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. Abilify’s own information page lists many potential side effects including increased risk of stroke, increased blood sugar, weight gain and more. One thing is doesn’t list is the potential for the drug to prompt impulsive behavior, most commonly compulsive gambling.

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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.

Slots of vegas casino sign in. 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. Plotts krystal md.

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.

Is Gambling A Side Effect Of Abilify

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.

Imagine having your depression or bipolar disorder treated, but develop other serious problems in the process.

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That’s exactly what Abilify is doing.

The FDA reported in 2015 that 1.6 million Americans used Abilify or any other related aripiprazole drug. It’s caused a lot of trouble for the people prescribed to it.

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The Side Effects of Abilify

The anti-psychotic drug is meant to help out with depression and bipolar, but lawsuits nationwide are placing blame on its compulsive behavior effects, especially pertaining to gambling. Other side effects include hypersexuality, overeating and binge shopping. It is believed that Abilify acts on the brain’s dopamine receptors, which craves pleasure.

The FDA issued a safety warning and announced the following in May of 2016:

“Compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop and have sex have been reported with the use of the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole (Abilify, Abilify Maintena, Aristada, and generics). These uncontrollable urges were reported to have stopped when the medicine was discontinued or the dose was reduced. These impulse-control problems are rare, but they may result in harm to the patient and others if not recognized.”

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What They Say About the Side Effects of Abilify

Thomas J. Moore, a senior scientist at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, has studied over 1,580 cases during the last decade that have included several impulsive behaviors. He explained some of his findings to The Daily Beast last November.

“The drug triggers a pathological urge to gamble constantly,” he said.

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Gary Wilson is a Minneapolis-based attorney with Abilify clients nationwide and he pointed out in an AOL article about the drug that Europe issued compulsive behavior warnings about Abilify in 2012, four years before American patients knew about it.

“If it ruins your life, that’s a pretty bad side effect,” he said.

Gambling Side Effect Of Abilify Medication

If you’re one of the patients who takes Abilify and are noticing you’re doing too much casino gambling in Atlantic City or off-track wagering at Favorites, perhaps you might need some counseling. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) is here to help with problematic off-track wagering in Hillborough and other disordered gambling behaviors in New Jersey. If you’d like more information, call our 24/7 hotline, 1-800-GAMBLER or visit us online at https://800gambler.org.