#18: aripiprazole (Abilify) | Mood Disorders (Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Depression, Irritability)

Aripiprazole is an atypical second generation antipsychotic agent. It commonly goes by the brand name Abilify. It is a quinolinone derivative which looks similar to but different from quinolones (antibiotic class). There are many indications for Abilify such as in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but can also be used to treat the irritability often seen in autistic disorder. Dosing initiation is often titrated. For example, when initiating dosing for adults with bipolar disorder initiation begins with 10-15mg po qd with 5-10mg dose increases weekly with the max dose of 30mg/day. Common side effects are dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness and weight gain. There is a black box warning for increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia related psychosis and for suicidality and antidepressant drugs. Abilify should not be used to treat dementia related psychosis in elderly. Patients should be monitored for worsening or emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.  Go to DrugCardsDaily.com for episode show notes which consist of the drug summary, quiz, and link to the drug card for FREE! Please SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW, and RATE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever your favorite place to listen to podcasts are. The main goal is to go over the Top 200 Drugs with the occasional drug of interest. Also, if you’d like to say hello, suggest a drug, or leave some feedback I’d really appreciate hearing from you! Leave a voice message at anchor.fm/drugcardsdaily or find me on twitter @drugcardsdaily