Place the tablet in your mouth. It should melt quickly. After the tablet has melted, you may swallow or take a sip of water. Follow your doctor's instructions on how to use the medicine. Aripiprazole may be taken with or without food. If your doctor tells you to take it a certain way, follow your doctor's instructions. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label.
The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
Keep from freezing. It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to allow for changes in your dose and to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects. For some patients, this medicine can increase thoughts of suicide. Tell your doctor right away if you start to feel more depressed and have thoughts about hurting yourself. Report any unusual thoughts or behaviors that trouble you, especially if they are new or are getting worse quickly.
Make sure the doctor knows if you have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless. Also tell the doctor if you have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared.
Let the doctor know if you or anyone in your family has bipolar disorder manic-depressive illness or has tried to commit suicide. This medicine may add to the effects of alcohol and other central nervous system CNS depressants medicines that make you drowsy or less alert.
Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicines for hay fever, other allergies, or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicines, prescription pain medicines or narcotics, medicines for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.
Check with your doctor before taking any CNS depressants while you are taking this medicine. Aripiprazole may cause drowsiness, trouble with thinking, or trouble with controlling movements, which may lead to falls, fractures or other injuries. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous unless you know how this medicine affects you.
It belongs to a class of medications called antipsychotics. A class of medications describes a group of drugs that work in the same way.
Abilify comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. Abilify and a medication called Abilify Maintena contain the same active drug: aripiprazole. But even though these medications contain the same active drug, they act slightly differently in your body. Abilify Maintena is an extended-release form of Abilify. This means Abilify Maintena releases its active drug slowly, over time.
Because of this, doses of Abilify Maintena only need to be taken once every 4 weeks. This is unlike the regular form of Abilify, which is typically taken once each day. This article focuses on Abilify, not on Abilify Maintena. Abilify contains the active drug aripiprazole , which is available as a generic medication.
A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs. Also, Abilify comes as tablets that are swallowed by mouth. Aripiprazole, on the other hand, is available as:. Abilify can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Abilify. For more information on the possible side effects of Abilify, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome. Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks.
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. In addition, Abilify has a boxed warning regarding these risks. Boxed warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug. As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Abilify. A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:. Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Abilify.
In clinical trials of Abilify, weight gain was reported in adults with schizophrenia , bipolar I disorder , and major depressive disorder MDD. Major weight gain was seen in:.
Weight gain also occurred in some children who took Abilify. For example, in clinical trials , children taking Abilify for any of its approved uses had major weight gain. Major weight gain was reported in:. If you or your child has insomnia or sleepiness after taking Abilify, talk with your doctor.
They may be able to recommend ways to help decrease this side effect. In clinical trials , insomnia occurred in:.
During clinical trials , sleepiness and sedation were also common side effects in people taking Abilify. With sedation, you have sleepiness, loss of coordination, and trouble thinking clearly. Sedation was a very common side effect in children taking Abilify during clinical trials. For example:. During clinical trials , people taking Abilify had both increased and decreased levels of libido.
They can recommend ways to help you manage this side effect. In some cases, these urges can cause harm to yourself or others. So your doctor may decrease your dosage of Abilify or switch you to a different medication to help prevent these urges from happening. Restlessness, which is also called akathisia , is a possible side effect of Abilify. With restlessness, you may feel like you need to constantly be moving.
And you also might not be able to get comfortable. In clinical trials , akathisia was reported in:. During clinical studies , children taking Abilify also had akathisia.
For example, akathisia was reported in:. If you or your child feels restless while taking Abilify, talk with your doctor. These conditions are described below. They may be able to recommend ways to decrease your side effects. In some cases, your doctor may decrease your dosage of Abilify or have you stop taking the drug. Tremors are involuntary, shaking movements. In clinical trials , tremors occurred in:. In comparison, no children taking a placebo for this condition reported tremors.
TD is a movement disorder that occurs in some people taking antipsychotic medications, such as Abilify. Symptoms of TD include having uncontrollable movements and jerking of your face and jaw. TD most commonly develops in older people, but it can occur in people of any age. In addition, TD is thought to be more common with longer use of antipsychotic medications.
Because of this, your doctor will prescribe antipsychotic medications, such as Abilify, for the shortest amount of time at the lowest possible dosage that controls your symptoms. Nausea is a common side effect of Abilify. In clinical trials of people with either bipolar disorder or schizophrenia , nausea occurred in:. Children taking Abilify also had nausea during clinical trials.
In these studies:. If you or your child has nausea while taking Abilify, talk with your doctor. Hair loss is a very rare side effect of Abilify. They may be able to recommend ways to help you manage your hair loss. Certain older people may have an increased risk of death when taking antipsychotic drugs, such as Abilify. You may also have hallucinations or delusions. In fact, Abilify has a boxed warning for this risk. These warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
Because of this increased risk of death, Abilify should not be used by this group of people. But Abilify is similar to other drugs that have caused this side effect. They can recommend appropriate treatment options for your condition.
Abilify may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adults ages 24 years and younger. In clinical trials of adults taking Abilify, suicide did occur. Anyone who takes Abilify may be monitored by their doctor for new or worsening depression and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dosage. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect. The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended.
However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. It comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. These forms included:. Abilify is approved as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder MDD , which is also simply called depression. Adjunct treatments are used in combination with other drugs to treat a certain condition.
