An individual facing trouble staying asleep has an insomnia problem that can cause serious health problems. To treat the Abilify Sleep Disorder named insomnia, doctors may prescribe drug ‘antipsychotics’ including aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), and others.
These drugs often make people drowsy and faint, but there is no clear evidence about their clear benefits due to their severe following side effects;
- Dizziness, drowsiness
- Weight increase
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol level
- Muscle cramps, tremors, and spasms
- Blood clots
The statistics revealed that 8%-18% of insomnia patients take Abilify for bipolar disorder, sleep disorder, and major depressive disorder (MDD). Insomnia caused by Abilify does not allow people to sleep properly.
Affected individuals with the sleep-related disorder can have the following one or more features, including insomnia-related sleep disruption, sleep-related injury, dangerous behaviors performed, morning anorexia, and ultimately adverse health consequences.
The persistent or recurrent pattern of sleep disturbances is named ‘Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS)’ leads to insomnia and impaired functioning in social, occupational, or other spheres and is most commonly treated by the general drug aripiprazole (Abilify).
Abilify is an active generic drug medication containing aripiprazole that slightly acts differently in the human body to treat specific mood orders and sleep disorders/problems.
Abilify comes in tablet form swallowed by mouth once a day. Aripiprazole is a 2nd-generation antipsychotic (SGA) that balances your dopamine and serotonin levels.
It contains chemicals that affect your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Moreover, it improves the mood and motivation level of an individual. It helps your brain to become more stable.
Other approaches may work better:
It is better to adopt other options before the drug medication ‘aripiprazole’ to Abilify sleep problems/disorders that may work better instead of immediate drug adoption; The other approaches include;
- Get short-term relief: Ask your doctor about the over counter sleep aid that may help you sleep for a night or two, giving you complete relief from existing routine and sleep problems.
- Talk to a doctor: If you are facing problems sleeping for the last three-four days, a week or month, or more, you should immediately approach the doctor who may be able to treat insomnia caused by arthritis pain, hot flashes, anxiety, depression, and medications. A doctor can treat the following other causes as well;
- Sleep apnea (severe snoring)
- Restless legs syndrome (a strong urge to move your legs)
- Urinating often at night is a sign of diabetes, enlarged prostate, or a urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a frequent heartburn
- Behavioral Therapy: A therapist specializing in treating insomnia can help modify behavior that adversely affects the sleeping pattern as pills can only treat symptoms, not behavior.
When should antipsychotics be used for insomnia?
The FDA has approved antipsychotics to treat mental illness but not for insomnia, but doctors can prescribe it ‘off label’ for adults in the following cases:
- An individual has a severe mental illness, such as bipolar disorder with a mania that keeps an individual far away from sleeping.
- When sleeping, drug prescriptions have failed.
- When an individual feels distressed due to lack of sleep.
Dosage for Abilify:
Abilify is available in tablet form, oral solution, and injectable formulations. The doctor usually prescribed it after considering multiple factors such as ongoing mental problems, the type, and severity of the medical condition, patient age, and other factors that you may have.
An individual should start it from the lowest possible dose after confirmation from the doctor about its severe side effects.
If it is properly working or there is no need for its long-term usage, stop taking it or talk to your doctor about any other alternative. But overall, don’t use or stop it without a prescription and advice from the doctor.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Abilify?
Abilify may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy such as:
- cold or allergy medicine
- narcotic pain medicine
- sleeping pills
- muscle relaxers
- treatment for seizures, depression, or anxiety
- medications to treat high blood pressure or a heart condition
- carbamazepine
- phenobarbital
- phenytoin
- rifabutin
- rifampin
- ketoconazole
- itraconazole
- quinidine
- fluoxetine
- fluvoxamine
- paroxetine
Therefore, you should inform and discuss all the medicines and treatments you are taking to treat other medical problems with doctor.
Moreover, it is advised that children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers should not take Abilify as it causes many mild and severe side effects. The doctor can better give you advice and tips on dealing with any side effects that may be bothersome.
Mild Side Effects:
Abilify causes specific mild effects including;
- Nausea, vomiting, or constipation
- Memory loss
- Headache
- Blurry vision or dizziness
- Upper respiratory infection, such as a cold
- Anxiety
- Having insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)
- Restlessness or feeling like you need to move
- Rashes
- Hair loss
- Sexual side effects, such as sexual urges or changes in libido
These side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Nausea, vomiting, or constipation
- Memory loss
- Headache
- Blurry vision or dizziness
- Upper respiratory infection, such as a cold
- Anxiety
- Feeling sleepy or having insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)
- Restlessness or feeling like you need to move
- Rash
- Hair loss
- Sexual side effects, such as sexual urges or changes in libido
These side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious Side Effects:
Serious side effects from Abilify aren’t familiar, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects.
Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you have a medical emergency. The severe side effects of Abilify include:
- Stroke in older people with psychosis (loss of touch with reality) that’s related to dementia (memory loss)
- Changes in your metabolism
- Feeling the urge to do unusual things or excessively do certain things
- Decreased blood pressure
- Decreased level of white blood cells or neutrophils
- Impaired ability to think or move
- Problems with your body’s temperature control
- Trouble swallowing. Symptoms
- Allergic reaction
- Increased risk of death in certain older people
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors in younger people
References:
- https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-018-1622-2 retrieved on 12th December 2021.
- https://www.choosingwisely.org/patient-resources/treating-sleep-problems/ retrieved on 12th December 2021.
- https://www.rxlist.com/abilify-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview retrieved on 12th December 2021.
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/abilify#side-effects retrieved on 12th December 2021.
