Calls for clearer warnings on aripiprazole side effects (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: From the age of 11, I was prescribed the drug that soon led to me going to arcades to gamble. It just got worse from there.

[00:00:07] Speaker 2: Brandon had only just started secondary school when he was prescribed a drug for his Tourette's called aripiprazole, which works by boosting dopamine activity in the brain.

[00:00:18] Speaker 1: I was stealing from family. I'd borrowed from several people, maybe tens of people. It just got considerably worse, consistently worse, until I found myself in a lot of debt.

[00:00:27] Speaker 2: Brandon's mother says the family even flagged his gambling problems to doctors, but his dosage was increased. Brandon says he wasn't warned about the side effect by doctors.

[00:00:38] Speaker 1: It's ruined my life. I've pushed a lot of people away and struggled with just lying and being deceitful towards the people who have done everything for me in my life.

[00:00:47] Speaker 2: Although not something Brandon suffered from, aripiprazole is often prescribed for mental health problems, where families say it can be especially hard to spot their behaviour's potential link to the medication. Brandon wants greater warnings for those taking the drug and their families.

[00:01:04] Speaker 1: When doctors, especially in my case, have been told to warn patients, they need to warn them.

[00:01:12] Speaker 2: Aripiprazole is a generic drug, meaning it's manufactured by multiple companies, but underwent clinical trials and has been repeatedly approved for use across the world. Regulators told the BBC that this is because its benefits outweigh any risks, and that side effects are stated in leaflets. If you're affected by the issues raised in this report, you can find more information on the BBC's Action Line.