Abilify is not for use in psychotic conditions that are related to dementia. Abilify has caused fatal heart attack and stroke in older adults with dementia-related conditions. Stop using Abilify and call your doctor at once if you have the following symptoms: fever with stiff muscles and rapid heart rate; uncontrolled muscle movements; symptoms that come on suddenly such as numbness or weakness, severe headache, and problems with vision, speech, or balance. Abilify can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of Abilify.
Avoid using other drugs that make you sleepy. They can add to sleepiness caused by Abilify.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated. Drink plenty of fluids, especially in hot weather and during exercise. It is easier to become dangerously overheated and dehydrated while you are taking Abilify.
Abilify is an antipsychotic medication. It works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain.
Abilify is used to treat the symptoms of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Abilify may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Abilify is not for use in psychotic conditions that are related to dementia. Abilify has caused fatal heart attack and stroke in older adults with dementia-related conditions.
Before taking Abilify, tell your doctor if you have:
- a history of breast cancer;
- a history of heart attack or stroke;
- a personal or family history of diabetes or;
- heart disease high blood pressure heart rhythm problems;
- kidney disease;
- liver disease;
- seizures or epilepsy;
- trouble swallowing.;
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use Abilify, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
The liquid form of this medication may contain up to 15 grams of sugar per dose. Before taking Abilify oral solution, tell your doctor if you have diabetes. The orally disintegrating tablet form of this medication may contain over 3 mg of phenylalanine per tablet. Before taking Abilify Discmelt, tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria.
Abilify may cause you to have high blood sugar. Talk to your doctor if you have any signs of hyperglycemia such as increased thirst or urination, excessive hunger, or weakness. If you are diabetic, check your blood sugar levels on a regular basis while you are taking Abilify.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Abilify can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Abilify tablets, orodispersible tablets and oral solution all contain the active ingredient aripiprazole, which is a type of drug known as an atypical antipsychotic. It is used to treat schizophrenia.
The way in which aripiprazole works is not fully understood, however, it does work in a slightly different way to other antipsychotic drugs.
Aripiprazole works by acting on various receptors in the brain, particularly dopamine receptors and serotonin receptors. Dopamine and serotonin are natural compounds called neurotransmitters, and are involved in transmitting messages between brain cells. Psychotic illness is considered to be caused by disturbances in the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Aripiprazole is thought to work mainly by stabilising the dopamine activity in the brain.
People with schizophrenia may experience 'positive symptoms' and/or 'negative symptoms'.
The positive symptoms are thought to be due to overactivity of dopamine in certain areas of the brain. Aripiprazole blocks the dopamine receptors in these areas and so prevents the overactivity. This helps control the positive symptoms of the disease.
The negative symptoms, as well as cognitive symptoms such as memory loss and poor attention, are considered to be due to underactivity of dopamine in other areas of the brain. In these areas, aripiprazole stimulates the dopamine receptors. This mimics the activity of dopamine in these areas of the brain and so improves their activity. This helps improve the negative and cognitive symptoms of this illness.
Abilify orodispersible tablets and oral solution can be used as an alternative to the standard tablets for people who have difficulty swallowing. The orodispersible tablets are designed to dissolve on the tongue in the saliva without the need for a drink of water. These tablets are fragile and should be taken as soon as they are removed from the blister packet. Alternatively, these tablets can be dispersed in a glass of water.
Why is this drug prescribed?
- Schizophrenia.
- weight gain;
- weakness or loss of strength;
- weakness;
- urinating less than usual or not at all;
- tricyclic antidepressants eg amitriptyline;
- the herbal remedy st. john's wort;
- the anthistamines astemizole or terfenadine;
- sweating;
- sudden numbness or weakness;
- sudden headache;
- strong opioid painkillers eg morphine codeine dihydrocodeine;
- stiff muscles;
- speech;
- sleeping tablets eg zopiclone.;
- sleepiness;
- sleep problems;
- shaking usually of the hands;
- seizures;
- sedating antihistamines eg chlorphenamine promethazine hydroxyzine;
- rifampicin;
- rifabutin;
- quinidine.;
- prolonged erection;
- problems with vision;
- primidone;
- phenytoin;
- phenobarbital;
- paroxetine;
- pain in the muscles;
- other antipsychotics eg thioridazine chlorpromazine sertindole haloperidol;
- nevirapine;
- nausea vomiting upset stomach;
- ketoconazole;
- jerky muscle movements you cannot control;
- itraconazole;
- inflammation of the liver or pancreas;
- increased thirst;
- increased salivation;
- increased heart rate;
- increased blood sugar levels;
- increase or decrease in body weight;
- hiv protease inhibitors eg ritonavir;
- headache anxiety;
- headache;
- gut disturbances such as constipation indigestion nausea and vomiting;
- frequent urination;
- fluoxetine;
- fever;
- feeling light-headed;
- fatigue;
- fast or uneven heartbeats;
- fainting;
- excessive hunger;
- especially on one side of the body;
- erythromycin or pentamidine given by injection into a vein;
- efavirenz;
- drugs that can alter the levels of salts such as potassium in your blood eg diuretics such as furosemide.;
- drugs for abnormal heart beats eg amiodarone procainamide disopyramide sotalol;
- drowsiness;
- dizziness;
- difficulty in sleeping;
- constipation;
- confusion;
- cisapride;
- certain antimalarials eg halofantrine chloroquine quinine;
- certain antidepressants eg amitriptyline imipramine maprotiline;
- carbamazepine;
- blurred vision;
- benzodiazepines eg diazepam temazepam;
- balance;
- anxiety restlessness and agitation;
- abnormal movements of the hands legs face neck and tongue eg tremor twitching rigidity;
- abnormal heart beats;
- a drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying or sitting position to sitting or standing causing dizziness and lightheadedness;
