ABILIFY 5 mg TABLETS

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

ABILIFY 5 mg tablets

ABILIFY 10 mg tablets

ABILIFY 15 mg tablets

ABILIFY 30 mg tablets

aripiprazole

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Contents of the pack

1. What is ABILIFY and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you take ABILIFY
3. How to take ABILIFY
4. Possible side effects
5. Storing ABILIFY
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What is ABILIFY and what is it used for

ABILIFY contains the active substance aripiprazole and belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics. It is used to treat adults and adolescents aged 15 or older who suffer from a disease characterized by symptoms such as hearing, seeing, and feeling things that do not exist, distrust, false beliefs, incoherent speech, and emotional and behavioral monotony. People in this state may also feel depressed, guilty, restless, or tense.

ABILIFY is used to treat adults and adolescents aged 13 or older who suffer from a disorder characterized by symptoms such as feeling euphoric, having excessive energy, needing to sleep much less than usual, speaking very quickly with flight of ideas, and sometimes severe irritability. In adults, it also prevents this situation in patients who have responded to treatment with ABILIFY.

2. What you need to know before you take ABILIFY

Do not take ABILIFY

• if you are allergic to aripiprazole or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before starting to take ABILIFY.

There have been reports of patients experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors during treatment with aripiprazole. Tell your doctor immediately if you have thoughts or feelings of harming yourself.

Before starting treatment with ABILIFY, tell your doctor if you suffer from

• high blood sugar levels (characterized by symptoms such as excessive thirst, increased urine production, increased appetite, and feeling of weakness) or a family history of diabetes;
• seizures, as your doctor may want to monitor you more closely;
• irregular and involuntary muscle movements, especially in the face;
• cardiovascular diseases (heart and circulation diseases), family history of cardiovascular disease, stroke or mini-stroke, abnormal blood pressure;
• blood clots or a family history of blood clots, as antipsychotics have been associated with the formation of blood clots;
• history of gambling addiction.

If you notice that you are gaining weight, developing unusual movements, experiencing drowsiness that interferes with your daily activities, having difficulty swallowing, or presenting allergic symptoms, please inform your doctor.

If you suffer from dementia (loss of memory and other mental abilities), you or your caregiver or family member should inform your doctor if you have ever had a stroke or "mini" stroke.

Talk to your doctor immediately if you have thoughts or feelings of harming yourself. There have been reports of patients experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors during treatment with aripiprazole.

Talk to your doctor immediately if you notice numbness or stiffness of the muscles with high fever, sweating, altered mental state, or very fast or irregular heartbeat.

Tell your doctor if you, your family, or caregiver notice that you are developing impulses or urges to behave in an unusual way for you and that you cannot resist the impulse, instinct, or temptation to carry out certain activities that may harm you or others. This is called impulse control disorder and may include behaviors such as gambling addiction, excessive eating or spending, abnormally high sexual appetite, or concern about an increase in sexual thoughts and feelings.

Your doctor may consider adjusting or interrupting the dose.

Aripiprazole may cause drowsiness, a drop in blood pressure when standing up, dizziness, and changes in the ability to move and maintain balance, which could lead to falls. Caution should be exercised, especially if you are an elderly patient or suffer from weakness.

Children and adolescents

Do not use this medicine in children and adolescents under 13 years of age. It is not known if it is safe and effective in these patients.

Other medicines and ABILIFY

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines, including those without a prescription.

Medicines that lower blood pressure: ABILIFY may increase the effect of medicines used to lower blood pressure. Make sure to tell your doctor if you use any medicine to control blood pressure.

If you are taking ABILIFY with another medicine, it may mean that your doctor needs to change your dose of ABILIFY or the other medicines. It is especially important that you mention to your doctor if you are taking:

• medicines to correct heart rhythm (such as quinidine, amiodarone, flecainide);
• antidepressants or herbal medicines used to treat depression and anxiety (such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, venlafaxine, St. John's wort);
• medicines to treat fungal infections (antifungals) (such as ketoconazole, itraconazole);
• certain medicines to treat HIV infection (such as efavirenz, nevirapine, and protease inhibitors such as indinavir, ritonavir);
• anticonvulsants used to treat epilepsy (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital);
• certain antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis (rifabutin, rifampicin).

These medicines may increase the risk of side effects or reduce the effect of ABILIFY; if you notice any unusual symptoms when taking any of these medicines at the same time as ABILIFY, you should tell your doctor.

