Aristada Initio injection

Family
1

My son was given Aristada Initio injection on 4/17/20 but its not working for him,its causing a lot of issues
He got 675 mg followed by 662 mg !
Anybody can tell me how long would it take until this medicine leaves his body?
They told me that next injection’s date is 5/12/20 so if he doesn’t take it would he have withdrawal symptoms?

2

This is effectively Abilify ( Aripiprazole) in injectable form which has a very long half-life in pill form. So effects of the medication will take some time to dissipate likely a week or two or more after the next scheduled injection. I wouldn’t expect there to be much in the way of withdrawal other than it losing its antipsychotic effect over time. In my experience this is more gradual than you might think, especially if you are stable.

I have no experience with injectable AP medication, however. This going by my experience with transitions between various pill-base AP medications. An important point for caregivers to realize is these medications don’t usually behave like a switch. When I’ve talked to psychiatrists about transitioning between medications, they tend not to be less concerned about overlaps and withdrawals than I am. At least for me it was more of a psychological factor of anxiety about the transitions than the psychopharmacology.

Everyone is different, so I’d advise consulting a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant to confirm for your situation.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your reply
The medicine is causing serious side effects
Mania,difficulty or inability to urinate,loss of appetite,self harm tendencies insomnia agitation and restlessness akathsia headaches masklike face,…

4

Sorry to hear this. It’s unfortunate that it’s a long acting formula. To my knowledge there is no reversing agent. There is a very serious side effect from Abilify called NMS (Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome) off hand it doesn’t sound like this is his issue, but again I stress you should seek medical advice.

Reportably certain genotypes are more sensitive to this drug. There’s a genetic test for this. A main feature of the drug is it is activating which explains the akathisia and insomnia.

1 Like
5

Im not really sure why would a doctor prescribe this medicine along with Zyprexa
He’s taking 20 mg Zyprexa too
Zyprexa is so sedative but he’s not able to sleep so im not sure why would a doctor prescribe an activating medicine with a sedating medicine! I give him 20 Zyprexa but its like im giving him Red Bull !
Sometimes he becomes very angry and start pulling furniture or whatever is on his way and break it or throw it randomly!

6

I think it’s time for a second opinion. I’m not sure what sort of health insurance situation you are in, but some private insurance firms will advocate for you, as inappropriate care costs money in the long run for them.

1 Like
7

Additionally, you could look up the official medication information on the internet. I wouldn’t ignore serious side effects, but with some side effects, they may lessen as the body adjusts. Document everything you are observing. Stay in close touch with the doctor.

1 Like
8

Thank you for your reply
Here in California,mental health services suck
Psychiatrist just keep running experiments without trying to run any tests,and whatever information I provide they don’t care and always ignore and do the opposite
I live in San Jose (south bay area)
He’s on a long term injection that has a very long half life…
I called the police 5-6 times within 2 weeks period of time
The police just took him to EPS half an hour ago!

9

Im still waiting for an answer please help
Does anybody know how to calculate half lives and tell me how long would it take for this medicine to leave someone’s body?!
Thank you

10

Okay, a simple google of Aristad Intio Injection half life yields top result:

Excretion of ARISTADA INITIO For ARISTADA INITIO , the mean aripiprazole terminal elimination half - life was 15-18 days after injection.

Read the PDF at this link for the context of this information.

1 Like
11

Each medication has its own half-life. As MaggotBrane did for you, it requires looking up the information. We want to be helpful!!

12

Thanks for your reply
I know Abilify in pills form has a very long half life but not sure about how to calculate the injection,specially that there were 2
I don’t know how to calculate im very bad at it…
I appreciate the help :pray:

1 Like
13

When we have medical questions, it is usually preferred to ask the doctor first. Admittedly, some doctors are better than others, and it is always wise to learn as much as you can on your own. You obviously are trying to learn how to best help your son!