Clozaril vs. Abilify

Clozaril (clozapine) and Abilify (aripiprazole) are antipsychotic medications used to treat severe schizophrenia.

Clozaril is also used to help reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or similar disorders.

Abilify is also used to treat mania, depression, bipolar disorders, autistic disorder, and some irritable behavior disorders.

Generic Abilify is not available in the U.S., but is available in other countries under the name aripiprazole.

Side effects of Clozaril and Abilify that are similar include constipation, drooling, sleep problems (insomnia), weight gain, blurred vision, drowsiness, dizziness, or headache.

Side effects of Clozaril that are different from Abilify include increased sweating, dry mouth, spinning sensation, or shaking (tremor).

Side effects of Abilify that are different from Clozaril include lightheadedness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, tiredness, choking or trouble swallowing, or anxiety.

Both Clozaril and Abilify may interact with alcohol, antidepressants, narcotics, heart or blood pressure medications, barbiturates, antifungals, or seizure medications.

Clozaril may also interact with other antipsychotic medications, armodafinil, modafinil, arsenic trioxide, bosentan, cimetidine, conivaptan, dexamethasone, nefazodone, imatinib, isoniazid, St. John's wort, tacrolimus, antibiotics, anti-malaria medications, atropine, belladonna, clidinium, dicyclomine, scopolamine, HIV/AIDS medications, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, or migraine headache medicines.

Abilify may also interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicines, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and anxiety medications), rifabutin, rifampin, or quinidine.

Do not stop using Clozaril suddenly or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Side effects of Clozaril include:

• dry mouth or throat
• headache
• blurred vision
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• stomach pain
• nausea
• diarrhea
• constipation
• gas, or
• muscle weakness.

• dizziness
• lightheadedness
• drowsiness
• weakness
• lightheadedness
• nausea
• vomiting
• stomach upset
• tiredness
• excess saliva or drooling
• choking or trouble swallowing
• blurred vision
• headache
• anxiety
• weight gain
• drowsiness
• sleep problems (insomnia)
• constipation

Clozaril (clozapine) is an antipsychotic medication that is used to treat severe schizophrenia symptoms in people who have not responded to other medications. Clozaril is also used to help reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or similar disorders.

Abilify is a prescription medicine used to treat a certain type of depression called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Abilify belongs to a class of medicines known as SNRIs (or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors).

Abilify is also used to treat or manage:

• Schizophrenia
• manic or mixed episodes that happen with bipolar I disorder
• major depressive disorder (MDD) when ABILIFY is used with antidepressant medicines
• irritability associated with autistic disorder
• Tourette's disorder

Abilify Injection is a prescription medicine used to treat:

• agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania

It is not known if Abilify is safe or effective in children:

• under 13 years of age with schizophrenia
• under 10 years of age with bipolar I disorder
• under 6 years of age with irritability associated with autistic disorder
• under 6 years of age with Tourette's disorder

Clozaril may interact with other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing (such as cold or allergy medicines, narcotic pain medicines, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicines for depression, seizure, anxiety), and heart or blood pressure medications. Clozaril may also interact with alcohol, other antipsychotic medications, armodafinil, modafinil, arsenic trioxide, bosentan, cimetidine, conivaptan, dexamethasone, nefazodone, imatinib, isoniazid, phenobarbital and other barbiturates, St. John's wort, tacrolimus, antibiotics, antifungals, anti-malaria medications, atropine, belladonna, clidinium, dicyclomine, scopolamine, heart or blood pressure medications, HIV/AIDS medications, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, and migraine headache medicines.

Do not take Abilify if you are allergic to aripiprazole or any of the ingredients in Abilify. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Abilify.

For most patients, the recommended dose of Clozaril is 5 mg three times a day. Based on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg three times a day. Use of Clozaril for periods longer than two or three weeks is not recommended.

Take Abilify exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Do not change the dose or stop taking Abilify yourself.

• Abilify can be taken with or without food.
• Abilify tablets should be swallowed whole.
• If you miss a dose of Abilify, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, just skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Abilify at the same time.
• If you have been prescribed Abilify Discmelt, take it as follows:
• Do not open the blister until ready to take the Discmelt tablet.
• To remove one Discmelt tablet, open the package and peel back the foil on the blister to expose the tablet.
• Do not push the tablet through the foil because this could damage the tablet.
• Immediately upon opening the blister, using dry hands, remove the tablet and place the entire bilify Discmelt Orally Disintegrating Tablet on the tongue.
• Tablet disintegration occurs rapidly in saliva. It is recommended that bilify Discmelt be taken without liquid. However, if needed, it can be taken with liquid.
• Do not attempt to split the Discmelt tablet.