Abilify, also known as aripiprazole, is usually prescribed to treat a variety of disorders including schizophrenia, irritability, agitation, depression and mania.

Sometimes Abilify is also prescribed for patients along with an antidepressant (called a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SRI) for more severe depressive disorders.

However, Abilify has been connected with an increase in compulsive behavior, particularly compulsive gambling.

What is Abilify?

Abilify has been used in the U.S. for more than a decade to treat various mental disorders. The drug gained FDA approval in 2002 to treat schizophrenia; in 2004 for patients with bipolar disorder; and in 2007 as an adjunct drug used in combination with other drugs to treat depression.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the drug is in a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. It works by changing the activity of certain natural substances in the brain.

Abilify was developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Tokyo, and is manufactured in the U.S. by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Like many pharmaceuticals, Abilify has a long list of known side effects. The drug’s official website has safety warnings about suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and it cautions that senior adults with psychosis related to dementia who take the medication are at an increased risk of death.

Other side effects include an increased risk of stroke, seizures, a rare condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and tardive dyskinesia, which causes uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue or body.

One thing the Abilify website does not mention is an increase in compulsive behaviors, including compulsive gambling.

Abilify and Gambling Problems

Abilify works differently than other antidepressants, and doctors believe it acts on receptors in the brain that regulate mood and behavior.  When dopamine is stimulated in response to a particular activity, people will feel a high from it.  Research has indicated that Abilify may over-stimulate dopamine reward receptors and trigger compulsive behavior, which over time can develop into an addiction.

Several scientific studies have observed a connection between the use of Abilify and an increase in compulsive behaviors, including eating disorders, hypersexuality, shopping addiction and gambling.

Pathological or compulsive gambling has been noted even in patients who take the drug and who had no previous history of gambling problems. Some patients have said the addiction is so strong that it is impossible to resist; the studies also show that when Abilify patients get off the drug, their gambling problem subsides.

From 2005 to 2013 at least 54 cases of compulsive or impulsive behavior problems associated with Abilify, including 32 reports of compulsive gambling, were reported to FDA. In 2014, 29 Abilify gambling behavior reports were submitted to FDA. In the first half of 2015 alone, 153 such FDA reports were received. Due to severe reporting of adverse events, the actual number of Abilify compulsive or impulsive behavior problems are likely much higher.

Abilify Lawsuits

Many Abilify lawsuits allege patients suffered substantial financial, mental, and physical damages as a result of an Abilify-related gambling problem. If you or a loved one has been impacted from impulsive behaviors, including compulsive while taking the drug Abilify, you may be entitled to compensation.