Abilify

Indications Abilify

Abilify is intended for people suffering from schizophrenia. It is used both during periods of exacerbation and for maintenance treatment. Abilify is also prescribed for acute manic episodes of type 1 in manic-depressive psychosis, as well as for maintenance treatment in bipolar affective disorders. Abilify can be used as an adjunctive treatment for depressive disorders. According to some experts, the drug can be used to treat alcoholism.

[ 1 ]

Release form

The release form of the drug Abilify: tablets of round or rectangular shape of various dosages and colors:

• with the mark A - 007 and 5, color - blue (5 mg);
• with the mark A - 008 and 10, color - pink (10 mg);
• with the mark A - 009 and 15, color - yellow (15 mg);
• with the mark A - 010 and 20, color - white or pale yellow (20 mg);
• with the mark A - 011 and 30, color - pink (30 mg).

[ 2 ]

Pharmacodynamics

Abilify is an antagonist of dopamine receptors of the D2 subtype in the mesolimbic system, while being a partial agonist of the same receptors in the mesocortical system. The drug is a potent antagonist of serotonin receptors of the 5 - HT 2 A subtype and an agonist of 5 - HT1A receptors. Abilify has the lowest affinity of all atypical antipsychotic substances for adrenergic receptors (α 1), histamine receptors (H 1) and M-cholinergic receptors (m 1). Such pharmacodynamics of Abilify explains the high therapeutic effect of the drug in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, as well as the low frequency and severity of side effects. The drug is able to lower the level of prolactin, glucose and lipids in the blood. A significant positive property of the drug is its ability to reduce the Q T interval in ECG.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ]

Pharmacokinetics

The mean half-life of the active substance is approximately seventy-five hours. Isostatic concentration is observed after fourteen days. The pharmacokinetic data of Abilify in the isostatic state are proportional to the dose. No fluctuations in the distribution of the active substance and its metabolite per day are observed. The drug is rapidly absorbed. The maximum concentration is observed after three to five hours. The complete ability of the drug to be absorbed is eighty-seven percent, regardless of food intake. Less than one percent of unchanged aripiprazole is determined in the urine and about eighteen percent of the ingested substance is excreted unchanged in the feces. The overall clearance rate is 0.7 ml / min / kg.

[ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ]

Dosing and administration

The method of administration and dosage of the drug Abilify for schizophrenia initially amount to ten to fifteen milligrams once a day, regardless of food intake. The maintenance dosage is fifteen milligrams per day. According to clinical data, the effective daily dosage of the drug ranges from ten to thirty milligrams. In case of manic episodes, the recommended dose at the beginning of treatment is fifteen milligrams per day, regardless of food intake. If dosage adjustment is necessary, the interval should be at least twenty-four hours. During clinical trials, the drug was effective at a dosage of fifteen to thirty milligrams per day when taken for three to twelve weeks. There are no clinical data on the safety of taking the drug at a dosage of more than thirty milligrams per day. To determine the need for maintenance treatment, the patient should be periodically examined.

When using drugs containing lithium or valproic acid, the recommended dosage of Abilify at the beginning of treatment is fifteen milligrams once a day, regardless of food intake. The dosage can be changed to thirty milligrams per day in accordance with the disease picture.

For depressive disorders, when used together with antidepressant medications, the recommended dosage of Abilify is initially five milligrams per day. According to the indications, the daily dosage of Abilify can be increased by five milligrams per week, but not more than fifteen milligrams per day. Patients with renal or hepatic insufficiency, as well as patients over sixty-five years of age, do not require dosage changes.

[ 19 ], [ 20 ]

Use Abilify during pregnancy

Use of Abilify during pregnancy is permitted in situations where the expected effectiveness of treatment outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. Detailed studies on the safety of treatment with Abilify during pregnancy have not been conducted.

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of Abilify include hypersensitivity to aripiprazole or to any of the components of the drug, as well as age under eighteen years and breastfeeding.

[ 13 ], [ 14 ], [ 15 ], [ 16 ], [ 17 ]

Side effects Abilify

Side effects of Abilify may include adverse reactions of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, musculoskeletal system, nervous and respiratory systems, as well as skin, sensory organs, metabolism, genitourinary tract. Rarely, allergic reactions may occur - anaphylaxis, angioedema, itching, urticaria.

[ 18 ]

Overdose

An overdose of Abilify may cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, asthenic syndrome, diarrhea, drowsiness, increased heart rate, extrapyramidal disorders, and fainting. Symptomatic therapy is used to eliminate symptoms.

[ 21 ], [ 22 ], [ 23 ], [ 24 ], [ 25 ]

Interactions with other drugs

The H2-histamine receptor blocker famotidine, which inhibits the secretion of hydrochloric acid, has no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of Abilify. Quinidine and ketoconazole can reduce the rate of elimination of aripiprazole when taken orally by fifty-two and thirty-eight percent, respectively (a reduction in the dosage of Abilify is recommended). Carbamazepine reduces C _max and AUC of the active substance of the drug by sixty-eight and seventy-three percent, and C max and AUC of dehydroaripiprazole by sixty-nine and seventy-one percent.

[ 26 ], [ 27 ], [ 28 ], [ 29 ], [ 30 ], [ 31 ]

Storage conditions

Storage conditions for Abilify: the drug should be stored out of reach of children in a dry place at a temperature of fifteen to thirty degrees.

[ 32 ], [ 33 ], [ 34 ], [ 35 ]

Shelf life

The shelf life of the drug Abilify is three years.

[ 36 ], [ 37 ], [ 38 ]