Since 2002, doctors have prescribed Abilify, also known as aripiprazole, to treat mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Sometimes, doctors prescribe Abilify for patients along with an antidepressant for more severe depressive disorders.

However, Abilify reviews indicate that the drug can have dangerous and harmful side effects.

What is Abilify?

Abilify was developed and manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb and was first introduced in the U.S. in 2002.

The drug is primarily prescribed to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia, a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions, in adults and teenagers 13 years of age and older.

It is also used alone or with other medications to treat episodes of mania or mixed episodes (symptoms of mania and depression that happen together) in adults, teenagers, and children 10 years of age and older with bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive disorder), a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods.

Abilify is in a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. It works by changing the activity of certain natural substances in the brain.

Currently, Abilify reviews indicate the drug may be linked to compulsive gambling and other pathological behaviors including excessive shopping, overeating, and hyper sexuality.

These side effects of the drug are thought to be caused by Abilify’s influence of dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain.

Abilify Reviews

Some patients who take Abilify have reported irresistible urges to gamble, have sex, shop, or overeat—all related to decreased impulse control. Their out-of-control, obsessive behavior can have devastating consequences, including:

• Depleted savings
• Debt
• Family problems, such as divorce
• Legal consequences, such as home foreclosure or bankruptcy
• Lost jobs, wages, and benefits
• Pain and suffering
• Damaged reputation
• Past and future medical treatment expenses for compulsive behaviors

FDA Warns About Abilify Compulsive Behaviors

On May 3, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration warned that some Abilify reviews by patients using the antipsychotic drug included compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, eat, shop, or have sex.

As a result, the FDA is requiring manufacturers to add new warnings about these compulsive behaviors to Abilify drug labels and patient Medication Guides.

In 2012, European regulators required the makers of Abilify to warn consumers about the risk of uncontrollable impulses to gamble while taking the drug. Canadian regulators required a similar warning last year.

For some patients, the serious, harmful side effects of Abilify have led to large debt, family problems, job loss, and legal problems. Despite government warnings, cases, studies and Abilify reviews confirming these side effects continue to date.

Were You Harmed by Abilify?

An Abilify lawsuit may be an option for patients who took the medication and suffered from compulsive disorders. Lawsuits claim that drug makers failed to adequately warn patients in the U.S. of risks of compulsive behaviors, including compulsive gambling, associated with the widely prescribed antipsychotic medication.

Abilify reviews from affected patients claim they suffered from substantial financial, mental and physical damages as a result of these side effects.

If you suffered from compulsive gambling or similar compulsive behaviors that resulted in financial loss while taking Abilify, an experienced dangerous drug attorney can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim, can assist you throughout the legal process.