Side Effects Of Aripiprazole

Like all medicines, aripiprazole can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects

These common side effects of aripiprazole may happen in up to 1 in 10 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor or call 111 now if you:

• feel thirsty, need to pee a lot, feel tired and are losing weight - these could be signs of high blood sugar or diabetes
• find it difficult to control your impulse or temptation to do something that could harm you or others, such as gambling too much, increased sex drive, uncontrollable shopping, binge eating, or a tendency to wander away
• get swelling, pain and redness in your leg - this could be a sign of a blood clot
• get problems with your movement such as feeling like you need to move all the time, difficulty moving or stiff muscles that make your movements jerky
• get uncontrollable movements of your mouth, tongue and limbs
• get twisting movements of your body or limbs, such as your neck being twisted to the side or your feet turning inwards - this could be a sign of a condition called dystonia
• have a fast heartbeat

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring all the medicines you take with you.

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to aripiprazole.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of aripiprazole. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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