The antipsychotic Abilify has been linked with significant impulse control side effects, including compulsive gambling addiction. A growing number of Abilify users are filing litigation against the drug’s manufacturer, alleging that they were not given adequate warning about the risks of compulsive behaviors. The antipsychotic Rexulti is similar to Abilify and may involve similar risks.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a compulsive gambling addiction or other impulse control problems, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

Two new Abilify lawsuits were recently filed by Canadian plaintiffs, alleging that the use of the popular antipsychotic caused severe compulsive gambling addiction and led to a significant monetary loss. One of the plaintiffs alleges that he incurred CA$600,000 in gambling losses. The other plaintiff cites $140,000 in gambling losses. According to the plaintiffs, they were not adequately warned about the risk of compulsive gambling addiction associated with the use of Abilify.

Basics of Abilify

Abilify is a relatively new antipsychotic, manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Abilify (generic name aripiprazole) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 to treat disorders including schizophrenia and depression and has become increasingly popular since. Now, Abilify brings in billions of dollars each year.

Unfortunately, Abilify has been linked with significant side effects like compulsive gambling addiction, as well as addiction to shopping and sex.

An even newer drug called Rexulti was introduced to the market just three years ago and is part of the same class of drugs as Abilify known as dopamine D2 receptor partial agonists. Both antipsychotics are part of a class of drugs known as dopamine D2 receptor partial agonists. One key difference is that Rexulti is an even more potent medication than Abilify.

Abilify Compulsive Gambling Addiction

Because of its similar profile to Abilify, the use of Rexulti may result in similar side effects as well—most notably, compulsive gambling addiction.

Compulsive gambling addiction may not physically harm a patient, but it can cost a great deal of money through gambling debt or addiction treatment and can be so severe that people who suffer from it are driven to gamble even when they do not have the financial capacity to do so. Because of this, some gamble with credit cards or borrow money, which can land patients in extremely steep debt. This may not cause physical harm but can ruin the user’s life as well as the lives of their family members.

Abilify compulsive gambling addiction can directly cost a patient thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost money, but there is also the additional issue of the money it costs to undergo gambling addiction treatment. For those suffering from behavior problems like compulsive gambling addiction, it can be extremely difficult to recover. Even when patients do manage to recover from the mental effects of Abilify compulsive gambling addiction, they may still be left with severe financial consequences.

Filing an Abilify Compulsive Gambling Addiction Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects like compulsive gambling addiction while taking Abilify or Rexulti, you may able to join an Abilify lawsuit investigation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away problems caused by these compulsive behaviors, it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by some of these problems, as well as compensate for the necessary treatment.