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Pharmaceuticals

FDA warns about uncontrollable urges linked to drug

by Cheryl Hogue
May 9, 2016 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 94, Issue 19

The Food & Drug Administration says compulsive urges to gamble, binge-eat, shop, and have sex have been reported in some people taking the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole. “These impulse control problems are rare, but they may result in harm to the patient and others if not recognized,” the agency announced last week. Sold under brand names Abilify, Abilify Maintena, and Aristada, and as a generic drug, aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, and irritability associated with autistic disorder, FDA says. The drug, which first gained approval for sale in the U.S. in 2002, can also be used in combination with other drugs to treat depression. FDA says uncontrollable urges are reported to have stopped within days when patients either stopped taking aripiprazole or had their dose reduced.

Drawing shows chemical structure of the prescription drug aripiprazole.

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