Aripiprazole

I think there is a big difference between being given information and someone making sure you understand

If you drink alcohol, you can continue to drink alcohol while taking aripiprazole but having the two together might make you very sleepy.
So, during the first few days, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.
If you want to drink alcohol, remember that you might be sleepy and make sure you can get home safely.

Taking aripiprazole may make you feel very tired or dizzy, and may affect your eyesight, when you start taking it.
This could affect you if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything else that needs a lot of focus. It might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.
Do not worry - most people drive as normal while taking aripiprazole.

Aripiprazole could make you feel very tired and dizzy, make you feel restless, and affect your eyesight.
You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting aripiprazole.
You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them.
If they are more than a week away, however, you might find that it is better to start aripiprazole to improve your motivation to study.
Do not worry - most people do exams as normal while taking aripiprazole.

Aripiprazole is not a banned substance in sport.
Taking aripiprazole may make you feel tired and dizzy, and affect your eyesight
This could be dangerous in some sports like riding a bike or driving.
It might be best to stop such sports for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.
Do not worry - most people do sports as normal while taking aripiprazole.

A side-effect of aripiprazole can be both weight loss and weight gain, although it is less likely to do this than other antipsychotic medicines.
Weight gain is more common than weight loss.
It is very difficult to know how it will affect each person who takes it.
Sometimes aripiprazole is given to people taking other antipsychotics to help to lose the weight gained – to get a better balance.
Your doctor should measure your weight regularly when you are taking aripiprazole.
Young people will be gaining some weight each year as they grow, but anything more than that should be watched.
Good practice for doctors suggests this routine for checking the weight of people who start taking antipsychotic medicines like aripiprazole:
You could do these measurements yourself, and keep a chart to show your doctor.
If you put on weight, there are other antipsychotic medicines you can try, and ways to try and lose it again.
Talk to your doctor about this if it worries you.
Get your weight noted when you start
Get your weight checked every week for the first 3 months
Get your weight and waist measurement checked at least every 6 months

Aripiprazole can make you feel very sleepy, but it can also make it more difficult to get to sleep
Sleepiness has been shown to affect young people more than adults
See how it affects you for the first few days of taking it
Go back to your doctor if this causes a big problem for you.

The side-effects of aripiprazole might put a strain on your friendships and relationships, especially in the first few days of taking it.
You might feel nervous, anxious, agitated and restless.

These side-effects should get better after a few days.
You should then be getting the good effects of aripiprazole, and that should improve your relationships in itself.

It might actually be a great idea to choose a good friend to tell about your medicine when you start taking it. (Or - even better - to take one with you to the doctor before you start taking it!)
They could look at the medicine leaflet, or at this website.
They could help you to understand whether the medicine changes your behaviour, or gives you side-effects (sometimes it’s hard for us to see it ourselves).

The good effects of aripiprazole may have a good effect on your sex life as your symptoms settle and you can concentrate on your relationships.

Antipsychotics can cause sexual side-effects, but aripiprazole is one of the ones that is least likely to.
Aripiprazole is the antipsychotic that is chosen when people have had problems of sexual side-effects with other antipsychotics.

In men, an erection that is painful and lasts for a long time (priapism) can happen when taking aripiprazole. This side effect has been reported by people, but we do not have information about how common it is.
If it happens, you must go to a doctor straight away.

There is no information about any effect of aripiprazole on fertility

Aripiprazole is passed to babies in breast milk, and bottle feeding may be better

We do not yet know what effects aripiprazole has on a developing baby
If you decide to carry on taking aripiprazole through your pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor and midwife about it before the birth
Symptoms in the newborn can include agitation, muscle spasm or weakness, shaking, drowsiness, feeding problems or breathing problems.
You will need help from the midwife and doctors, so it is better if they are looking out for these side-effects.