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Aripiprazole is an FDA approved drug used to treat schizophrenic patients. People with bipolar disorders or manic disorders are given Aripiprazole as a suitable treatment. Severe cases of depression are also treated with the active pharmaceutical ingredients in this drug.
Compared to several other FDA approved antipsychotic drugs, Aripiprazole works differently. Instead of antagonizing receptor of the D2 kind completely, it only agonizes it partially. It selectively agonizes substances. Even the 5-HT1A receptor is only partially agonized by Aripiprazole. With the 5-HT2A receptor, Aripiprazole completely agonizes it. Its affinity towards alpha adrenaline and histamine based receptors is partial. The same applies for serotonin transporter receptors but with regard to cholinergic muscarinic kind of receptors Aripiprazole shows no difference in affinity.
Aripiprazole has a linear kinetic functionality and behavior. Its half-life elimination is around 75 hours. Plasma concentrations reaching a steady state are arrived within 14 days. Once oral dosage is administered a state of Cmax can be seen. Usually this happens within 3 or 5 hours after Aripiprazole has been administered in oral form. The overall levels of bioavailability of the oral medicines of Aripiprazole is around 90%. Aripiprazole also goes through plenty of hepatic metabolization because of certain enzymes. The half-life elimination of dehydro-aripiprazole is around 94 hours.
There are many variations of the drug Aripiprazole, which are marketed under misleading names. If you find the suffix of ‘prazole’ it means the drug is used for inhibiting proton pumps. These medicines with such a suffix are used for treating peptic ulcers. In the case of Aripiprazole this functionality is totally different. If it is prescribed for treatment of peptic ulcers it can cause serious side effects.
Some antifungal medicines such as clotrimazole and ketoconazole can also be confused with Aripiprazole. Hence, caution should be exercised when prescribing or purchasing the Aripiprazole medicines.
Some of the side effects commonly detected with usage of Aripiprazole include headaches, Akathisia, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, weakness, constipation, uneasy sensation in stomach, sleeping disorders, light-headedness, excessive sleepiness, restlessness, blurring of vision as well as shaking. Some uncommon effects of taking Aripiprazole include jerking movements, seizure, tremors, dizziness, accelerated heart beats etc.
Some side effects, which are very rare include stiffness of muscles, fever, sweating, faster breathing, changes in the overall blood pressure, reduction in consciousness, increases in heart rate etc.
In some people, though very rare, consumption of Aripiprazole can also result in disorders in speech, allergic manifestations such as rashes, swelling of throat or mouth, itchy sensation, feeling nervous, increased production of saliva, agitated sensation, unusual liver test results, fainting, muscle pains, pancreatic inflammation, stiffness, weakness, cramps etc.
Aripiprazole can cause reactions with certain other kinds of drugs. People who drink alcohol can experience enhanced sedation and more euphoria by taking Aripiprazole. If taken along with medicines such as Fluoxetine or Paroxetine, which enhance or lessen metabolic enzymes, it can cause enhancement or reduction of plasma levels in Aripiprazole. Today, Aripiprazole is marketed by various companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb.