Abilify® (aripiprazole) Options

[d-gADMIN]

Abilify®
Brand Name: Abilify®
Active Ingredient:

aripiprazole
Strength(s):

2 mg, 5mg, 10mg, 15, mg, 20mg, 30 mg
Dosage Form(s): Tablet
Company Name:

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Bristol Myers Squibb Co.
Availability: Prescription only
*Date Approved by FDA: November 15, 2002
*Approval by FDA does not mean that the drug will be immediately marketed and available for consumers at this time.

What is Abilify used for?

Abilify is used to treat:

· Schizophrenia

Bipolar


Abilify has not been studied in children under 18 years of age.

Who should not take Abilify?

Do not take Abilify if you are allergic to aripiprazole or any of the other ingredients in Abilify.

General Precautions with Abilify:

* Abilify may impair judgement, thinking, or motor skills. You should be careful in operating machinery, including automobiles, until you know how Abilify affects you.
* Abilify may cause trouble swallowing (esophageal dysmotility). This can cause choking and lead to a type of pneumonia called aspiration pneumonia in some patients.
* Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Abilify.
* It is important to avoid overheating and dehydration while taking Abilify. Abilify may make it harder to lower your body temperature.

What should I tell my health care provider?

Tell your health care provider if you:

* have any heart problems, or have had a heart attack or stroke.
* have or have had seizures. Abilify can make it easier for you to have a seizure, especially if you have or have had seizures or certain medical conditions that increase the chances of having a seizure.
* are trying to become pregnant, are already pregnant, or are breast-feeding.

Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your health care provider if you take:

* Ketoconazole
* Quinidine
* Tegretol (carbamazepine)
* Medicines to treat high blood pressure

Some of these medicines may cause serious side effects if used while you also take Abilify. Some of these medicines may affect how Abilify works, or Abilify may affect how these medicines work.

What are some possible side effects of Abilify? (This is NOT a complete list of side effects reported with Abilify. Your health care provider can discuss with you a more complete list of side effects.)

Some rare but serious side effects with Abilify include:

* Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). Symptoms of NMS include high fever, muscle rigidity (tightness), confusion, change in pulse, blood pressure or heartbeat, and sweating. It can also lead to muscle breakdown and kidney failure.
* Tardive dyskinesia (TD). Symptoms of TD include involuntary (uncontrolled) and abnormal muscle movements.

Some common side effects with Abilify include:

* headache
* weakness
* nausea
* vomiting
* constipation
* anxiety
* problems sleeping
* lightheadedness (dizziness)
* sleepiness
* restlessness
* rash

For more detailed information about Abilify, ask your health care provider.

[Joost]

Thats quite nice piece of information.

[fired44]

apologies for either my or the net's error in replying to your post on xanax---or my apparent failure to 'log out'.
i was pleased to see your warnings to the 'benzo-naive'---i feel informing any potential user of dr. heather ashton's full commentary on these drugs would have been the only useful addition to your post. i will re-compose it, as only one who has been 'blitzed' by benzos may truly understand the danger---
but there is one class of drugs more dangerous for bipolars, anyone actually---and Abilify is amongst them---
the 'neuroleptics', even the 'atypical varieties'---hence this post---
Abilify, zyprexa, risperdal---were all 'created' as safer substitutes for the 'old-line' neuroleptis', haldol, etc. their target was the schizophrenias, and the 'alleged-hope' was for less risk of 'extrapyramidal' side-effects. they hae been approved for refractory depression, AAD, even children with the mythical ADHD---you may wish to look at the Emory U's 'real-life' study vs. the clearly dishonest drug co. data on these 'things'---the abstract, 'Extrapyramidal side effects with atypical neuroleptics in bipolar disorder' may be found on 'PubMed'.
they found industry study results quite optimistic vs. 'real-life', with 50-60+% of bipolars showing extrapyramidal effects---and this was a rather short-term study. all neuroleptics have been, and are often termed 'chemical-lobotomies', which is accurate---they may very rapidly (hours, not years) destroy critical higher cognitive function via severe damage to the brain's limbic and dopaminergic functions. it happened to me---1 day's use reduced me from cycling 30-miles/day to walking perhaps several city blocks---this may seem extreme, but it's quite common. i foolishly agreed to continue my 'personal' trial, only to gain 50 pounds in 6 weeks and be further reduced into a vegetative state---that was 5 years ago, i have many residual symptoms still.
personally, i have found the 'mental-health system' to be the most dangerous area of medicine, and i am hardly alone in this position---there is a growing opinion that drug cos./drs. be brought under strict societal control. anyone considering, or advised use of any neuroleptic should soundly educate themselves of known danger.