An Arkansas Abilify lawsuit may be an option for those who have taken the drug and suffered severe health complications. Antipsychotic medications, including the prescription drug Abilify, are often prescribed to treat symptoms associated with mental illnesses. However, lawsuits allege that the drug causes compulsive gambling, resulting in severe financial consequences. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file an Arkansas Abilify lawsuit and pursue compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated Arkansas Abilify lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Abilify?
Millions of Americans live with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder. Prescription antipsychotic Abilify is used to treat many of the symptoms associated with those disorders, including schizophrenia, manic or mixed episodes of bipolar disorder, irritability associated with autistic disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, and major depressive disorder when used as an add-on to other antidepressants.
How Does Abilify Work?
Abilify is known as an atypical antipsychotic; however, Abilify is chemically different from other drugs in its class. Abilify works by stimulating dopamine receptors when little dopamine is available and inhibit dopamine receptors when there is too much, allowing those receptors to become more balanced.
Abilify Side Effects
Although Abilify is less likely to induce movement disorders compared to other drugs in its class, there are a number of side effects associated with the drug. The most common side effects of Abilify include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Constipation
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Restlessness
Abilify and Compulsive Gambling
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, pathological gambling often involves repetitive behaviors, and people who suffer from gambling problems have a difficult time resisting or controlling the urge to gamble.
Common signs of gambling addiction include:
- The need to be secretive about gambling
- Difficulty controlling gambling habits
- Desperately attempting to recoup losses
- Family and friends may become worried and concerned
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Health Canada have requested that product information be updated and issued an update to include a potential link between the antipsychotic drug Abilify and compulsive behaviors, including compulsive gambling.
Other Abilify Risks
In addition to side effects linked to the use of Abilify to treat certain mental illnesses, the drug may be linked to some serious, sometimes life-threatening health risks. Elderly patients who suffer from dementia-related psychosis are at a greater risk of death when Abilify is used to treat those symptoms. Likewise, elderly patients who experience confusion and memory loss due to psychosis and dementia are at an increased risk of developing cerebrovascular problems such as stroke when those patients use Abilify.
Symptoms associated with Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) such as high fever; muscle stiffness; confusion; sweating; and changes in pulse, heart rate, and blood pressure may develop in patients who use Abilify. Although the condition is rare, symptoms of NMS can be very serious and may lead to death. Abilify may increase the chances of patients developing uncontrolled movements in the face, tongue, or other body parts. This condition, known as tardive dyskinesia, may or may not go away once treatment with Abilify has stopped.
Other serious risks including diabetes, increased fat levels, weight gain, decreased blood pressure, low white blood cell count, seizures, body temperature control, and difficulty swallowing can also appear in patients who use Abilify to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Like most prescription medications, patients are encouraged to speak with their doctor or health care provider if symptoms of any of these conditions begin to appear.
Compulsive Gambling Lawsuits
Lawsuits in the United States allege that Abilify may have led to substantial financial, mental, and physical damages in patients who used the drug as prescribed. Patients claim that drug manufacturers knew or should have known about the increased risk of serious side effects, including uncontrollable compulsive behaviors such as compulsive gambling.
How An Arkansas Abilify Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries and damages that may result.
When patients suffer from severe side effects from a dangerous or defective drug, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and damages. The types of losses that can be recovered include:
- Economic Losses
- Medical and other treatment expenses
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If the conduct of a drug company in manufacturing and selling drug is found to be highly reckless, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the company and deter similar conduct in the future.
Patients who have suffered loss as a result of compulsive gambling or other compulsive behaviors are encouraged to speak with an Arkansas Abilify lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today. When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
