Bipolar Disorder and ABILIFY

Bipolar Disorder and ABILIFY May Cause Further Disturbances in the Body and Brain

Bipolar Disorder and ABILIFY may cause further disturbances in the body and brain that may lead to suicidal ideation or other devastating adverse side effects. Get the facts before deciding your treatment of choice.

ABILIFY is a prescription drug used for treatment of adults with schizophrenia or manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Since this is a website focusing on bipolar disorder, we will concentrate on bipolar disorder and Abilify at this time.

Bipolar disorder and ABILIFY
Bipolar disorder is an illness thought to be caused by several factors including an imbalance of brain chemicals.

People with Bipolar 1 Disorder tend to experience extreme mood swings, along with other specific symptoms and behaviors.

These mood swings, or "episodes", can take three forms: manic, depressive, or mixed episodes. Common symptoms of manic episode are: feeling ecstatic, being very irritable and anxious, talking too fast and too much, having excessive energy, and needing only a few hours of sleep a night.

Common symptoms of depression include: feelings of overwhelming despair or emptiness, little energy, loss of interest in life's activities and others, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep patterns, and loss or gain of appetite, and unrelenting thoughts of dying or suicide. A mixed episode is a display of both manic and depressive symptoms.

The question is: Bipolar Disorder and ABILIFY - how safe is it?
Is it safe for bipolar disorder patients? And who can we trust to give us honest answers? Personally, I don't put much trust in the ABILIFY advertisements or the FDA.

Bipolar and ABILIFY
Are you sure this is your choice? The following are direct quotes from the advertisement of ABILIFY fact sheet, we read about(in very small print I might add) possible maladies when using ABILIFY with bipolar disorder:

• Tardive dyskinesia (TD)
  "Abnormal or uncontrollable facial movements may be signs of a serious condition called tardive dyskinesia, which may be permanent.
• High blood sugar and diabetes:
  "Patients with diabetes and those having risk factors for diabetes (for example, obesity, family history of diabetes), as well as those with symptoms such as unexpected increases in thirst, urination, or hunger should have their blood sugar levels checked before and during treatment. Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), in some cases serious and associated with coma or death, have been reported in patients taking Abilify and medicines like it."
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Did you catch that word, death? ____________________________________________




• Orthostatic hypotension:
  "Light headedness or faintness caused by a sudden change in heart rate and blood pressure when rising too quickly from a sitting or lying positions (orthostatic hypotension), has been reported with the use of ABILIFY.
• Dysphagia:
  "Medicines like ABILIFY have been associated with swallowing problems (dysphagia)." And guess what? You should tell your doctor you can't swallow any more food. If ABILIFY was the cause of me not being able to swallow my food, I think I would just stop Abilify and begin enjoying foods that get to the source of bipolar-disorder symptoms and bring peace of mind to body and soul.

• Suicidal thoughts
  If you have suicidal thoughts, you should tell your doctor. Where did they come from in the first place? That's where they need to be addressed. Often times this can be addressed with a psychotherapist whose skilled in cognitive behavioral therapy.

You can't expect a quick fix. Quick fixes just doesn't work, any more than when your car overheats because it is low on oil. If you choose to pour cold water over the hot engine you have more troubles than being low in oil. This is the same principle with quick fix drugs. They may cool your "engine" but it will crack the engine block.

For me, I believe it's far more advisable to seek natural treatments that have no side effects and to keep a cool running engine than to crack my engine block.

Even if you do not suffer any of the above severe side effects do you want to live with even the most common of the side effects as reported by others?

Bipolar disorder and ABILIFY and Nasty Side Effects

• Nausea
• vomiting
• constipation
• headache
• dizziness
• an inner sense of restlessness (akathisia)
• anxiety
• insomnia

If you should choose to use and want to purchase Abilify you can order here rather inexpensively. but be mindful of the following quoted from ABILIFY:

"Like most medicines, ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) may cause side effects. Please read additional IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ABILIFY, including the Boxed Warning upon purchase. If you should have any problems with ABILIFY you can contact Government Medical Watch

FDA
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aripiprazole (AMBLIFY) in December 2002 for the short-term treatment of schizophrenia but it is also prescribed for bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole is marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., and brings to six the number of "atypical" antipsychotics now on the market.

