What Is Abilify?
Abilify is an antipsychotic. It alters brain chemistry. Abilify treats psychotic disorders like schizophrenia in adults and children over 13. It treats bipolar I disorder (manic depression) in adults and children over 10 alone or with a mood stabiliser. It is antidepressants that treat serious depression in adults. Abilify (aripiprazole) is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic. It balances brain chemicals to enhance mood, behaviour, and thinking. Abilify stabilises dopamine also this medicine corrects excess and hypo dopamine levels. Dopamine stabilisers locate receptors and block or increase dopamine activity depending on baseline. Moreover, Abilify treats more than schizophrenia.
The FDATrusted Source has authorised it for several conditions:
- Chronic bipolar disorder with acute manic and mixed episodes
- To treat irritability in autism
- With antidepressants for major depression
- Tourette’s syndrome—tic management
- Personality disorder BPD
- Drug-induced prolactin elevation
- In children over 6, Abilify treats Tourette’s disorder and autistic disorder symptoms including impatience, aggressiveness, mood swings, temper tantrums, and self-harm.
Uses
This drug treats bipolar illness, schizophrenia, Tourette’s syndrome, and autistic irritability. Combining it with other depressive medications is possible. This medicine reduces hallucinations and improves attention by restoring brain chemical equilibrium. You think more clearly and positively about yourself, feel less frightened, and participate more in daily life. Also, it reduces severe and frequent mood fluctuations.
Your doctor may prescribe taking this medicine with or without food once a day. Your dose depends on your medical condition, reaction to therapy, age, and other drugs. Inform your doctor and chemist of all your medications, including herbal remedies. Your doctor may recommend starting this drug at a low dose and gradually increasing it to avoid adverse effects. Carefully follow your doctor’s instructions.
Moreover, the manufacturer advises swallowing this medicine whole. Splitting/crushing numerous immediate-release pills is possible. Please follow your doctor’s instructions for using this medicine. Carefully measure the liquid dose of this drug using a specific measuring device/cup. Avoid home spoons since they may not give the right dosage.
Metabolism issues like:
In some ABILIFY users, blood sugar rises. Coma or death can result from excessive blood sugar. Your doctor should examine your blood sugar before and throughout ABILIFY if you have diabetes or risk factors like obesity or family history.
Point to be noted
However, the Doctor should instruct a medication guide to the patient. And it is really important to read carefully and follow instructions. Also, Consult your doctor with questions and queries having this drug or Albify side effects. Moreover, Before handling the orally disintegrating pill, dry your hands. One should not open the pill blister pack until you are ready to take it. Peel back the blister pack wrapper and remove the pill. Also, avoid pushing the pill through the foil and avoid breaking the tablet. Moreover, Consume the pill and should dissolve fast thus swallow or drink water once the pill melts.
Dose
Patients will receive varying doses of this drug. Follow your doctor’s or label’s instructions. The following information only contains typical drug dosages. Change your dosage only if your doctor advises you to. The strength of the drug determines the dosage. The medical issue you are treating determines the amount of dosages you take daily, the duration between doses, and how long you take the drug.
Storage
Keep the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light and prevent freezing this medicine. Keep this medicine away from children and do not store expired or unnecessary medication. Lastly, ask your doctor how to dispose of unused medication.
Abilify Side Effects
Older persons with dementia-related psychosis cannot use Abilify. However, when taking depression medication, some teens may experience more suicidal thoughts. If you have unexpected mood or behaviour changes or suicidal thoughts, contact your doctor immediately.
If you have a fever with fatigue and high heartbeat, uncontrollable muscular movements, unexpected symptoms including numbness or weakness, severe headache, and vision, speech, or balance issues, stop taking Abilify and ask help from your doctor.
Most importantly, do not abruptly stop using antidepressants. Also, Older persons with dementia-related psychosis cannot use Abilify. When choosing a drug, consider its side effects against its benefits. Together, you and your doctor decide. Consult your doctor if you have other ablify side effects after having it.
1. Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have had any unusual or adverse reactions to this or other drugs. Tell your doctor about any additional allergies, such as food, colours, preservatives, or animals. Pay attention to non-prescription product labels and ingredients.
2. Paediatric
There have been no investigations on the impact of aripiprazole on children under 13 with schizophrenia and those under 10 with bipolar disorder. Safety and effectiveness are unknown.
No research has examined how ageing affects Abilify Mycite® in children. Safety and effectiveness are unknown. Children and teens with serious depression cannot use aripiprazole. Previous studies have not shown pediatric-specific issues that would restrict the use of aripiprazole in autistic children aged 6–17.
3. Geriatric
Existing studies have not shown geriatric-specific issues that would restrict the use of aripiprazole in old schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar patients. This drug should not address behavioural issues in old dementia or Alzheimer’s disease patients. If you have these high blood sugar symptoms while taking ABILIFY ask for help from the doctor
- Feel thirsty
- Urinate more than normal
- Full of hunger
- Feel exhausted or weak
- Upset stomach
- Feel disoriented or have fruity breath
- High blood fat (cholesterol and triglycerides).
- Gain weight. You and your doctor should weigh you periodically.
- Unusual cravings.
Common Side effects
ABILIFY users have experienced gambling, binge eating, obsessive shopping, and sexual cravings. Consult your doctor if you or your family detect strange cravings or behaviours.
Low blood pressure orthostatically. Rising too rapidly from a sitting or laying position might cause fainting. ABILIFY side effects may induce sleepiness, dizziness, a drop in blood pressure while changing position, or sluggish thinking and motor abilities, which can lead to falls and fractures.
The patient might have trouble controlling their body temperature, especially when exercising or in a hot environment. You must drink water to avoid dehydration. Avoid overheating and dehydration. Avoid overexercising. Try to remain cool indoors in hot weather. Avoid the sun. Avoid overclothing. Stay hydrated.
Swallowing difficulties can cause food or fluids to enter the lungs.
Conduct not drive, operate heavy machinery, or conduct other risky tasks until you know how ABILIFY also affects you in other ways such as
- It may cause drowsiness.
- Diabetes or high blood sugar in you or your family; your doctor should check it before and after ABILIFY.
- A convulsion.
- high or low blood pressure.
- A stroke or cardiac trouble.
If you get hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat from Abilify, seek immediate medical attention. Also, If you have new or worse depression or anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, impulsivity, irritability, agitation, hostility, aggression, restlessness, increased activity or talkativeness, or thoughts about suicide or self-harm, tell your doctor immediately.
These side effects may include
- Acute anxiety or restlessness;
- Jerky eye, lip, tongue, facial, arm, or leg movements;
- Mask-like face, swallowing, speech issues;
- Strong neurological reaction—rigid muscles, high temperature, sweating, bewilderment, rapid or irregular heartbeats, tremors, sensation like you will fall out;
- Low blood cell counts—fever, chills, sore throat, weakness, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, purple or red areas beneath skin; or
- High blood sugar causes thirst, urination, dry mouth, and fruity breath.
- This drug may stimulate sexual, gambling, or other extreme desires. Contact your doctor if this happens.
Your writing style is so easy to understand that it feels like you are having conversation with your readers…thanks for sharing this information that even I could understand.