Aristada, made simple.
Aristada is a long-acting medicine for schizophrenia. It is an injection given by your care team, and one of its strengths is flexibility: depending on your dose, it can be monthly, every 6 weeks, or every 2 months. This guide explains how it works and what to expect. A Mississippi pharmacist wrote it for you, with care.
This guide is here to teach you. It is not medical advice, and it does not replace your doctor or pharmacist. Always do what your doctor tells you, and ask a pharmacist before you change how you take any medicine.
Print this guide for your fridgeWhat Aristada is and why your doctor gave it to you
Aristada is a medicine for schizophrenia in adults. Its other name is aripiprazole lauroxil.
It is a long-acting injection. Instead of a daily pill, you get an injection from your care team on a regular schedule. One of the helpful things about Aristada is that the schedule can be matched to your dose: some people get it monthly, some every 6 weeks, and some every 2 months.
You may also hear about Aristada Initio. That is a separate, one-time starter injection. It is used only to begin treatment or to restart it after a gap. It is not a regular dose, and it is explained in the dose section below.
The simple version: Aristada is a long-acting injection that keeps your treatment steady without a daily pill, and the schedule can be set to fit your life.
How Aristada works
Schizophrenia involves brain chemicals being out of balance, especially dopamine.
Aristada delivers aripiprazole, a medicine that works in a balancing way. Rather than simply blocking dopamine, it steadies the signal, calming it where it runs too high and supporting it where it runs too low.
As a long-acting injection, the medicine releases slowly and steadily between appointments. That steady level is the point: even, reliable treatment without depending on a perfect daily routine.
Your dose, and how treatment is started
Aristada is given by your care team, not by you at home. Your doctor decides your dose and your schedule, which can be monthly, every 6 weeks, or every 2 months. This page will not tell you what dose you should be on.
Starting Aristada is done one of two ways, and your doctor picks. In one way, you get a single Aristada Initio starter injection plus one aripiprazole pill on the start day, and your regular Aristada injections begin shortly after. In the other way, there is no Initio injection, and instead you take an aripiprazole pill every day for 21 days starting the day of your first injection. Both get the medicine to a steady level safely.
After the start, it is just your regular Aristada injection on schedule. One firm rule: an Aristada injection is never given sooner than 14 days after the last one.
Your appointment schedule, and missed appointments
Aristada is given on a schedule by your care team. Whether yours is monthly, every 6 weeks, or every 2 months, the important habit is to keep each appointment. Put the next one on your calendar before you leave.
If you have to miss an appointment, what to do next is the important part.
If you miss a dose:
- If you cannot make an injection appointment, call your clinic right away.
- Depending on how long it has been, your care team may give the Aristada Initio starter injection again alongside your regular dose, to bring your medicine level back up smoothly.
- Do not wait until your next scheduled date, and do not assume the gap does not matter.
- Fairview can help if cost or a ride is the obstacle. Call us before the date.
Side effects, what is normal and what is not
Common, and usually manageable.
- Soreness or a firm spot where the injection was given.
- Restlessness, or a feeling that you need to keep moving.
- Some weight gain.
- Feeling drowsy or sleepy.
Call your doctor if you notice:
- New urges that are hard to control, such as gambling, shopping, eating, or sexual urges. Aristada delivers aripiprazole, which can cause this. It is treatable, and it is important to mention.
- Signs of higher blood sugar, or notable weight gain.
- Feeling dizzy or faint, especially when you stand up.
- New movements you cannot control, of the face, tongue, or hands.
Go to the emergency room right away if:
- You have a high fever, very stiff muscles, sweating, and confusion all together.
- You have a fast or irregular heartbeat, or you faint.
- You have a fever with a sore throat and mouth sores.
What to be careful with
Aristada delivers aripiprazole, the same medicine as in Abilify Maintena, so the cautions are the same. One worth naming clearly: aripiprazole can, in some people, trigger strong urges that are hard to control, most often gambling, but also shopping, eating, or sexual urges. This is a known side effect, not a personal failing. If you or your family notice it, tell the prescriber, and adjusting the dose usually settles it.
