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Abilify is an antipsychotic medication and it generic name is aripiprazole. It is is a psychotropic drug. Aripiprazole is an “atypical” antipsychotic medication. Abilify may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Aripiprazole can treat severe mood swings and prevent or decrease how often mood swings occur. Aripiprazole helps manage positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, delusions, and thought disturbances) as well as negative symptoms (e.g., social withdrawal, inability to experience pleasure, and blunted affect) of schizophrenia. Aripiprazole is also being studied for the treatment of acute mania in bipolar disorder. This medication can decrease hallucinations and improve your concentration. It helps you to think more clearly and positively about yourself, feel less nervous, and take a more active part in everyday life. It works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain.

Abilify more side effects is anxiety, blurred vision, constipation , cough, headache , insomnia, light-headedness, nausea, rash , restlessness, runny nose, sleepiness, tremors, vomiting, weakness, and weight gain. Abilify has caused fatal heart attack and stroke in older adults with dementia-related conditions. This medicine may also be prescribed to treat severe behavioral problems in children. This drug has also been used to treat dementia-related behavior problems (e.g., agitation, aggression) when standard treatments (e.g., behavioral therapy, cholinesterase inhibitors) have not been successful. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Aripiprazole can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.

How to use

• Take this medication by mouth, usually once daily, with or without food.
• Do not stop taking this drug without your doctor’s approval.
• Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it.
• Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer.

Side Effects

• Anxiety.
• Blurred vision.
• Constipation.
• Cough.
• Headache.
• Insomnia.
• Light-headedness.
• Nausea.
• Rash.
• Restlessness.
• Sleepiness.
• Tremors.
• Vomiting.
• Weakness anbWeight gain.

Precautions

• Before taking aripiprazole, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Abilify. 
• Abilify may cause trouble swallowing (esophageal dysmotility). This can cause choking and lead to a type of pneumonia called aspiration pneumonia in some patients. 
• Avoid overheating and dehydration while taking Abilify.
• Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: heart disease (e.g. heart attacks or chest pain, heart failure , irregular heart rhythm), history of stroke , dehydration , seizures, Alzheimer’s disease , swallowing problems.

Interactions

• Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness.
• Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use
• Maintaining efficacy in patients with Bipolar I Disorder with a recent manic or mixed episode who had been stabilized and then maintained for at least 6 weeks

Overdose

• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
• If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.

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