lower your risk. Or they may have you switch to a different drug.

Are there other interactions with Abilify?

Abilify may have other interactions. They could happen with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for more.

Does Abilify interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Abilify, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Abilify interactions with herbs

Abilify may interact with a supplement called St. John’s wort. (This supplement may be used to help treat depression and other health conditions.)

Taking Abilify with St. John’s wort can make Abilify less effective than usual. The supplement could increase the activity of a certain enzyme (a type of protein) that helps remove Abilify from your body. Having a more active enzyme could lower the level of Abilify in your body, making the drug less effective.

Before starting Abilify, tell your doctor if you take St. John’s wort. They’ll determine whether it’s safe to take Abilify with this supplement. If they tell you it’s safe, your doctor may increase your Abilify dosage. This could help make sure the level of Abilify in your body is high enough for the drug to be effective.

Abilify and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Abilify interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future. For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Abilify.

Does Abilify interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Abilify interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Abilify, talk with your doctor.

Does Abilify interact with vaccines?

There are currently no reports of Abilify interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines while taking Abilify, talk with your doctor.

Does Abilify interact with lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Abilify interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about getting certain lab tests during your treatment with Abilify, talk with your doctor.

Does Abilify interact with cannabis or CBD?

Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Abilify. Taking cannabis and cannabis products with Abilify could increase your risk of side effects from Abilify.

If you take cannabis, tell your doctor and pharmacy about it. You may help prevent interactions by sharing this information with them.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Does my health history affect whether I should take Abilify?

There is a risk of interactions with Abilify for certain medical conditions. Talk to your doctor about your health history before you start taking Abilify. They will determine if Abilify is right for you.

Other factors that might interact with Abilify include:

• Seizures. In rare cases, Abilify may cause seizures. Your risk for this side effect could be higher if you’ve had seizures in the past. If you have a condition that causes seizures, your doctor can determine if it’s safe for you to take Abilify.
• Diabetes. Taking Abilify can cause high blood sugar. If you have diabetes, taking Abilify could make your condition worse. If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor before taking Abilify. They may have you check your blood sugar levels more often than usual while taking the drug. Your doctor may also increase your dosage or add another diabetes medication to your treatment plan.
• Heart or blood pressure problems. Abilify may cause an abnormal heart rhythm. The drug can also cause blood pressure changes, including orthostatic hypotension. If you have any problems with your heart or blood pressure, taking Abilify could make them worse. Taking Abilify could also raise your risk of orthostatic hypotension. If you have heart or blood pressure problems, your doctor can determine whether it’s safe to take Abilify.
• Pregnancy. It’s not known whether Abilify is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking Abilify.
• Breastfeeding. It’s not known if it’s safe to take Abilify while breastfeeding. The drug passes into breast milk. This could cause side effects, such as decreased weight gain, in a breastfed child. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor before taking Abilify.
• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Abilify or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Abilify. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Common questions about Abilify and interactions

Find answers to questions about Abilify.

Can I take Abilify with Benadryl?

Possibly. There were no reports of Abilify interacting with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) during studies of the drug.

Both Abilify and Benadryl can cause sleep problems. Taking these drugs together could cause a lot of sleep problems.

If you experience sleepyness with Abilify, your doctor may suggest you not take Benadryl.

If you are interested in taking Abilify with Benadryl, you should speak with your doctor or pharmacist. They can tell you if the medications are safe to take together.

Does Abilify interact with stimulants, such as Vyvanse or caffeine?

Abilify can interact with some prescription stimulants. (Stimulants are drugs that activate your central nervous system.) Examples of prescription stimulants include Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) and Focalin (dexmethylphenidate). Taking antipsychotics such as Abilify with prescription stimulants could increase your risk of side effects from Abilify.

There have been reports of movement disorders in children and adolescents taking stimulant drugs with antipsychotic medications such as Abilify.

Although there are no known interactions between Abilify and caffeine, it’s important to limit your intake during your treatment. This is because too much caffeine can cause some negative side effects, such as anxiety, restlessness, and sleep problems.

Stimulants could also worsen symptoms of certain conditions that Abilify is used to treat. This includes mixed and manic episodes related to bipolar I disorder. (With mixed episodes, you may have periods where symptoms of depression and mania occur at the same time. With mania, you may have periods of extremely high excitement and energy.)

“If you have a mix of manic and mixed episodes, taking Abilify with stimulants could make it hard to know if the drug is working. If Abilify doesn’t seem to be easing your symptoms, it could be due to something.”

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about taking Abilify with stimulants.

How can I prevent interactions?

Taking certain steps can help you avoid problems. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before treatment begins. Things to discuss with them.

• You can use alcohol or cannabis.
• Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
• If you start taking a new drug, what should you do?

It’s also important to read Abilify’s label and other paperwork that comes with the drug. You may see colored stickers on the label that describe interactions. And the paperwork (sometimes called the prescribing information) may have other details about interactions. If you need help understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Taking Abilify exactly as prescribed can help prevent interactions.

What should I ask my doctor?

If you still have questions, you should talk to your doctor.

You may want to ask your doctor some questions.

• Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement?
• I have a health condition that could affect the use of Abilify.
• Do I have any health conditions that could affect my Abilify dose?

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.