Author: Alex Thompson

Abilify Aripiprazole: Side Effects, Uses, Dosage, Interactions, Warnings

Patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing. In some cases, hyperglycemia has resolved when the atypical antipsychotic was discontinued; however, some patients required continuation of anti-diabetic treatment despite discontinuation of the suspect drug. Given these considerations, ABILIFY should be prescribed in a manner that is most likely to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who suffer from a chronic illness that (1) is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs and (2) for whom alternative, equally effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate. In patients who do require chronic treatment, the smallest dose and the shortest duration of treatment producing a satisfactory clinical response should be sought.

Interactions between your drugs

Changes in the Assessments of Involuntary Movement Scales were similar for adjunctive ABILIFY and adjunctive placebo. In the pediatric (10 to 17 years), short-term, bipolar mania trial, the Simpson Angus Rating Scale showed a significant difference between ABILIFY and placebo (ABILIFY, 0.90; placebo, -0.05). Changes in the Barnes Akathisia Scale and the Assessments of Involuntary Movement Scales were similar for the ABILIFY and placebo groups. If agitation warranting a second dose persists following the initial dose, cumulative doses up to a total of 30 mg/day may be given. However, the efficacy of repeated doses of ABILIFY injection in agitated patients has not been systematically evaluated in controlled clinical trials. The safety of total daily doses greater than 30 mg or injections given more frequently than every 2 hours have not been adequately evaluated in clinical trials see Clinical Studies.

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The following findings are based on a pool of 3-week, placebo-controlled, bipolar mania trials in which oral ABILIFY was administered at doses of 15 or 30 mg/day. Dosage adjustments are recommended in patients who are known CYP2D6 poor metabolizers and in patients taking concomitant CYP3A4 inhibitors or CYP2D6 inhibitors or strong CYP3A4 inducers (see Table 2). When the co-administered drug is withdrawn from the combination therapy, ABILIFY dosage should then be adjusted to its original level.

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. ABILIFY (aripiprazole) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis see BOXED WARNING. The incidence of discontinuation due to adverse reactions was 6% for adjunctive ABILIFY-treated patients and 2% for adjunctive placebo-treated patients.

Health Challenges

The following findings are based on a pool of five placebo-controlled trials (four 4 week and one 6 week) in which oral ABILIFY was administered in doses ranging from 2 to 30 mg/day. There are no systematically collected data to specifically address switching patients with schizophrenia from other antipsychotics to ABILIFY or concerning concomitant administration with other antipsychotics. While immediate discontinuation of the previous antipsychotic treatment may be acceptable for some patients with schizophrenia, more gradual discontinuation may be most appropriate for others. In all cases, the period of overlapping antipsychotic administration should be minimized.

We urge patients and health care professionals to report side effects involving buprenorphine, methadone, or other medicines to the FDA MedWatch program, using the information in the “Contact FDA” box at the bottom of the page. But most drug labels and patient handouts don’t list every possible drug interaction. They can also answer any questions about medical terms or jargon on the drug packages.

In pregnant rabbits treated orally with aripiprazole during organogenesis at doses of 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg/day which are 6, 19, and 65 times the MRHD of 30 mg/day based on mg/m² body surface area, decreased maternal food consumption, and increased abortions as well as increased fetal mortality were observed at 65 times the MRHD. Decreased fetal weight and increased incidence of fused sternebrae were observed at 19 and 65 times the MRHD. Extrapyramidal and/or withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, hypertonia, hypotonia, tremor, somnolence, respiratory distress, and feeding disorder have been reported in neonates who were exposed to antipsychotic drugs (including ABILIFY) during the third trimester of pregnancy. Monitor neonates for extrapyramidal and/or withdrawal symptoms and manage symptoms appropriately. Some neonates recovered within hours or days without specific treatment; others required prolonged hospitalization. Female rats were treated orally with aripiprazole from 2 weeks prior to mating through gestation Day 7 at doses of 2, 6, and 20 mg/kg/day, which are 0.6, 2, and 6 times the MRHD of 30 mg/day based on mg/m² body surface area.

Dosage for Abilify

  1. Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients with bipolar mania were established in a 4 week, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 197 pediatric patients aged 10 to 17 years see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, ADVERSE REACTIONS, and Clinical Studies.
  2. If the antidepressant you take interacts with Abilify, they’ll likely prescribe a lower Abilify dosage than usual.
  3. Maintenance efficacy in pediatric patients has not been systematically evaluated.
  4. You could show them a list of the meds you’re taking, or bring the medication packages to your appointment.

If ongoing ABILIFY therapy is clinically indicated, oral ABILIFY in a range of 10 to 30 mg/day should replace ABILIFY injection as soon as possible see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION. Depending on other medications you take, your doctor may lower your Abilify dose if you also regularly take Benadryl. Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Abilify. They’ll determine whether it’s safe to take Abilify with this supplement. If they tell you it’s safe, your doctor may increase your Abilify dosage. This could help make sure the level of Abilify in your body is high enough for the drug to be effective.

Make sure they know all the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you’re taking. That’s extra important if you have more than one doctor who prescribes medicines for you. You could show them a list of the meds you’re taking, or bring the medication packages to your appointment.

Tell your doctor prior to taking any antibiotics to make sure it will not interact with your Suboxone. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. The primary outcome measure in both trials was the change from baseline to endpoint in the TTS of the YGTSS. Ratings for the TTS are made along 5 different dimensions on a scale of 0 to 5 for motor and vocal tics each. The primary instrument used for assessing manic symptoms was the Young Mania Rating Scale (Y-MRS), an 11 item clinician-rated scale traditionally used to assess the degree of manic symptomatology in a range from 0 (no manic features) to 60 (maximum score). A key secondary instrument included the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar (CGI-BP) Scale.

Impaired reproductive performance (decreased fertility rate, corpora lutea, implants, live fetuses, and increased post-implantation loss, likely mediated through effects on female offspring) were observed at 10 times the MRHD; however, there was no evidence to suggest that these developmental effects were secondary to maternal toxicity. The possibility of a suicide attempt is inherent in psychotic illnesses, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, and close supervision of high-risk patients should accompany drug therapy. Prescriptions for ABILIFY should be written for the smallest quantity consistent with good patient management in order to reduce the risk of overdose see ADVERSE REACTIONS. Symptoms of dystonia, prolonged abnormal contractions of muscle groups, may occur in susceptible individuals during the first few days of treatment.

Dose adjustments of up to 5 mg/day should occur gradually, at intervals of no less than one week see Clinical Studies. Taking Abilify with benzodiazepines could increase the risk of side effects from Abilify or benzodiazepines. (Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs prescribed to treat anxiety.) This interaction is explained further in the table below. A study by Warner et al.7 examined trends in drug overdose deaths from 2010 through 2014 using data from the National Vital Statistics System, which aggregates nationwide death certificate data.