Medicines that increase serotonin levels are commonly used in diseases that include depression, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and social phobia, as well as migraine and pain:

• triptans, tramadol, and tryptophan used for diseases such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and social phobia, as well as migraine and pain;
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (such as paroxetine and fluoxetine) used for depression, OCD, panic, and anxiety;
• other antidepressants (such as venlafaxine and tryptophan) used in severe depression;
• tricyclic antidepressants (such as clomipramine and amitriptyline) used in depressive illnesses;
• St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) used in herbal medicines for mild depression;
• analgesics (such as tramadol and pethidine) used to relieve pain;
• triptans (such as sumatriptan and zolmitriptan) used to treat migraine.

These medicines may increase the risk of side effects; if you notice any unusual symptoms when taking any of these medicines at the same time as ABILIFY, you should tell your doctor.

Taking ABILIFY with food, drinks, and alcohol

This medicine can be taken with or without food.

Alcohol consumption should be avoided.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.

The following symptoms may occur in newborn babies of mothers who have been treated with ABILIFY in the last trimester of pregnancy (last three months of pregnancy): tremors, stiffness and/or muscle weakness, drowsiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor.

If you are taking ABILIFY, your doctor will discuss with you whether you should breastfeed, considering the benefit of treatment for you and the benefit of breastfeeding for your baby. If you are being treated with ABILIFY, you should not breastfeed. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

During treatment with this medicine, dizziness and vision problems (see section 4) may occur. This should be taken into account when requiring maximum attention, for example, when driving or operating machinery.

ABILIFY contains lactose

If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to some sugars, consult with them before taking this medicine.

3. How to take ABILIFY

Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medicine given by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

The recommended dose for adults is 15 mg once a day.However, your doctor may prescribe lower or higher doses up to a maximum of 30 mg once a day.

Use in children and adolescents

This medicine should be started with the oral solution (liquid) at a low dose.

The dose can be gradually increased to the recommended dose for adolescents of 10 mg once a day. However, your doctor may prescribe lower or higher doses up to a maximum of 30 mg once a day.

If you think the effect of ABILIFY is too strong or too weak, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Try to take ABILIFY at the same time each day. It does not matter if you take it with or without food. Always take the tablets with water and swallow them whole.

Even if you feel better, do not change or interrupt the daily dose of ABILIFY without consulting your doctor first.

If you take more ABILIFY than you should

If you realize that you have taken more ABILIFY than your doctor recommended (or if someone else has taken part of your ABILIFY), contact your doctor immediately. If you cannot contact your doctor, go to the nearest hospital and take the package with you.

Patient who have taken too much aripiprazole have experienced the following symptoms:

• fast heartbeat, agitation/aggression, language problems;
• unusual movements (especially of the face or tongue) and decreased level of consciousness.

Other symptoms may include:

• acute confusion, seizures (epilepsy), coma, a combination of fever, rapid breathing, sweating;
• muscle stiffness and drowsiness, slower breathing, choking, high or low blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms.

Contact your doctor or the nearest hospital immediately if you experience any of the above symptoms.

If you forget to take ABILIFY

If you forget a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.

If you stop taking ABILIFY

Do not stop your treatment just because you feel better. It is important that you continue taking ABILIFY for the time your doctor has indicated.

If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• diabetes mellitus;
• sleeping problems;
• anxiety;
• feeling of restlessness and inability to stay still, difficulty staying seated;
• twisting, contorting, or spasmodic involuntary movements, restless legs;
• tremors;
• headache;
• fatigue;
• drowsiness;
• dizziness;
• shaking and blurred vision;
• difficulty evacuating or decreased frequency of bowel movements (constipation);
• indigestion;
• nausea;
• increased saliva production;
• vomiting;
• feeling of fatigue.

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• increase in prolactin hormone levels in the blood;
• excessively high blood sugar levels;
• depression;
• altered or increased sexual interest;
• involuntary movements of the mouth, tongue, and limbs (tardive dyskinesia);
• muscle disorder that causes twisting movements (dystonia);
• double vision;
• eye photosensitivity;
• rapid heartbeat;
• drop in blood pressure when standing up that causes dizziness, dizziness, or fainting;
• hypo.