As an adjunct treatment for MDD, Abilify is used with other drugs. The typical starting dosage of Abilify for MDD is between 2 mg and 5 mg once each day.
Then your dose will be increased by up to 5 mg each week until your depression symptoms are decreased. The typical maintenance dosage range of Abilify for MDD is between 2 mg and 15 mg daily. For this use, the maximum daily dose of Abilify is 15 mg. Abilify is approved for use in adults with manic and mixed episodes related to bipolar I disorder. For this condition, the typical starting dosage of Abilify in adults is 15 mg once daily.
Valproate and lithium are other drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. The typical maintenance dosage of Abilify in adults with bipolar I disorder is 15 mg once daily. However, up to 30 mg of Abilify daily may be used in some cases. And this is the maximum daily dose of Abilify for this condition. Lithium and valproate are other drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. For adults with schizophrenia , the starting dosage of Abilify for this condition is typically 10 mg to 15 mg once daily.
The typical maintenance dosage range of Abilify for schizophrenia is 10 mg to 30 mg daily. However, dosages of 10 mg to 15 mg daily seem to be the most effective for the condition. Dosages greater than 15 mg daily may not be more effective than those less than 15 mg daily.
For schizophrenia, the maximum daily dose of Abilify is 30 mg. Below we describe Abilify dosages for children with certain conditions that the drug is approved to treat.
Abilify is approved for use in children ages 13 to 17 years old with schizophrenia. The typical starting dosage of Abilify for this use is 2 mg once daily. After an additional 2 days, the doctor may increase the Abilify dose to 10 mg daily. Doses between 10 mg and 30 mg have been studied in children.
However, it seems that a dosage of 10 mg daily is just as effective as a dosage of 30 mg daily. Abilify is approved for use in children ages 10 years to 17 years old with manic or mixed episodes related to bipolar I disorder.
After an additional 2 days, their doctor may increase their Abilify dose to 10 mg daily. If the doctor believes that your child needs a higher dose of Abilify, the dosage may be increased by 5 mg each day, up to a maximum of 30 mg daily. Keep in mind that if your child is taking lithium or valproate along with Abilify, the recommended dosages of Abilify are the same as those described above.
Then the daily dose can be increased to 5 mg daily after at least 1 week. Following this, the daily dose can be increased to 10 mg to 15 mg daily. At least 1 week should pass between each dosage increase. If you miss a dose of Abilify, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.
Then take your next dose at the usual time. Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose. If you have any questions about when to take your next dose of Abilify after a missed dose, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A medication timer may be useful, too. Abilify is meant to be used as a long-term treatment. Abilify may also be used off-label for other conditions. Abilify is approved for use as an adjunct treatment in adults with major depressive disorder MDD.
An adjunct treatment is used with other drugs for a specific condition. So as an adjunct treatment for MDD, Abilify is used with other drugs. MDD, which is often simply called depression , is a serious disease that affects your mood and actions. People with MDD often feel sad or anxious. This condition may affect your daily life, and you possibly may not be able to eat or sleep like usual.
Other symptoms of depression include feeling hopeless and not having interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Some people with depression may even have suicidal thoughts or behaviors, which are serious and may be life threatening. If you have new or worsening symptoms of depression, talk with your doctor right away.
If falls or any of these symptoms occur, contact your healthcare provider. The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA is warning that compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop, and have sex have been reported with the use of aripiprazole. These uncontrollable urges were reported to have stopped when the medicine was discontinued or the dose was reduced.
These impulse-control problems are rare, but they may result in harm to the patient and others if not recognized. Tardive dyskinesia TD is a side effect that develops with prolonged use of antipsychotics. If you develop symptoms of TD, such as grimacing, sucking, and smacking of lips, or other movements that you cannot control, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
All patients taking either first or second generation antipsychotics should have an Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale AIMS completed regularly by their healthcare provider to monitor for TD.
Second generation antipsychotics SGAs increase the risk of diabetes, weight gain, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides. It is very important to tell your doctor how you feel things are going during the first few weeks after you start taking aripiprazole. It will probably take several weeks to see big enough changes in your symptoms to decide if aripiprazole is the right medication for you.
Antipsychotic treatment is generally needed lifelong for persons with schizophrenia. Your doctor can best discuss the duration of treatment you need based on your symptoms and illness.
Both first generation typical and second generation atypical antipsychotics are associated with an increased risk of mortality in elderly patients when used for dementia related psychosis.
Although there were multiple causes of death in studies, most deaths appeared to be due to cardiovascular causes e. Antipsychotics are not indicated for the treatment of dementia-related psychosis. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide.
This risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Patients, their families, and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness and insomnia. All patients being treated with this medication for depression should watch for and notify their healthcare provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment. Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein.
The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness. About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. In adults, common side effects include:. Side effects in children are similar, with the addition of nose congestion, drooling, and changes in appetite.
Abilify may cause serious side effects, like:. Speak to your doctor right away if you are planning on getting pregnant or are pregnant. Animal studies suggest that Abilify may be harmful to the fetus, but it's not clear if that risk applies to humans. Your doctor can help you determine whether the benefits of taking Abilify outweigh any potential problems.
Black box warnings are included on medications when they have the potential to cause serious, life-threatening side effects. Abilify carries two black box warnings from the FDA:. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
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