Aricog Aripiprazole Warnings

Pathological gambling and impulse-control problems: Patients can experience increased urges, particularly for gambling, and the inability to control these urges while taking aripiprazole. Other urges reported include: increased sexual urges, compulsive shopping, binge or compulsive eating, and other impulsive and compulsive behaviours.
It is important for prescribers to ask patients or their caregivers specifically about the development of new or increased gambling urges, or other urges, while being treated with aripiprazole. It should be noted that impulse-control symptoms can be associated with the underlying disorder; however, in some cases, urges were reported to have stopped when the dose was reduced or the medication was discontinued. Patients who are at higher risk for impulse-control problems (e.g. personal or family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder, impulse-control disorder, bipolar disorder, impulsive personality, alcoholism, drug abuse or other addictive behaviours) would require closer monitoring for new or worsening of uncontrollable urges. Impulse-control problems may result in harm to the patient and others if not recognised. Consider dose reduction or stopping the medication if a patient develops such urges while taking aripiprazole.