The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recent updated warning that the anti-psychotic drug aripiprazole – which is used in the medication Abilify – has been linked to cases of people having uncontrollable urges to eat, gamble, shop, and even have sex.

The move to add the updated warning label and medication guide about “uncontrollable urges” comes on the heels of over two dozen lawsuits that were filed over Abilify compulsive behavior side effects in federal and state court.

What is Abilify?

Abilify was introduced to the market 13 years ago and has since been prescribed to 1.6 million patients. Abilify is mainly used as a mood stabilizer to treat psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It has also been used to treat Tourette’s Syndrome and even some symptoms of autism.

Abilify acts on the same brain nerves that are activated by dopamine, which stimulates certain areas of the brain’s pleasure center. As a result, compulsive behaviors have been reported by patients taking Abilify and similar medications.

In addition to compulsive gambling, other Abilify side effects may include excessive eating, shopping, and/or hypersexual behavior.

FDA Warning on Abilify Addiction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an updated warning on May 3, 2016, that Abilify side effects may lead to “compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop, and have sex.”

The agency reported that all of these potentially harmful activities have been reported with the use of the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole, a main ingredient of Abilify. The FDA said these uncontrollable urges were reported to have ceased when Abilify or similar medications were discontinued or the dose was reduced.

The agency reported that these instances are extremely rare, with only 184 users in total reporting issues with impulse control, but suggested that more of these cases may have gone unreported. Gambling addiction was the most common issue, with 164 cases in total.

In most of the cases where users did not previously exhibit these compulsive behaviors, they began experiencing them only after they went on the medication.

While, this is the first time the agency has taken action regarding Abilify side effects, the FDA has purportedly been aware of the link between compulsive behaviors like gambling addiction and Abilify for some time.

The drugs do have a warning that gambling might be a side effect, but the FDA said it only recently became aware of the other compulsive behaviors like food or sex addictions.

Abilify Lawsuit Information

Approximately 20 Abilify lawsuits have been filed in federal court and 12 lawsuits have been filed in New Jersey state court.  These lawsuits similarly claim that Abilify users suffered from uncontrollable urges and addictions as a result of taking the drug.

If you or someone who love took Abilify and developed a damaging food, sexual, or gambling addiction, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Contact an Abilify attorney for a free legal consultation regarding a potential Abilify addiction lawsuit.