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Tapering: Abilify

planning

20 posts

North Italy

Tapering from intramuscolar injection (Abilify)

July 1, 2026··
question
Hi everyone, I'm curious to know if anyone has ever experienced a tapering off starting with a 300 mg Abilify injection. We lowered the dose from 400 mg to 300 mg two weeks ago, and the withdrawal symptoms, I think, were mild restlessness, but I have to say it was manageable and now this symptom is gone. I know a 200 mg or 150 mg Maintena dose isn't usually recommended (and I don't even know how safe it would be given the speed of the taper; even if it's not immediate, it's a 33% reduction from 300 to 200 mg). So I was wondering if there were any stories of anyone who made this hyperbolic and gradual transition from 300 to 0, and how. Have you switched to tablets? Or are there other ways to taper off starting with an intramuscular injection? If you've done this, have you experienced any side effects? Thank you so much.

Abilify — 300 mg Maintena — 7 years but with different dosage — planning taper | other — EN delorazepam medication: current dose 1 mg when needed — 2 years — holding | other — Akineton - 2 mg — 5 months — holding | with clinician

3 Replies

G
guava3781mo ago
Community AnchorAbilify · active
You should shift to 15mg tablets then start your taper under the supervision of your doctor.

- Risperidone 1mg - 2months
- Prozac - 9 days (adverse reaction)
- Abilify - 15mg -> 10mg -> 7.5mg -> 5mg - 9 months - actively tapering
- Procyclidine 5mg - 9 months - actively tapering
- Propranolol - 20mg - 1 year - holding
- Xanax - 0.25mg - 7 months - holding

Catina
CatinaStaff1mo ago
Community AnchorEffexor
The following info I found on Surviving Antidepressants: Tapering injectable aripiprazole: Let it wear off, then take tablet or liquid The injectable forms are intended to last at "therapeutic" strength for a month or more, then you would get another injection to keep up the potency. Abilify Maintena 30-day injections come in 300mg and 400mg aripiprazole dosages (also see prescribing instructions and other information) Aripiprazole lauroxil (Aristada) injections come in 300mg (4 weeks), 450mg (4 weeks), 600mg (6 weeks), 724mg (8 weeks) aripiprazole dosages (also see prescribing instructions, equivalencies to tablet dosages, and other information) The blood level and side effects will be highest shortly after the injection, then wear off somewhat. Because side effects can be quite severe, a conscientious physician will prescribe the tablets first to establish your tolerance for aripiprazole. Given the very long half-life, if you have an adverse reaction to an injection, it could last a long while. To go off an injection, you must let your body gradually metabolize it. Aripiprazole's half-life is long -- about 4-7 days; a tablet dose could take about 20-35 days to completely leave your body. Since an injection is intended to last a month or more, complete clearance of aripiprazole can be up to 35 days after that period is over. For example, if you get a monthly injection of aripiprazole, it will take about 2 months or more to wear off altogether. (Since the injections come in a dosage range, if you are taking one of the higher injectable dosages, conceivably over months, to taper off, you might gradually lower the dosage of the injections to the lowest -- 300mg lasting a month -- then allow it to wear off. This requires the cooperation of a doctor.) However, even with this gradual decline of the injectable form, you still might get withdrawal symptoms. For after the injection wears off, you might consider having liquid oral aripiprazole or tablets on hand so you can take a very small daily amount to stop withdrawal symptoms, then gradually taper off that.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

W
Wolf1mo ago
Community AnchorProzac · researching
I know almost nothing about injections, because I refused to take them. All I am sure of that the half-life of aripiprazole is somewhat favorable and should make it easier to do jumps than on most of other meds.

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

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