Arip MT
Drug name: Arip MT
Other names used:
- Abilify®
Active Ingredients:
Aripiprazole
Therapeutic actions: Aripiprazole belongs to a group of medications called atypical (or second-generation) antipsychotic medications. It is not entirely clear how aripiprazole works for the treatment of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, it is known that the drug blocks or lessens the effects of several chemicals in the brain. These brain chemicals (such as dopamine and serotonin) may be elevated in people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression).
Indications:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder.
Contraindications and cautions:
You should not take aripiprazole if you are allergic to aripiprazole, Arip MT, or any inactive ingredients used in making the medication.
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking aripiprazole (Arip MT®) if you have:
- Diabetes
- Seizures
- Epilepsy
- Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
- Low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension)
- Heart disease, congestive heart failure (CHF), or other heart problems
- Phenylketonuria
- Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.
Also let your healthcare provider know if you:
- Are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Drink alcohol.
Warning!
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a special warning (a "black box warning") about the use of aripiprazole in elderly people with dementia (a condition involving confusion; disorientation; and a loss of memory, intellect, and judgment) or psychosis.
- Elderly people with dementia (Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia) who are treated with atypical antipsychotics -- including aripiprazole -- are more likely to die (of various causes) than those who are not treated with those medications. Aripiprazole is not approved to treat dementia in the elderly, and caution should be used before using aripiprazole in elderly people with dementia.
- This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
- If you feel sleepy or lightheaded while taking this medicine, these side effects are likely to be made worse by drinking alcohol.
- Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you should not suddenly stop taking this medicine, even if you feel better and think you don't need it any more. This is because the medicine controls the symptoms of the illness but doesn't actually cure it. This means that if you suddenly stop treatment your symptoms could come back.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal movements, particularly of the face, lips, jaw and tongue, while taking this medicine. These symptoms may be indicative of a rare side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, and your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine, or decrease your dose.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, faster breathing and drowsiness or sleepiness. These symptoms may be due to a rare side effect known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.
Adverse effects: Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- headache
- nervousness
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- drowsiness
- lightheadedness
- restlessness
- nausea
- heartburn
- constipation
- stomach pain
- weight gain
- dry mouth
- loss of appetite
- increased salivation
- joint pain
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms call your doctor immediately:
- seizures
- slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat
- chest pain
- swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- changes in vision
- unusual movements of your body or face that you cannot control
- high fever
- muscle stiffness
- confusion
- sweating
- rash
- hives
- itching
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Interactions: It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
Especially pay attention to the following drugs:
vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone); Antidepressants (mood elevators); antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); antihistamines; bupropion (Wellbutrin); carbamazepine (Tegretol); celecoxib (Celebrex); chlorpromazine (Thorazine); cimetidine (Tagamet); clarithromycin (Biaxin); clomipramine (Anafranil); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); danazol (Danocrine); delavirdine (Rescriptor); dexamethasone (Decadron); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac); doxorubicin (Adriamycin); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); ethosuximide (Zarontin); fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); fluvoxamine (Luvox); HIV protease inhibitors such as indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir); ipratropium (Atrovent); isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); lorazepam (Ativan); medications for anxiety, blood pressure, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; metoclopramide (Reglan); methadone (Dolophine); metronidazole (Flagyl); nefazodone; hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, implants, rings and injections); paroxetine (Paxil); phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); phenytoin (Dilantin); primidone (Mysoline); quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinaglute, Quinidex); ranitidine (Zantac); rifabutin (Mycobutin); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane); sedatives; sertraline (Zoloft); sleeping pills; terbinafine (Lamisil); tranquilizers; troglitazone (Rezulin) (not available in the United States); troleandomycin (TAO) (not available in the United States); verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); and zafirlukast (Accolate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
Additional Information: DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS PRODUCT, as well as syringes and needles, if needed during treatment, out of the reach of children. Do not reuse needles, syringes, or other materials.
