Abilify Being Reviewed for Pediatric Use
Sunday November 18, 2007
Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder in adults. In October the FDA extended its approval to include the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents aged 13-17. This week Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., the pharmaceutical company that produces this medication, has been granted a priority review of Abilify for the treatment of pediatric patients with bipolar I disorder, manic or mixed episodes with or without psychotic features. This means that within the next six months, this drug could have FDA approval for prescribing this medication to kids who have bipolar disorder (CNN).
Comments
I would like to leave a comment about Abilify and wonder how many others have had these side effects. When I first started taking Abilify, I felt better than I ever had before. It seemed miraculous. Then, I started cutting myself which I had never done before (I have had bipolar all my life and am 51 years old. I went off the medication and this stopped but my depression returned. A few months later, I tried a much smaller amount and felt GREAT for a while. Then, I started cutting again and ended up in the hospital for the first time with major mania. I have heard some similar accounts but most of all, I would like to let the manufacturer of my experience and warn the people who are at risk to this. I hope many people are helped by this drug.
KCTcat
Abilify was prescribed for my daughter - the first time at age 14 and the second (and last) time at age 16. The first time she suffered slight TD side effects that were effectively handled with Cogentin. The second time, the Abilify affected her eyes - rapid back and forth motions. Cogentin did nothing and even after stopping it (6 months ago), she infrequently still has the eye movement problem.
Like all the other drugs, it will work wonders for some and not so well for others. I do hope alot of pediatric research has been done before any approval is given.
When I started Ability my pdoc said his patients had no side effects. Well one of his patients told me he hallucinated on it. I had panic and anxiety attacks on it and my pdoc didn’t treat anyone for that because he is against it. And than after two years it made me shake so much and hallucinate so badly, I was in the medical hospital for two months. And it gave me gastroparesis. I doubt if the manufacturer knows about this.