Results for aripiprazole
On this page:
 
Drug Info:

Aripiprazole

Brand names: Abilify®, Abilify® Discmelt

Chemical formula:



Aripiprazole tablets

What are Aripiprazole tablets?

ARIPIPRAZOLE (Abilify™) helps to treat schizophrenia. Aripiprazole can help you to keep in touch with reality and reduce your other symptoms. It is for patients that have not been helped by other medicines. Occasionally aripiprazole is used to treat other mood disturbances. Generic aripiprazole tablets are not yet available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
• frequently drink alcohol or alcohol-containing beverages
• dementia
• diabetes
• difficulty swallowing
• heart disease
• history of brain tumor or head injury
• irregular heartbeat
• low blood pressure
• Parkinson's disease
• previous heart attack
• seizures (convulsions)
• an unusual reaction to aripiprazole, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should this medicine be used?

Take aripiprazole tablets by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow the tablets with a drink of water. If aripiprazole upsets your stomach you can take it with food. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your prescriber's advice.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What drug(s) may interact with Aripiprazole?

Aripiprazole can interact with many other drugs. Some of the possible interactions are listed:
• alcohol
• amiodarone
• carbamazepine
• charcoal
• cimetidine
• citalopram
• clarithromycin
• erythromycin
• fluconazole
• fluoxetine
• fluvoxamine
• grapefruit juice
• imatinib, STI-571
• itraconazole
• ketoconazole
• medicines for diabetes
• medicines for high blood pressure
• medicines for HIV infection
• medicines for sleep
• nefazodone
• paroxetine
• phenobarbital
• phenytoin
• prescription pain medications
• primidone
• quinidine
• rifabutin
• rifampin
• sertraline
• St. John's wort
• voriconazole

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking Aripiprazole?

Visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. It may be several weeks before you see the full effects of aripiprazole. Do not suddenly stop taking aripiprazole. You may need to gradually reduce the dose. Only stop taking aripiprazole on your prescriber's advice.

You may get dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how aripiprazole affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol can increase dizziness and drowsiness. Avoid alcoholic drinks.

Aripiprazole can reduce the response of your body to heat or cold. Try not to get overheated or dehydrated from exercise. Avoid temperature extremes, such as saunas, hot tubs, or very hot or cold baths or showers. Dress warmly in cold weather.

If you are going to have surgery tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are taking aripiprazole.

What side effects may I notice from receiving Aripiprazole?

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
• changes in vision
• confusion
• difficulty swallowing
• fainting spells
• inability to control muscle movements in the face, hands, arms, or legs
• loss of balance or difficulty walking
• muscles or joint pain
• restlessness or need to keep moving
• seizures
• weakness

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• constipation
• difficulty sleeping
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea, vomiting
• weight gain

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature between 15 and 25 degrees C (59 and 77 degrees F). Protect the tablets from exposure to bright light. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Last updated: 10/1/2002 3:03:00 PM

Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.

 
 
Wikipedia: aripiprazole
Aripiprazole.png
Aripiprazole
Systematic (IUPAC) name
7-[4-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)
piperazin-1-yl]butoxy]-
3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-one
Identifiers
CAS number 129722-12-9
ATC code N05AX12
PubChem 60795
DrugBank APRD00638
Chemical data
Formula C23H27Cl2N3O2 
Mol. mass 448.385
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability 87%
Metabolism liver
Half life 75h (active metabolite : 94h)
Excretion feces and urine
Therapeutic considerations
Licence data

EU US
Pregnancy cat.

C (USA)
Legal status

℞ Prescription only
Routes oral tablets or drink

Aripiprazole (produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. and sold as Abilify) is the sixth atypical antipsychotic medication to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia. It has also recently received FDA approval for the treatment of acute manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole was approved by the FDA in November in 2002 and was developed by the Otsuka pharmaceutical company based in Japan, although in the U.S. it is jointly marketed by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Pharmacology

Aripiprazole possesses a novel mechanism of action when compared to the other FDA approved atypical antipsychotics (i.e. clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and risperidone). Aripiprazole appears to mediate its antipsychotic effects primarily by partial agonism at the D2 receptor. Partial agonism at D2 receptors has been shown to modulate dopaminergic activity in areas where dopamine activity may be high or low, such as the mesolimbic and mesocortical areas of the schizophrenic brain, respectively. In addition to partial agonist activity at the D2 receptor, aripiprazole is also a partial agonist at the 5-HT1A receptor, and like the other atypical antipsychotics, aripiprazole displays an antagonist profile at the 5-HT2A receptor. Aripiprazole has moderate affinity for histamine and alpha adrenergic receptors, and no appreciable affinity for cholinergic muscarinic receptors.

