T he FDA warned Tuesday that the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole, which is found in medications like Abilify and Aristada, has been linked to uncontrollable urges to eat, gamble, shop and have sex. The most common side effects of ABILIFY in adults include: nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, blurred vision, upper respiratory illness, dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, and inner sense of restlessness or need to move (akathisia). If you have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, or autism, aripiprazole (Abilify) can help you manage your symptoms. But it does have side effects. Here’s what you need to know. Though the FDA drug label for Abilify currently lists 'pathological gambling' as a possible side effect, the FDA states that 'this description does not entirely reflect the nature of the impulse-control risk that they identified.' Additionally, they 'are adding new warnings about all of these compulsive behaviors to the drug labels and the.

Why Does Abilify Cause Compulsive Behaviors? Here is the Answer

Aripiprazole, sold by Bristol-Meyers Squibb under the trade name Abilify, is an atypical, or “second generation” antipsychotic medication usually prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Originally given the green light by the FDA in 2002, Abilify was approved for the treatment of depression in 2007. It is part of a class of drugs known as “dopamine agonists,” although aripiprazole itself is classified as a “partial dopamine agonist.”

Dopamine is a biochemical substance in the brain that functions as a neurotransmitter – in other words, it carries signals to and from the brain. While dopamine has many different functions – including muscle control, regulating kidney function and as a vasodilator – it is most often associated with the brain's “pleasure centers,” playing a significant role in addictive behaviors. A 2013 article in the U.K. Guardiandescribed dopamine as “the nerd at the pool party who gives a running commentary on how well you're doing with the temptations on offer.”

However, it is a bit more complicated than that. Dopamine is not simply a “feel good” chemical. More accurately, it is a signal that tells the brain when one is closing in on a reward. It doesn't simply activate the reward pathways of the brain when one has achieved a desired result. Those pathways activate even in cases in which the subject has come close to the desired reward, but has fallen just short of obtaining it.

It is what keeps addicts searching for the next “high.” When it comes to compulsive behaviors such as gambling, dopamine encourages the subject to keep trying, even when they lose. In a 2010 study of roulette players, researchers found as much dopamine activity in the brains of gamblers who had just missed hitting the lucky numbers as those who had won the jackpot. It is not just signaling pleasure in achieving one's desires, it also indicates how close the subject came to success – and encourages him or her to keep trying.

This can be a good thing when it comes to activities involving the development of mental and physical skills. It is what keeps a musician practicing scales and etudes, and motivates an athlete to continue training. Unfortunately, those dopamine pathways do not know the difference between improving a skill by one's own efforts and getting lucky.

The same principle applies to a gambler. Each “near miss” encourages the subject to keep laying his or her money down. It can lead to a form of addiction – and as many recovering addicts will testify, it finally gets to the point that the activity no longer brings pleasure – but they are compelled to continue with the behavior simply in order to keep from feeling bad.

Dopamine agonists such as aripiprazole activate dopamine receptors in the brain, literally opening up those pathways. Among the resulting side effects are euphoria, increased orgasmic activity and pathological addictions that include compulsive gambling, shopping, binge eating and sexual behavior.

While full dopamine agonists bind to the complete range of receptors, Abilify – a “partial” agonist – binds only to certain receptors. One of them is the 5-HT2C receptor, which binds to serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter associated with the regulation of emotional state – particularly to positive feelings – as well as appetite and memory/cognitive function. It is one explanation of how Abilify can cause certain patients to engage in compulsive behaviors – something that the manufacturer should have been aware of, and certainly should have notified the FDA and warned patients once they became aware.

Contact A Lawyer

Have A Potential Case Reviewed By An Attorney

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals face a new product liability lawsuit over Abilify, alleging that the medication caused an Illinois woman to engage in compulsive gambling, which could have been avoided if the drug makers had adequately warned about the potential side effects of Abilify.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Angela Groshans in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on July 28, indicating that the drug makers knew about the link between Abilify and compulsive gambling, yet withheld information from consumers and the medical community that may have allowed users to avoid severe financial losses if they had recognized the potential behavior as a side effect of the medication.

Groshans indicates that she began taking Abilify in November 2013, and began to exhibit signs of compulsive gambling shortly after. She did not discover that Abilify could cause compulsive gambling side effects until 2015, by which time she had already incurred losses exceeding $50,000. The complaint indicates that Groshans stopped taking Abilify in May 2015, and the compulsive gambling problems came to an end.

Abilify (ariprazole) is one of the top-selling brand name medications on the market in the United States, generating sales in excess of $6 billion per year, and widely used by millions of Americans for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other major depressive disorders. It is also widely used off-label to treat irritability, aggression, mood swings and other behavior issues.

Gambling Side Effects Of Abilify Generic

Groshans’ case joins a growing number of similar Abilify compulsive gambling lawsuits filed in recent months, following the publication of independent studies about the impact of the medication, and recent FDA warnings about the risk of impulsive behaviors while taking the drug.

The complaint filed by Groshans notes that there has been a steady rise in Abilify gambling and other compulsive behaviors reported to the FDA in recent years.

“Despite evidence that Abilify causes compulsive behaviors like pathological gambling and calls from the medical community to conduct further research and warn patients about this possible effect of Abilify, Defendants have either failed to investigate or conduct any studies on the compulsive behavior side effects of Abilify or failed to make public the results of any studies or investigations that they might have done,” the lawsuit states.

Although compulsive gambling warnings are on Abilify in a number of other countries, no information was provided to consumers or doctors in the U.S. until May 2016, when the FDA required the drug maker to update the warning label and add information about the link between Abilify and gambling problems.

The new warnings will now provide information to users of Abilify and doctors in the U.S. about the large number of adverse event reports involving uncontrollable urges to gamble, as well as engage in other potentially dangerous activities, such as uncontrollable shopping, eating or sexual activity. Consumers are encouraged to speak with their physician if they notice these impulsive behaviors, as symptoms typically stop shortly after the medication is discontinued.

Is Gambling A Side Effect Of Abilify

In June, two plaintiffs filed a motion to transfer before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), calling for all Abilify lawsuits to be consolidated before one judge for pretrial proceedings.

If the U.S. JPML establishes centralized pretrial proceedings, Groshans’ case and dozens of other Abilify lawsuits pending in U.S. District Courts nationwide will be transferred to one judge for coordinated discovery and a series of “bellwether” trials to help gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that is likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.

Tags: Abilify, Antipsychotic, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gambling, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co