charlie asked
Can you describe how to withdraw from Abilify (aripiprazole)?
Answer
Abilify (Aripiprazole), classified as an 'atypical antipsychotic', is recommended to be tapered (i.e. slowly decrease your dose over time) if you are discontinuing the medication or switching to another (1).
In most cases, Abilify is not recommended to be stopped 'cold turkey' unless there are extenuating circumstances or severe side effects occur, such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (7).
Risks Associated With Stopping Abilify
The risk of not tapering Abilify includes a recurrence/exacerbation of the symptoms being treated and the following potential adverse reactions (2,3):
- Sweating
- Salivation
- Flu-like symptoms
- Numbness/tingling
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. nausea, vomiting)
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Movement disorders
- Psychosis
Fortunately, when compared to other antipsychotic medications, Abilify seems to have a lower risk of severe withdrawal reactions, most likely attributable to the long half-life of the drug (4,5). A long half-life means that it takes a long does for the drug to be metabolized and eliminated from your body, well past the time you actually discontinue the drug.
Nevertheless, they have been reported and a slow taper is recommended to decrease the risk of them occurring.
How To Taper Abilify
There is no single recommended way to safely taper and discontinue Abilify. The method you choose should be based on a conversation you have with your doctor and will be based on many factors such as:
- Length of therapy
- Dose you were taking
- How your symptoms are currently being managed
- Concurrent medications
- Medical history
One source (6) offers the following taper option:
- Decrease the dose of Abilify by no more than 50% every 2 weeks. This means for most individuals, it will take at least one month to completely discontinue the medication.
- A slower taper may be needed for certain patients.
It is important to be under the care of your doctor when discontinuing Abilify, or any medication for that matter, so you can be appropriately monitored. Often times, if withdrawal symptoms occur, adjustments need to be made to your regimen.
