| |
Aripiprazole / Abilify Drug Information
Generic Name: Aripiprazole
Brand Name: Abilify
What is Aripiprazole ?
ABILIFY is a trade/brand name for the medicine aripiprazole (Ari-pip-rah-zol). Aripiprazole is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental illness with disturbances in thinking, feelings and behaviour.
Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic medication. It works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain.
Aripiprazole belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotic agents.
How to Take Aripiprazole
Take Aripiprazole exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Aripiprazole is usually taken once a day.
Aripiprazole may be taken with or without food, on a full or an empty stomach. If your doctor tells you to take it a certain way, follow your doctor's instructions.
What are the Side Effects of Aripiprazole -
Like all medicines, Aripiprazole can cause some side-effects. Some common side effects reported with this medicine include the following. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
- Stop taking Aripiprazole and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (
difficulty swallowing
;
increased thirst or hunger
;
frequent urination
etc.).
- Fever, sweating, confusion, irregular heartbeat, muscle stiffness
- Jerky muscle movements you cannot control (often in your face, tongue, or jaw).
- Lightheadedness or fainting
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
- Headache
- Nausea, vomiting
- Trouble sleeping
- Weight gain
Warnings and precautions before taking Aripiprazole:
- Aripiprazole is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether aripiprazole will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take aripiprazole without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
- Do not take Aripiprazole after the expiry or use by date printed on the pack. If you take this medicine after this date has passed, it may not work as well.
- Avoid alcohol while taking aripiprazole. Alcohol may increase drowsiness and dizziness while taking aripiprazole.
-
Before taking aripiprazole, tell your doctor if you have
liver disease;
heart disease or other heart problems such as high blood pressure, angina, previous heart attack, or irregular heartbeats; diabetes;
seizures or epilepsy.
- It is recommended that you do not breast-feed while taking Aripiprazole, as it may pass into breast milk and therefore there is a possibility that the breast-fed baby may be affected.
- Aripiprazole may increase the effects of medicines that are used to control high blood pressure. This could lead to very low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms. Tell your doctor if you are taking a medication to lower blood pressure or to treat another heart condition.
What to do if you take Overdose of Aripiprazole?
If you think you or anyone else may have taken too many Aripiprazole, immediately telephone your doctor or contact your local or regional Poisons Information Centre Seek medical attention immediately.
You may need urgent medical attention.
What to do if you take Missed Dose of Aripiprazole?
If you miss a dose of Aripiprazole then
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose.
How to Store Aripiprazole:
Store Aripiprazole / Abilify (Oral) at room temperature away from sunlight and moisture. Keep Aripiprazole and all medications out of the reach of children.
TO ACCESS OUR MEDICAL DIRECTORY, CLICK ON THE FIRST LETTER OF THE DRUG NAME:
A || B || C || D || E || F || G || H || I || J || K || L || M || N || O || P || Q || R || S || T || U || V || W || X || Y || Z
Please Note: The medical information here is presented for education, background reading and general interest. The DiseasesAtoZ is not a diagnostic or clinical decision-making tool.
Please consult your own licensed physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition!
Content is not asserted complete or error free.
If you like this page, please post it on:
|
|
