Ablify and Children
Arguments
in Favor of Safe Use of Abilify in Children
Not only adults but even children can become victims
of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. And they
too need some form of medication to keep their
symptoms at bay. One of the possible medications
to give them is Abilify.
However it has been a matter
of great debate whether Abilify should be given
to children or not. It has also been discussed
if use of Abilify is safe in children or not.
According to some doctors and researchers, Abilify
acts on the brain chemicals and thus can prove
harmful for children. For this very reason, up
till a few years back, children less than 18 years,
suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
were not given Abilify.
However, the case has been argued
over a number of times. It is a frequently asked
question that what medicine should be given to
children who show symptoms of schizophrenia and
bipolar disorder. One common argument in favor
of abilify and its prescription to children is
that if the drug works for adults, then it should
also work for children. A number of studies and
researches were carried out in this regard and
some interesting insights have been highlighted.
New Researches to Prove
Effectiveness of Abilify in Children
According to a research presented at a meeting
of the American and Canadian Academies of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP/CACAP), Abilify
is effective and well tolerated in children if
used cautiously. Thus, use of Abilify
has been approved in children and adolescents
who suffer from schizophrenia as well as bipolar
disorder.
Research Results in Children
to Determine Safety of Abilify
In a clinical trials carried out by some researchers,
children’s ability to tolerate Abilify was
tested. Doses were given to a group of children
suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
to check for its effectiveness. Initially children
were given 2 mg of Abilify daily which was gradually
increased to 5 mg and later on to 20, 25 and 30
mg. The use of medicine was continued for 14 days.
The results showed that 89% of
the child patients showed 'improvement'
and 'much improvement' as determined
by the attending physicians. The children were
assessed on the scale of Clinical Global Impression
(CGI) Improvement score. Thus, it was proved that
use of Abilify in children is safe and harm free
if used as recommended and under the guidance
of a qualified physician. This study was funded
by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures
Abilify in partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb,
another well known pharmaceutical company.
The most common side effects
that were reported by children after using Abilify
were blurred vision, excessive sleepiness or total
lack of sleep and headache. Use of Abilify did
not cause any metabolic adverse reactions.
The FDA also approves the use
of Abilify in children suffering from schizophrenia
and bipolar disorder because of its effectiveness
and has approved it for general use. However,
Abilify should not be given to children without
consulting a qualified doctor. Abilify should
only be given after proper diagnosis is made by
a doctor.
Abilify and its Outcome
on Schizophrenic Children
Abilify is believed to work
on dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical messenger
in the brain involved with thinking, emotions
and behavior. Abilify is known to block dopamine
activity in areas where it is too high which cause
the symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia e.g.
hallucinations, delusions etc. However, it also
increases dopamine activity in areas where it
is too low. Thus, Abilify works the same way on
brains of children as it works on adults and is
successful in controlling the symptoms of schizophrenia
and bipolar disorder in children. |
