Aripiprazole

Aripiprazole, which goes by the trade name Abilify, is a medication used in the maintenance of symptoms for bipolar and schizophrenia. It was first introduced to the market for schizophrenia in 2002 and then in 2013, it was approved for the treatment of bipolar. My bipolar was first diagnosed in 2013 and, after initially managing it with olanzapine, I was switched to aripiprazole paired with an adjuvant mood stabilizer. I’ve been on this combo for almost 13 years now.

Since having been started on aripiprazole, there’s been a lot of controversy associated with this medication. For instance, numerous case reports began surfacing since its adoption where this drug has been reported to cause impulse control disorders in those individuals who take it: problems gambling, uncontrollable sexual urges, problems shopping, etc., etc. I dare say that I have not been immune to some of these side effects. It’s funny because these side effects are basically the same as the symptoms this drug is supposed to treat.

It’s incredible to think about how severely my life has been impacted by a medication. I recall reading an article in a medical journal of a case where a man’s sexual orientation was changed with the initiation of this drug. I think about my own experience of coming out publicly after the initiation of aripiprazole and I can’t help but think: am I gay because of this drug?

The mechanism by which this medication causes impulse control disorder is its partial agonist effect on the dopamine receptors of brain neurons. It has been shown that agonist activity on dopaminergic neurons, such as in Parkinsonian drugs, causes impulsive behavior in Parkinson patients. Thus, partial agonist activity may be enough for some people as well.

In the news, I’ve been following lawsuits associated with this relatively new medication, of which there are many. People who have gambled away their life savings, for instance, because of or partly because of this drug are seeking legal ramifications against the pharmaceutical industry for damages. I’m obviously not in that camp, but having been on this medication for little over a dozen years, my life has definitely been permanently altered by its side effects, for better or for worse (I guess I’ll never know). It’s funny how life works sometimes.