ARIPIPRAZOLE (Abilify® from
Bristol-Myers Squibb®) is used to help treat people with schizophrenia.
It keeps the patient out of the delusional worlds a mentally ill mind can create
and brings the patient back to reality, away from the visual and auditory hallucinations
and psychosis. Many patients who are on Abilify® have tried other
medications that did not relieve their symptoms. Abilify® is also used in
the treatment of other mood disorders. At this time, there is no generic
version of Abilify®.
Before your doctor prescribes Abilify®, you should inform your doctor if you
have any of the following health problems:
- frequently drink alcohol or alcohol-containing
beverages
- dementia
- difficulty swallowing
- heart disease or irregular heartbeat
- history of brain tumor or head injury
- low blood pressure
- Parkinson's disease
- previous heart attack
- seizures (convulsions)
- an unusual reaction to other medications,
foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
The Abilify® tablet is taken orally. You should follow the directions
and only take Abilify® as it was prescribed, which is usually with a full glass
of water and at the same time each day. If you experience nausea when
taking Abilify®, try taking it after eating or with a glass of milk. You
should not stop taking Abilify® without your doctor's approval.
You may experience drowsiness or dizziness
when you first start taking it. You should not operate any machinery,
automobiles, or anything else that requires you to be alert until you see how
your body will react to the medication.
If you stand up or sit too quickly, it may cause dizziness, especially in the
elderly. Standing up too quickly may even cause you to faint.
Your body may react differently to heat or cold
while taking Abilify®. If you are exercising or working, be sure to stay
hydrated and do not get overheated. You should avoid extreme temperatures
such as:
- hot tubs
- steam rooms
- saunas
- extremely hot or cold showers
- extremely hot or cold weather
If you forget to take your medication on time, you should try to take it as
soon as you can unless it is almost time for your next dose and in this case,
you should only take one dose.
Certain other drugs could have an adverse reaction if you take them while you
are on Abilify®.
If you notice any side effects you should report them
to your doctor as soon as you can.
These side effects include the following.
Side effects that usually do not require medical
attention (report to your
doctor if they continue):
Personal Experiences
Recently my wife had to start taking Abilify® for her Bipolar
disorder. She was having psychotic episodes, hallucinating, hearing things that are not there
and was in a very deep depression. She also was having torturing obsessive
thoughts of her loved ones being hurt and or killed. She had excessive crying
spells, wasn't sleeping very much, and was having rapid mood swings.
The Abilify has really helped her a lot. It has stopped all of her
hallucinations and brought her Bipolar disorder back to being stable. She is
much happier now. The obsessive thoughts have all but ceased and her
concentration and psychosis are much better. It has enriched the quality of our
relationship because she is stable now.
Abilify® has been a wonder drug for some people with schizophrenia and other
mental health disorders like manic depression and mood disturbances.
Sources:
http://www.abilify.com
http://www.fda.gov
http://www.drugs.com
Clinical Pharmacology 2000 Copyright© 2002 Gold Standard Multimedia
Information also obtained from my wife's psychiatrist