1. Can you drink alcohol with aripiprazole?
Alcohol consumption is to be avoided or limited during treatment with aripiprazole. One of the side effects of aripiprazole is dizziness. When taken with alcohol, the side effects are increased. It also alters judgement and thinking. Research says that sedative effects associated with alcohol are increased, and euphoric effects decrease when the drug and alcohol are taken together.
2. How to stop aripiprazole?
Abrupt stoppage of this medicine causes imbalances in chemicals in the brain and causes withdrawal symptoms. Once on this medication, the brain gets accustomed to different levels of dopamine. To stop it, take the help of a doctor. Gradual reduction of dosage is usually administered. The rate of stoppage is decided based on the severity of the condition and the patient’s health.
3. Does aripiprazole cause hair loss?
Aripiprazole, in some cases, is known to cause hair loss. Antidepressants generally cause hair loss. However, this is temporary and is reversible. Once the medication stops, hair fall also gradually reduces.
4. Can aripiprazole get you high?
Aripiprazole does make one high. This drug activates dopamine receptors in the brain, and all pathways are activated that make one high. This activation leads to heightened euphoria. Pathological obsessive-compulsive disorders such as shopping, binge eating, increased sexual behaviour, gambling, and other orgasmic activity get heightened.
5. Does aripiprazole cause weight gain?
Aripiprazole usually does not cause weight gain in adults, but children and adolescents may gain weight when in their course of treatment. It increases appetite and hence results in weight gain. A well-known case is of a 30-year-old lady who developed hair loss while on medication for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
6. Does aripiprazole help you sleep?
Aripiprazole alters hormone levels in the brain. During medication, this drug makes you drowsy, as in the case of any psychotic drug. But the FDA approves of this drug being used to treat insomnia and is not the first line of treatment for it. However, it is possible to advance sleep rhythm and help treat people with delayed sleep phase syndrome.
7. Who should not use aripiprazole?
Older patients suffering from dementia are not recommended to take Aripiprazole. Studies have that they have a greater risk of developing stroke or ministroke during medication. Increased chances of death have also been observed. The FDA disapproves of treating behavioural problems with this drug. Children below 18 are also not recommended to be on this drug as there are more side effects than benefits. It is not advisable as medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers.
8. Is aripiprazole similar to Xanax?
Yes, Aripiprazole is similar to Xanax. Aripiprazole is a second-generation antipsychotic drug and used in the treatment of severe mental conditions. It is administered in many forms like tablets, as a liquid, dissolved in the mouth, or taken intramuscularly as injections. The drug is available under a brand name such as Xanax, Xanax XR, Alprazolam, Intensol.
9. Is aripiprazole a controlled substance?
Aripiprazole, under the Controlled Substance Act(CSA), is not a controlled substance. It is an antipsychotic drug with lesser side effects than many of the other known psychotics. However, teenagers on this medication are known to display suicidal ideation. It is used along with other medications to treat severe depression.
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