A Colorado woman recently came forward with a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb over side effects from Abilify that she claims she was not adequately warned about.

The plaintiff, Katie K., alleges she began taking the antipsychotic Abilify in February 2011, and continued through March 2015. Unfortunately, after Katie began taking the antipsychotic, she claims she started to experience serious compulsive behavior side effects of Abilify, most notably problems with pathological gambling.

According to the lawsuit, her pathological gambling problem led to mental anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, as well as monetary damage including medical expenses and economic loss.

Katie turned to litigation to confront Bristol-Myers Squibb for her alleged side effects of Abilify. She filed her Abilify lawsuit on April 23, 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, fraudulent concealment, strict liability, and breach of express and implied warranties, among others.

This Abilify lawsuit and others like it allege that the pharmaceutical company failed to adequately warn consumers and the medical community about the risk of side effects of Abilify like pathological gambling and other compulsive behavior problems.

Basics of Abilify

Abilify is a popular antipsychotic medication manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Abilify is used to treat a number of mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. As a more widely used antipsychotic, Abilify brings in nearly $8 billion annually in sales. Abilify is also sold under the generic name aripiprazole.

Abilify Gambling Problem Side Effects

Despite the undeniable popularity of the drug, more patients like Katie are coming forward, alleging they suffered from side effects of Abilify. Patients claim that Abilify can cause severe impulse control problems, including pathological gambling, sex addiction, and compulsive shopping. Those who have suffered from pathological gambling after using Abilify may have been forced into serious debt because of it.

While these compulsive behavior side effects of Abilify may not cause physical harm, they can reportedly ruin lives—that of the user as well as the lives of their family members.

Of course, compulsive side effects of Abilify can create a problem too large to easily climb back out of. Patients can of course incur substantial monetary losses from gambling addiction, but their problems may be greater still. Indeed, seeking treatment for gambling addiction and other compulsive behaviors is also a significant expense, and it can be difficult or impossible to combat these issues without such treatment.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Side Effects of Abilify

Some patients, like Katie, are choosing to file lawsuits against Bristol-Myers Squibb. Lawsuits claim that patients were not given adequate warning about the risk of suffering from compulsive side effects of Abilify, and that had they known of this risk, they would have chosen a safer alternative.

If you or someone you love has suffered or is suffering from side effects of Abilify like pathological gambling or other compulsive behaviors, you may able to join an Abilify lawsuit investigation.

The Side Effects of Abilify Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-00886-MCR-GRJ, in the U.S. District Court for the Pensacola Division of the Northern District of Florida.