Abilify Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Abilify comes as a tablet that you take by mouth. Abilify also comes in the following forms:

• Abilify Maintena. This is a liquid suspension (a type of mixture) that you receive as an injection into your muscle. This is an extended-release form, which means the drug is slowly released into the body over a long period.
• Abilify MyCite. This is a tablet with a sensor inside that records when you’ve swallowed a dose of the drug.
• Abilify Asimtufii. This is a liquid suspension that you receive as an injection into your muscle. This is an extended-release form.

Each form of Abilify contains the active drug aripiprazole. For this reason, Abilify Maintena, Abilify MyCite, and Abilify Asimtufii are expected to have the same interactions as Abilify. But it’s important to note that this article is about Abilify only, not Abilify Maintena, Abilify MyCite, or Abilify Asimtufii.

For more information about how Abilify compares with Abilify Maintena and Abilify MyCite, see this article. To find out how Abilify compares with Abilify Asimtufii, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Abilify. In these cases, your doctor may not prescribe Abilify for you. These are known as contraindications. Below is a contraindication for Abilify.

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.

Before you start taking Abilify, talk with your doctor if the factor above applies to you. Your doctor can determine whether Abilify is safe for you to take.

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 with your doctor about how much is safe to drink while you’re taking Abilify.

Before you start taking Abilify, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The chart below lists drugs that may interact with Abilify. Keep in mind that this chart does not include all drugs that may interact with Abilify. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

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

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Abilify.

Interaction with benzodiazepines

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

What you can do

Before taking Abilify, tell your doctor about any benzodiazepines you take. They’ll tell you whether it’s safe to take these drugs together.

If you do take Abilify with a benzodiazepine, watch for extreme sleepiness. Also watch for symptoms of blood pressure changes, such as lightheadedness or feeling faint when standing after sitting or lying down.

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 for your condition.

Interaction with certain antidepressants

Taking Abilify with certain antidepressant drugs can raise the risk of side effects from Abilify. This interaction is explained further in the table below.

What you can do

Before taking Abilify, tell your doctor about any antidepressants you take. If the antidepressant you take interacts with Abilify, 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.

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

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 that may affect you, talk with 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?

It’s possible for grapefruit and products containing grapefruit to interact with Abilify. Consuming grapefruit while taking Abilify may cause Abilify to build up in the body. This can increase the risk of side effects from the drug. Your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid grapefruit products during Abilify treatment.”

There are currently no reports of Abilify interacting with other foods. 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.

Before you start treatment with Abilify, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you take cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

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

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Abilify. Before taking Abilify, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Abilify is right for you.

Health conditions or 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 whether 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 whether 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.

Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Abilify and possible interactions.

Can I take Abilify with Benadryl?

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

But keep in mind that both Abilify and Benadryl can cause sleepiness. Taking these drugs together could cause excessive sleepiness.

Depending on other medications you take, your doctor may lower your Abilify dose if you also regularly take Benadryl. But if you’re only using Benadryl short term, this may not be necessary. Your doctor can provide more information.

If you experience sleepiness with Abilify, your doctor may suggest that you avoid taking the drug with Benadryl.

If you’re interested in taking Abilify with Benadryl, talk with your doctor or pharmacist first. They can advise you on whether these 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 and stimulants.

There have been reports of movement disorders in children and adolescents taking stimulant drugs with antipsychotic medications such as Abilify. But more research is needed to fully understand this interaction and its implications.

Although there are no known interactions between Abilify and caffeine, it’s important to limit your caffeine 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 mixed or manic episodes, taking Abilify with stimulants could make it hard to know whether the drug is working. For example, if Abilify doesn’t seem to be easing your symptoms, this could be due to stimulants or another factor.

To learn more about taking Abilify with stimulants, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Abilify. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

• Whether you drink alcohol or use 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.
• What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Abilify treatment.

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 also help prevent interactions.

If you still have questions about Abilify and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

• Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement during my Abilify treatment?
• Could I still take Abilify even if it interacts with a health condition I have?
• Do I have any drug or health condition reactions that could affect my Abilify dosage?

To learn more about Abilify, see these articles:

• All About Abilify
• Abilify and Cost: What You Need to Know
• Dosage Details for Abilify
• Side Effects of Abilify: What You Need to Know
• Abilify vs. Rexulti: What You Should Know
• Latuda vs. Abilify: What You Should Know

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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.