Can Abilify Pathological Behaviors Be Damaging?
Abilify is a popular antipsychotic drug approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat bipolar disorder, major depression, irritability associated with autism and obsessive compulsive disorder. One of the drug’s more controversial side effects includes compulsive gambling in those who take it – even without any prior history of a gambling addiction. This side effect can cause patients to take on severe debt, ruining their lives.
Why Does Gambling Addiction Occur?
Researchers are not completely sure how Abilify works, but they do believe that the drug over stimulates the dopamine reward receptors in the brain, triggering compulsive, high-reward behavior like gambling, binge eating and hypersexual behaviors.
Signs of a gambling addiction include:
- Taking increasingly bigger gambling risks
- Obsession with gambling
- Reliving past gambling experiences
- Using gambling to escape from other emotional problems
- Borrowing money or stealing
- Concealing or lying about gambling
Abilify Litigation
Abilify has been involved in major lawsuits, with plaintiffs claiming that the label does not warn of compulsive sides effects like gambling. As a drug company, the makers of Abilify, Bristol-Myers Squibb, have a responsibility to warn patients of any harmful side effects – otherwise breaching their obligation to the public.
Patients who have experienced a severe gambling addiction after being prescribed Abilify have wreaked havoc on their lives, relationships and finances. Patients who have experienced gambling debt because of Abilify may be able to file lawsuits against Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, the developer of the drug, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Lawsuits against Abilify seek compensation for treatment of compulsive gambling, recovering money lost to gambling and compensation for emotional injuries. If you or a loved one has developed compulsive behaviors after being prescribed Abilify that have caused financial and emotional damage, talk to Arkansas Abilify attorneys to determine if you can file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturers.