On other medicines: certain antifungal and antibiotic medicines can raise the level of aripiprazole, and certain seizure medicines can lower it. Your doctor may adjust around those.
The simple rule: tell every doctor and every pharmacist that you get Aristada injections, and mention any new medicine or supplement before you start it. Every single time.
Alcohol can add to drowsiness and dizziness, so it is best avoided or kept minimal.
What it costs
The cost is different for every person, because every insurance plan is different.
Here is the honest way to find your price. If you pay cash, call Fairview and we will give you a price for your situation. If you have private insurance, there may be a coupon or a savings program from the maker of the drug that helps lower your cost, and we will check if one is available for you. The best step is to let a pharmacist look at your plan. We do this for every patient.
Do not let cost make you skip doses. Call us first. There is almost always something we can do.
There is also a generic version of many medicines. The generic is the same medicine. Ask your pharmacist if a generic is a good fit for you.
What should be checked
Aristada works best alongside some regular checks that keep you safe and confirm the medicine is helping.
Your doctor should check, now and then:
- Your weight, your blood sugar, and your cholesterol.
- Whether any new compulsive urges have appeared.
- Your blood pressure, including whether you feel dizzy standing up.
- Any new movements you cannot control.
Your pharmacist can help by:
- Keeping your full medicine list and checking new prescriptions against it.
- Answering questions about side effects between appointments.
- Helping with cost and assistance programs.
- Keeping your information private, always.
At Fairview, we keep an eye on our Aristada patients between appointments. Your care is handled discreetly and with respect.
Special situations
Not for older adults with dementia.
There is an FDA warning that all medicines in this group, including Aristada, raise the risk of death when used in older adults who have dementia. Aristada is approved for schizophrenia, not for dementia. If a loved one with dementia has been prescribed it, ask the prescriber about this directly, so the decision is made with full information.
Compulsive urges.
Because Aristada delivers aripiprazole, it can in some people cause strong urges to gamble, shop, eat, or have sex. It is a side effect, not a moral failing. If you or someone close to you notices it, tell the prescriber. Adjusting the dose usually settles it.
The 14 day rule.
An Aristada injection is never given sooner than 14 days after the last one. If you think a dose is needed early, that is a conversation for your care team, but the 14 day floor is firm.
Driving and machinery.
This medicine can cause drowsiness or dizziness, especially at first. Until you know how it affects you, do not drive or use heavy machinery.
Pregnancy.
If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, tell your doctor. Babies exposed to antipsychotic medicines late in pregnancy can have muscle stiffness or withdrawal signs after birth. Treatment is planned carefully with your doctor.
Cost should never be the reason you stop.
There is a manufacturer savings program, and an assistance program for people with limited income. If cost is a worry, call Fairview before you miss an appointment.
How Fairview helps Aristada patients
When Fairview is part of your Aristada care, here is what you get. This is normal care for us, and it is always private.
When you start:
- We check all your other medicines and supplements against Aristada.
- We explain how the start works, including any starter pills.
- We talk through cost and help you find any program you qualify for.
Along the way:
- We answer questions about side effects between appointments.
- We check any new prescription against your medicine list.
- We help you keep your appointments on track.
On our own, without being asked:
- If we see a medicine that does not mix well, we call your doctor.
- We check your cost regularly to keep it as low as possible.
- We keep your care discreet and respectful, always.
Questions people ask about Aristada
Aristada treats schizophrenia in adults. It is given as a long-acting injection by your care team, so there is no daily pill to remember.
Related guides
Have a question about your Aristada? Ask a pharmacist you can trust.
A long-acting injection takes the daily pressure off and keeps treatment steady, and Aristada lets the schedule fit your life. Fairview is here to support you and your family through it, privately and without judgment.