Pharmacokinetics

Aripiprazole displays linear kinetics with an elimination half-life of approximately 75 hours. Accordingly, steady state plasma concentrations are achieved in about 14 days. Cmax (maximum plasma concentration) is achieved in 3-5 hours after oral dosing. The bioavailabilty of the oral tablets is about 90%. The drug undergoes extensive hepatic metabolization (dehydrogenation, hydroxylation, and N-dealkylation). The active major metabolite is dehydro-aripiprazole with an elimination half-life of about 94 hours. The parent drug is excreted only in traces and the metabolites, whether active or not, are excreted via feces and urine.

Metabolism

Aripiprazole is metabolized by the Cytochrome P450 isoenzymes 3A4 and 2D6. Accordingly, coadministration of aripiprazole with medications that may inhibit (e.g. paroxetine, fluoxetine) or induce (e.g. carbamazepine) these metabolic enzymes may increase or decrease, respectively, plasma concentrations of aripiprazole.

Adverse events

Adverse events reported in the package insert for aripiprazole include akathisia, headache, nausea, vomiting, somnolence, insomnia. Otsuka Pharma has reported their low incidence of EPS, however they have failed to categorize akathisia as part of the Extrapyramidal Side Effect profile. Additionally----because of its novel mechanism of action----several case reports have shown an activation into mania, leading to a slightly mind altered, degenerating, delusional state different and less severe to those usually suffered in schizophrenia. This is most common when Abilify is prescribed at lower than indicated doses.[citation needed]

Dosage forms

Aripiprazole is available in 1mg, 2mg, 5mg, 10mg, 15mg, 20mg, and 30mg tablets.

Warnings about medications with similar names

A warning has gone out recently because of this drug's name. The '-prazole' ending of this drug name makes this drug sound like it is one of the proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole) which are used in treating peptic ulcer disease. However, aripiprazole and these drugs are in an entirely different class of drugs altogether and confusing the two can lead to some unnecessary side effects.

Aripiprazole was developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. and is manufactured by the Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceutical company (NYSE: BMY).

Aripiprazole was approved by the FDA on November 15, 2002.

Side effects

Common side effects: Akathisia, headache, unusual tiredness or weakness, nausea, vomiting, an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, constipation, light-headedness, trouble sleeping, restlessness, sleepiness, shaking, and blurred vision.

Uncommon side effects: Uncontrollable twitching or jerking movements, tremors and seizure. Some people may feel dizzy, especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position, or may experience a fast heart rate.

Rare side effects: Combination of fever, muscle stiffness, faster breathing, sweating, reduced consciousness, and sudden change in blood pressure and heart rate.

Very rare side effects: Allergic reaction (such as swelling in the mouth or throat, itching, rash), increased production of saliva, speech disorder, nervousness, agitation, fainting, reports of abnormal liver test values, inflammation of the pancreas, muscle pain, weakness, stiffness, or cramps.

While taking aripiprazole, some elderly patients with dementia have suffered from stroke or 'mini' stroke. Some patients may experience high blood sugar, or the onset or worsening of diabetes.

See also

External links

Psycholeptics: antipsychotics (N05A)
Phenothiazine typical antipsychotics Chlorpromazine • Fluphenazine • Mesoridazine • Perphenazine • Prochlorperazine • Promazine • Thioridazine/Sulforidazine • Trifluoperazine
Other typical antipsychotics Indoles (Molindone) • Butyrophenones (Azaperone, Benperidol, Droperidol, Haloperidol) • Thioxanthenes (Flupentixol, Chlorprothixene, Thiothixene, Zuclopenthixol) • diphenylbutylpiperidines (Fluspirilene, Penfluridol, Pimozide) • other (Loxapine)
Atypical antipsychotics Butyrophenones (Melperone) • Indoles (Sertindole, Ziprasidone) • Benzamides (Sulpiride, Remoxipride, Amisulpride) • diazepines/oxazepines/thiazepines (Clozapine, Olanzapine, Quetiapine) • other (Aripiprazole, Risperidone, Paliperidone, Zotepine)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "aripiprazole" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Aripiprazole".  Read more

Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!  
Click here to download now. 

Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In:

 |  More >More >
 

Do you have the answers?