Iniezione a lunga durata d'azione di aripiprazolo

About aripiprazole long-acting injection

Schizofrenia is a mental health condition that causes disordered ideas, beliefs and experiences. You will have been prescribed aripiprazole to relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia. Such symptoms include hearing, seeing, or sensing things that are not real, having mistaken beliefs, and feeling unusually suspicious. Aripiprazole works on the balance of chemical substances in your brain to help control these types of symptoms.

Long-acting, or 'depot', injections are used for maintenance once your symptoms have been eased by taking tablets. The injection slowly releases aripiprazole into your body. You will need to receive the injection regularly, once every month. The main advantage of a depot injection is that you do not have to remember to take tablets every day.

For information about taking aripiprazole tablets every day see our medicine leaflet called Aripiprazole (Abilify).

Before having aripiprazole long-acting injection

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start having aripiprazole it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se sei incinta o stai allattando.

• Se hai una malattia cardiaca o dei vasi sanguigni.

• If you have had a stroke, or if you have been told you have 'thickening' of the blood vessels to your brain.

• Se hai problemi al fegato, ai reni o alla prostata.

• Se hai problemi con la respirazione.

• Se hai una delle seguenti condizioni: epilessia, depressione, morbo di Parkinson, pressione elevata nell'occhio (glaucoma) o una condizione che causa debolezza muscolare, chiamata miastenia grave.

• Se hai mai avuto ingiallimento della pelle o del bianco degli occhi (ittero) o un disturbo del sangue.

• Se hai un tumore alla ghiandola surrenale (una condizione chiamata feocromocitoma).

• Se hai avuto una reazione allergica a un medicinale.

• Se stai assumendo o utilizzando altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

How aripiprazole long-acting injection is given

• Before you start the treatment, ask to read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about aripiprazole and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from having it.

• Aripiprazole injection will be given to you by a doctor or nurse. The injection is given into a muscle of your bottom (buttock) or your upper arm. You will be given an injection once every month - it is important that there is an interval of at least 26 days between each injection.

• You may be asked to continue taking your tablets for 14 days after you have had your first injection. This is because it can take a few weeks before you feel the full effect from the injection.
  

Ottenere il massimo dal tuo trattamento

• Your treatment will require careful monitoring to make sure that you get the best possible benefit from aripiprazole. Keep your regular doctor's appointments so that you get your injections on time, and your progress can be checked. If you miss an appointment for an injection, contact your doctor to arrange for another appointment as soon as possible.

• If you are due to have any dental treatment or an operation, please tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have had an aripiprazole injection. This is important because it may interfere with any anaesthetic you receive.

• Se acquisti o assumi farmaci da banco, verifica con un farmacista che siano adatti per essere assunti insieme all'aripiprazolo.

• Se hai il diabete, potresti dover controllare la glicemia più frequentemente, poiché l'aripiprazolo può influenzare i livelli di zucchero nel sangue. Il tuo medico ti consiglierà a riguardo.

• If you drink alcohol, please ask your doctor for advice. Alcohol increases the risk of side-effects from aripiprazole so it is best avoided.

• Il trattamento con farmaci come l'aripiprazolo può a volte causare problemi con comportamenti di tipo impulsivo. Se noti qualsiasi cambiamento nel tuo comportamento, come un aumento del desiderio di giocare d'azzardo, devi informare il tuo medico il prima possibile.

• A small number of people taking medicines like aripiprazole can have thoughts about harming themselves or ending their lives. It is very important that you tell your doctor about this if it happens to you.

Can aripiprazole long-acting injection cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with aripiprazole long-acting injection. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti al medicinale, ti preghiamo di consultare il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

Informazioni importanti su tutti i medicinali