"Atypical" antipsychotics are intended to improve symptoms such as hallucinations, agitation, delusions, suspiciousness and disorganized thinking. ABILIFY, according to their reports, is a newer atypical antipsychotic, and better improves the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as apathy, emotional withdrawal, lack of pleasure and disorientation, than older antipsychotics.

"The newer atypical antipsychotics may be less likely to cause adverse effects on equilibrium and muscle tone, often called movement disorders, at moderate doses. However, in higher doses, these medications can cause serious adverse effects, including elevations in blood sugar(hyperglycemia). With the use of ABILIFY there is the added concern of eye toxicity.

Eye toxicity
"Studies done in rats clearly showed degeneration of the retina in animals receiving aripiprazole. Unfortunately, the drug industry's performance in meeting their post-marketing study commitments is not good. The only advice given in the professional product labeling, or package insert, about the retinal degeneration seen in rats is not very comforting: "The relevance of this finding to human risk is unknown." So much for trusting the FDA.

"Five short-term clinical trials were submitted by Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka to the FDA to support the approval of aripiprazole. We'll just discuss the fifth trial here.

Neither aripiprazole nor haloperidol demonstrated superiority over placebo. "The last trial studied 307 patients who were given aripiprazole, haloperidol or placebo and patients who took the placebo rated the same as those given the other drugs. This is known as a failed trial," (failed to satisfy their hypothesis I might add).or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

"In summary, three of the five short-term trials lasting four or six weeks showed the efficacy of aripiprazole in doses ranging from 10 milligrams to 30 milligrams per day. They appeared to be NO therapeutic advantage of the 30 milligrams dose over the lower doses. The FDA-approved dose for the drug ranges from 10 milligrams to 15 milligrams per day. Of the two remaining studies, aripiprazole could not be differentiated from placebo in one, and the other trial failed.

"Nothing in these five trials can lead one to believe that aripiprazole (Abilify) is a meaningful advancement in the treatment of schizophrenia," as stated by News reports.
Serious side effects can occur with any antipsychotic medicine, including ABILIFY. The package advises, "Tell your health care professional right away if you have any conditions or side effects, including the following:

• very high fever
• rigid muscles
• shaking
• confusion
• sweating
• increased heart rate and blood pressure.

These may be signs of a condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare but serious side effect which could be fatal."

According to Webster's New World Dictionary fatal means, "resulting in death." DEAD.

"Again, the FDA-approved dose of this drug ranges from 10 milligrams to 15 milligrams per day, but there is nothing to prevent a physician from prescribing the drug in a much higher dose except the knowledge of the patient.

"Undoubtedly, many physicians will. The FDA is allowing Bristol-Myers Squibb Otsuka to sell aripiprazole in 10 milligram, 15 milligram, 20 milligram and 30 milligram tablets, Generally, as a drug's dose increases, so does the risk of adverse drug reactions. Note, there was no significant increase in treatment when dosage was increased from 10 milligrams to 30 milligrams, as stated above."

The above info has been reported recently in the News.

If you should choose to go the natural route please check out our New Start program and begin your journey toward wellness today. Just like I did. Read more here.

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Bon Voyage,


Dr. Cares™

Catherine Sinclair, PhD., uses the trade name Dr. Cares™. She is a licensed pastoral counselor. The information contained in this website is not to be taken as a substitute for professional advice from your qualified medical "practitioner."

The author of this website is not an M.D. and therefore must post this required FDA disclaimer. None of the statements, self testing, nor recommended alternatives to overcoming bipolar symptoms have been evaluated by the FDA. Therefore, the tested and proven experiences, testimonies, supplements and alternative and natural therapies are for informational purposes only and does not purport to prescribe, diagnose or cure any mental or physical condition.

Though as a licensed counselor she does advise her clients to be informed and involved in the recovery of their physical, spiritual and mental health. The above information has transformed many lives and the same can happen for you, but you alone are responsible for the decisions you make concerning all aspects of your health.

Bipolar Disorder and ABILIFY to No More Bipolar Disorder