The following side effects have been reported during the post-marketing phase of aripiprazole oral, but the frequency of occurrence is unknown:

• low white blood cell count;
• low platelet count;
• allergic reaction (e.g., swelling in the mouth, tongue, face, and throat, itching, and redness);
• onset or worsening of diabetes, ketoacidosis (ketones in blood and urine), or coma;
• high blood sugar,
• insufficient sodium levels in the blood;
• loss of appetite (anorexia);
• weight loss;
• weight gain;
• suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and suicide;
• aggression;
• agitation;
• nervousness;
• combination of fever, muscle stiffness, rapid breathing, sweating, decreased consciousness, sudden changes in blood pressure and heart rate, and fainting (neuroleptic malignant syndrome);
• seizures;
• serotonin syndrome (a reaction that can cause a feeling of intense happiness, drowsiness, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling of being drunk, fever, sweating, or muscle stiffness);
• speech disorder;
• fixation of the eyeballs in a position;
• sudden unexplained death;
• potentially fatal irregular heartbeat;
• heart attack;
• slower heartbeat;
• blood clots in the veins, especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness of the leg), which can travel through the blood vessels to the lungs, causing chest pain and difficulty breathing (if you notice any of these symptoms, go to your doctor immediately);
• high blood pressure;
• fainting;
• accidental inhalation of food with risk of pneumonia (lung infection);
• spasms of the muscles around the glottis (a part of the larynx);
• pancreatitis;
• difficulty swallowing;
• diarrhea;
• abdominal discomfort;
• stomach upset;
• liver failure;
• liver inflammation;
• yellowing of the skin and the white part of the eyes;
• abnormal liver values;
• rash;
• skin photosensitivity;
• hair loss;
• excessive sweating;
• abnormal muscle breakdown that can cause kidney problems;
• muscle pain;
• stiffness;
• involuntary loss of urine (incontinence);
• difficulty urinating;
• withdrawal symptoms in newborns due to exposure to drugs during pregnancy;
• prolonged and/or painful erection;
• difficulty controlling body temperature or overheating;
• chest pain;
• swollen hands, ankles, or feet;
• in blood tests: fluctuation of blood sugar levels, increase in hemoglobin glycosylated;
• inability to resist the impulse, instinct, or temptation to perform an action that may be harmful to you or others, which may include:

• strong impulse to gamble excessively despite serious personal or family consequences;
• altered or increased sexual interest and behavior that is concerning for you or others, for example, increased sexual appetite;
• uncontrollable excessive shopping;
• binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a short period) or compulsive eating (eating more food than normal and more than needed to satisfy hunger);
• tendency to wander.

Tell your doctor if you experience any of these behaviors; he will explain how to manage or reduce the symptoms.

In elderly patients with dementia, a higher number of fatal cases have been reported while taking aripiprazole. Additionally, cases of stroke or "mini" stroke have been reported.

Other side effects in children and adolescents

Adolescents aged 13 or older experienced side effects similar in frequency and type to those of adults, except for drowsiness, spasms or contractions, restlessness, and fatigue, which were very common (affecting more than 1 in 10 patients) and upper abdominal pain, dry mouth, increased heart rate, weight gain, increased appetite, muscle fasciculations, involuntary movements of the limbs, and dizziness, especially when standing up after sitting or lying down, which were common (affecting up to 1 in 10 patients).

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the national reporting system included in Appendix V. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of ABILIFY

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after CAD. The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.

Store in the original packaging to protect from moisture.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.

6. Package contents and additional information

Composition of ABILIFY

• The active substance is aripiprazole.

Each tablet contains 5 mg of aripiprazole.

Each tablet contains 10 mg of aripiprazole.

Each tablet contains 15 mg of aripiprazole.

Each tablet contains 30 mg of aripiprazole.

• The other ingredients are lactose monohydrate, corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate.

Tablet coating

ABILIFY 5 mg tablets: carmine aluminium lake (E 132)

ABILIFY 10 mg tablets: red iron oxide (E 172)

ABILIFY 15 mg tablets: yellow iron oxide (E 172)

ABILIFY 30 mg tablets: red iron oxide (E 172)

Appearance of ABILIFY and package contents

The ABILIFY 5 mg tablets are rectangular and blue, engraved with “A-007” and “5” on one side.

The ABILIFY 10 mg tablets are rectangular and pink, engraved with “A-008” and “10” on one side.

The ABILIFY 15 mg tablets are round and yellow, engraved with “A-009” and “15” on one side.

The ABILIFY 30 mg tablets are round and pink, engraved with “A-011” and “30” on one side.

ABILIFY is presented in unit dose blisters packaged in boxes containing 14 × 1, 28 × 1, 49 × 1, 56 × 1 or 98 × 1 tablets.

Only certain pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorisation holder

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Netherlands B.V.

Herikerbergweg 292

1101 CT, Amsterdam

Netherlands

Manufacturer

Elaiapharm

2881 Route des Crêtes, Z.I. Les Bouilides-Sophia Antipolis,

06560 Valbonne

France

You can request more information about this medicine by contacting the local representative of the marketing authorisation holder.

Date of last revision of this leaflet: {MM/AAAA}

Other sources of information

Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency website: http://www.ema.europa.eu.