Aripiprazole Drug: Indication, Dosage, Precaution, Side Effect , Storage, Category Type and corresponding Brands - www.genericdrugscan.com

Aripiprazole

pronunciation

pronounced as (ay ri pip' ray zole)

Why is this medication prescribed?

Aripiprazole is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions) in adults and teenagers 13 years of age and older. It is also used alone or with other medications to treat episodes of mania or mixed episodes (symptoms of mania and depression that happen together) in adults, teenagers, and children 10 years of age and older with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods). Aripiprazole is also used with an antidepressant to treat depression when symptoms cannot be controlled by the antidepressant alone. Aripiprazole is also used to treat children 6 to 17 years of age who have autistic disorder (a developmental problem that causes difficulty communicating and interacting with others). Aripiprazole may help control irritable behavior such as aggression, temper tantrums, and frequent mood changes in these children. Aripiprazole is also used to treat children 6 to 18 years of age who have Tourette's disorder (a condition characterized by the need to perform repeated motions or to repeat sounds or words). Aripiprazole is in a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. It works by changing the activity of certain natural substances in the brain.

How should this medicine be used?

Aripiprazole comes as a tablet, a solution (liquid), and an orally disintegrating tablet (tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth) to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. Take aripiprazole at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take aripiprazole exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not try to push the orally disintegrating tablet through the foil. Instead, use dry hands to peel back the foil packaging. Immediately take out the tablet and place the entire tablet on your tongue. Do not try to split the tablet. The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed without liquid. If necessary, liquid can be used to take the orally disintegrating tablet.

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of aripiprazole and gradually increase or decrease your dose depending on how well the medication works for you and the side effects you experience.

Aripiprazole may help control your symptoms but will not cure your condition. It may take 2 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of aripiprazole. Continue to take aripiprazole even if you feel well. Do not stop taking aripiprazole without talking to your doctor.

What are the precautions to be followed?

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to aripiprazole, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in aripiprazole tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, or oral solution. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: antidepressants (mood elevators); antifungals such as itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral); antihistamines; bupropion (Wellbutrin); carbamazepine (Tegretol); clarithromycin (Biaxin); fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); HIV protease inhibitors such as atazanavir (Reyataz), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Invirase); ipratropium (Atrovent); medications for anxiety, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; nefazodone; paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva); quinidine; rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane); sedatives; sleeping pills; telithromycin (Ketek); and tranquilizers. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with aripiprazole, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
• tell your doctor if you have severe diarrhea or vomiting or you think you may be dehydrated. . Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart disease, heart failure, a heart attack, an irregular heartbeat, high or low blood pressure, a stroke, a ministroke, seizures, a low number of white blood cells, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels), or any condition that makes it difficult for you to swallow. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family use or have ever used street drugs or have overused prescription medication or alcohol or has or has ever had diabetes, obsessive compulsive disorder, impulse-control disorder, bipolar disorder, or an impulsive personality. Also tell your doctor if you have ever had to stop taking a medication for mental illness because of severe side effects.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, especially if you are in the last few months of your pregnancy, or if you plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking aripiprazole, call your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause problems in newborns following delivery if it is taken during the last months of pregnancy.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking aripiprazole.
• you should know that aripiprazole may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• you should know that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. Do not drink alcohol while taking aripiprazole.
• you should know that you may experience hyperglycemia (increases in your blood sugar) while you are taking this medication, even if you do not already have diabetes. If you have schizophrenia, you are more likely to develop diabetes than people who do not have schizophrenia, and taking aripiprazole or similar medications may increase this risk. Tell your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms while you are taking aripiprazole: extreme thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, blurred vision, or weakness. It is very important to call your doctor as soon as you have any of these symptoms, because high blood sugar that is not treated can cause a serious condition called ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis may become life-threatening if it is not treated at an early stage. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, breath that smells fruity, and decreased consciousness.
• you should know that aripiprazole may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking aripiprazole. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
• you should know that aripiprazole may make it harder for your body to cool down when it gets very hot. Tell your doctor if you plan to do vigorous exercise or be exposed to extreme heat.
• if you have phenylketonuria (PKU, an inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent mental retardation), you should know that the orally disintegrating tablets contain phenylalanine. If you have diabetes, you should know that aripiprazole solution contains sugar.
• you should know that some people who took medications such as aripiprazole developed gambling problems or other intense urges or behaviors that were compulsive or unusual for them, such as increased sexual urges or behaviors, excessive shopping, and binge eating. Call your doctor if you have intense urges to shop, eat, have sex, or gamble, or you are unable to control your behavior. Tell your family members about this risk so that they can call the doctor even if you do not realize that your gambling or any other intense urges or unusual behaviors such as have become a problem.
• you should know that when aripiprazole is used to treat children, it should be used as part of a treatment program that may include counseling and special education. Be sure that your child follows all of his or her doctor's or therapist's instructions.

What are possible side effects of this medication ?

• headache
• nervousness
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• heartburn
• constipation
• diarrhea
• stomach pain
• weight gain
• increased appetite
• increased salivation
• pain, especially in the arms, legs, or joints

• seizures
• slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat
• chest pain
• changes in vision
• unusual movements of your body or face that you cannot control
• high fever
• muscle stiffness
• confusion
• sweating
• rash
• hives
• itching
• swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• tightening of the neck muscles
• tightness in the throat

Aripiprazole may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

How to store the medication and dispose it of after its use later?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store the tablets, the solution, and the orally disintegrating tablets at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Always store the orally disintegrating tablets in their sealed package, and use them immediately after opening the package. Dispose of any unused aripiprazole solution 6 months after you open the bottle or when the expiration date marked on the bottle has passed, whichever is sooner.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program.

Drug Category/Class

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists
• Antiemetics Antagonists
• Psycholeptics
• CYP2D6 Inducers
• CYP2D6 Inducers (strong)
• Nervous System
• CYP3A4 Inhibitors
• Other antipsychotics

Prescribed	For the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
Weight :	448.385
Structure	Aripiprazole
Formula	C23H27Cl2N3O2

Aripiprazole has 106 Brands listed

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