Aripiprazole

Common Brand Names

Abilify, Apalife, Aripiz

Overview

Aripiprazole is a medicine that helps with mental health conditions such as:

• schizophrenia, where you may see, hear or feel things that are not there, believe things that are not true, feel unusually suspicious, or have muddled thoughts
• the mania symptoms of bipolar disorder, where your mood changes from feeling highly excited (mania) to feeling very low (depression)

It's an antipsychotic medicine that works by affecting chemicals in your brain such as dopamine and serotonin. It does not cure your condition, but it can help with the symptoms.

Aripiprazole is only available on prescription in some countries.

Important Facts

• Aripiprazole does not work straight away. It can take several days or even weeks for some of your symptoms to start to get better.
• You can take aripiprazole tablets or liquid with or without food. Try to take it around the same time each day.
• Common side effects include difficulty sleeping, feeling anxious and restless, headaches and constipation.
• Aripiprazole can affect your impulse control, so you may find you have urges to do things like gambling, spending too much or eating too much, or you may have an increased sex drive. Speak to your doctor if you notice these types of changes in your behaviour.
• Aripiprazole may make you lose weight or put on weight. If you find it makes you feel more hungry than usual, eating a healthy, balanced diet will help prevent problems with your weight.

• It's best not to drink alcohol while taking aripiprazole. Drinking alcohol with aripiprazole can make you feel sleepy or unsteady, and can make your symptoms worse.