Is my 11 year old grandson safe in taking the medication called Abilify?


Question:
He has ADHD and his doctor prescribed this medication. However, when I checked this medication out on the net, it says it has never been tried for children under 18. Is it safe and his mg is 5. It has can even cause death, convulsions, etc. Please help before I start this med on
Sunday October 8, 2006. Thanks!

Answers:
I have very mixed views about this medication. I was on it last year for bi-polar and it made me so ill. I had nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, muscular twitching and aching, headaches, blurred vision and palpitations. The Doctors told me the side effects would subside, but they didn't. Eventually I felt so ill and fatigued I took myself off it. Also at the time that it was prescribed it had not been licensed in this country. I don't know whether this is still the case. It is, in my opinion a really powerful drug, and the long term effects of it are still not known. Personally I would air on the side of caution. I know everybody has their own individual reactions to medications but, for an 11 year old I just think it is too young. My body couldn't handle it I am 32. Maybe you could show the Doctor the information that you have found on the net and tell him your concerns. There are certainly lots of other medications out there that do the same thing, with half of the side effects. I think your child has enough to deal with, without feeling unwell on a daily basis. I wish you luck. P.S One thing I will say is don't be too fearful of the list of dangerous side effects as they are really rare, but by law they have to inform the patient.
If you feel unsure about him taking a medication that is not usually prescribed for children, I would definately talk to his doctor about it, see if you can get him switched to Ritalin, Strattera, Adderall, Concerta or something like that. There are a lot of meds that are used for ADHD that are safe for use in children.


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