Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Study of Adjunctive Aripiprazole for Symptomatic Hyperprolactinemia In Premenopausal Women With Schizophrenia

This will be a 16-week, double blind, placebo controlled randomized trial of aripiprazole added to an existing stabilized regimen of antipsychotics (either risperidone or paliperidone oral or long acting injectable formulations) for treatment of elevated symptomatic prolactin levels. Aripiprazole dosing will begin at 5 mg/day once daily and increased to 10mg by mouth once daily at the end of week 2 and then increased to 15 mg/day once daily at the end of week 8 in women who have not yet regained their menstrual period. If a woman gets her menstrual period on the 5 or 10 mg dose she will remain on this dose for the study. Women will remain on their current stabilized medication regimen during the course of the adjunctive trial of aripiprazole or placebo. Subjects will be able to receive anticholinergic medications as needed (e.g., benztropine and diphenhydramine) for extrapyramidal side effects, propranolol for akathisia, and benzodiazepines (e.g.,lorazepam) for agitation or anxiety. Participants will be assigned to either get aripiprazole or placebo (a sugar pill), this will be decided randomly with a 50-50 chance of receiving one or the other medication. The placebo will be sucrose filled capsules that are identical to the active medication. It is double blind so no one will know if the capsule is placebo or aripiprazole. The dosing will be the exact same, one capsule taken daily until week 8. At this time 2 capsules will be given if the participant dose not regains their menstrual period.