If you have side effects of medication, does that mean it's working?

Question

I have to take Abilify 20 mg for bipolar disorder and some of the side effects are droziness and blurred vision. i was wondering if you experience the side effects is the medication working?

Answer 1

Keep in mind that if you have side effects, it means that your body is digesting it but you may not see the desired effects of the actual pill. If you're still unclear about whether Abilify is working for you or not, you should talk to your doctor that prescribed it. There are many options out there... what may work for some people may not work for you, just as if some people have a certain side effect, you may not. I wish you the best in dealing with your bipolar...with most medications dealing with these sort of things, these take time to work and for you to notice a difference.

I wish you the best!

Answer 2

Generally most psychiatric meds take a couple weeks to kick in.  So to answer your question, yes and no.  Yes in that its probably working in your body to help with your bipolar, but no in the sense that its full effect hasn't kicked in yet.  Most side effects go away after a couple of weeks, some stay for a while, some stay forever, and some you'll never get.  Its different with every person.  You should talk to your doctor if the side effects are really bad or interfering with your life.