Abilify (Aripiprazole) Drug Overview of Drug Interactions and Missed Dose for Patients and Caregivers at RxList

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May 21, 2012

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Prescription Anxiety Medications »

What are anxiety medications and how do they work?

Anxiety is both a normal and useful response to potentially stressful or dangerous situations. It helps by increasing our awareness of what's going on around us and in other ways. For most people, the anxiety is short lived and normally goes away once the situation has passed. But that is not the case for an estimated 40 million adults in the United States who have some type of anxiety disorder and experience ongoing and unwarranted psychological distress. That distress may also manifest itself in physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, or chest pain.

Anxiety medications include multiple types of drugs that are used to treat the symptoms of anxiety disorders. The three most commonly prescribed types of anxiety medication are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications -- also known as anxiolytics -- and beta-blockers. The first two types of anxiety medications work primarily by affecting the ba...

Read the Prescription Anxiety Medications article »

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DRUG INTERACTIONS: Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

This drug should not be used with the following medication because very serious interactions may occur: sibutramine.

If you are currently using the medication listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting aripiprazole.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: dopamine agonists (e.g., bromocriptine), drugs for treating high blood pressure (e.g., alpha blockers such as prazosin, calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem, "water pills"-diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide), levodopa, drugs affecting liver enzymes that may remove aripiprazole from your body (e.g., azole antifungals including ketoconazole and itraconazole, quinidine, certain anti-seizure drugs including carbamazepine, SSRI antidepressants including fluoxetine and paroxetine).

Also report the use of drugs which might increase seizure risk (decrease seizure threshold) when combined with aripiprazole such as bupropion, isoniazid (INH), phenothiazines (e.g., thioridazine), theophylline, tramadol, or tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline), among others. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., phenytoin), medicine for sleep or anxiety (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., chlorpromazine, risperidone, trazodone).

Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of these products.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include: very fast heartbeat, loss of consciousness.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., blood sugar, weight) may be performed from time to time to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store the tablets and the oral liquid at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage from 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Discard the oral solution 6 months after opening or after the expiration date, whichever comes first. Do not store any form of this medication in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

MEDICAL ALERT: Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA) or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).