Darla darlin' - I am going to assume that you have the misfortune of being afflicted with bipolar disorder. I have no clinical (ie actual or real) experience with Abilify™ (aripiprazole), as it has not been released in Canada, yet. Though, I have been asked to present a series of lectures to pharmacists across Western Canada about this drug after it has been released; so I've read a bit about Abilify (much of it is drug company-produced literature, and therefore any information I give should be understood from that angle).

There is very little chance that Abilify will instigate a manic phase. The drug does not appreciable increase serotonin concenrations in the brain, as does most antidepressants (through blockade of the serotonin reuptake mechanism in the synapse between two serotoninergic neurons).

It is thought that serotonergic antidepressants like:

SSRIs (serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors):
eg. Zoloft™ (sertraline), Paxil™ (paroxetine), Luvox™ (fluvoxamine), etc.;

TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants):
eg. Anafranil™ (clomipramine), Elavil™ (amitriptyline), Tofranil™ (imipramine), etc.

MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
eg. Nardil™ (phenelzine), Parnate™ (tranylcypromine), and, to a small extent, Manerix™ (moclobemide);

all have induced manic episodes in people who are living with bipolar disorder. The worst offenders in inducing "manic switch" are the MAOIs, followed by the TCAs. Although, the slightly different MAOI Manerix has little propensity to induce manic switch; but then again "in my opinion" Manerix does not seem to have much success in alleviating the depression associated with bipolar disorder (esp. BP-I). It is thought that the overall action of these drugs to increase serotonin neurotransmission may be the cause of the manic switch.

Anyway, if I had to lump Abilify in with a group of drugs, I would categorize it as a mood modifier along the lines of Clozaril™ (clozapine), Zyprexa™ (olanzapine), Risperdal™ (risperidone), and Seroquel™ (quetiapine). There is a very slight chance that these drugs induce manic switch (although, I'd like to see the circumstances in which the manic switch occurred in these people).

And yes, your body will need a week or two (or three) to fully adjust to the drug. From the drug company's list of side effects most have a tendency to fade with time (eg. headache, anxiety - incl. insomnia, nervousness, jitteriness - and stomach complaints). I am told that these side effects do disappear toward the end of the second week of taking the drug.

BTW, what dose does your doctor have you taking? I really cannot comment on how much a person should take or how much they need; I tend not to trust the dosage guidelines in monographs.

A seemingly decent place to read about drugs like Abilify is right British Medical Journal. The article is about treating schizophrenia, but since 1999 the atypical antipsychotics have become more known as "mood modifiers".

I hope that this is of some help. - Cam