Now I can question my prescriptions

I am bipolar and I have to take Abilify, and sometimes Clonazepam when needed to control my mood swings. In the past, I've had doctors that overmedicated me. So when I saw this book at the CVS while picking up my prescriptions, I thought it was an important reference book that I should add to my library.

The one I have is the new and revised 12th edition, and boasts of being the illustrated guide to the most prescribed drugs in the U.S. including self-injectables, and a 32-page color section.

What I love about the book is it's very easy to use, like looking up a word in the dictionary. You simply find the pill you are curious about and a wealth of information is presented. I guess it's more like an encyclopedia.

When I looked up Abilify I found all of this:

Aripiprazole (ah-rih-PIP-rah-zole)
Brand Name: Abilify
Type of Drug: Antipsychotic
Prescribed for: Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

General Information

Cautions and Warnings

Possible Side Effects

Drug Interactions

Food Interactions

Usual Dose (Adult: 10-15 mg once a day) Why do they have me on 30mg?

Overdosage: Symptoms include tiredness and vomiting. Take victim to hospital emergency room. (I have been very tired lately.)

Special Information

Special Populations

Each section discusses in detail what one would want to know about the medicine.

Over-the-counter pills are not included in this book, only prescriptions.

The color section is photographs of the most commonly prescribed pills. (Abilify is the first one depicted, and then like an index lists the page number for the full description.) But there is also a regular index in the back where you can look up generic and brand names to find the page of the pill faster.

Every home should have this reference book. I purchased it new at the CVS for $6.99. I'm sure any bookstore or drugstore carries it, but you'll probably save money purchasing it online.