 Health Guide Drug Guide Rasagiline (Oral route)Pronunciation:ra-SA-ji-leen Brand Names:
Dosage Forms:
Classifications:Therapeutic— Antiparkinsonian Pharmacologic— Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor, Type B Uses of This Medicine:Rasagiline is used alone or with levodopa for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a condition of the brain that becomes worse over time and may cause movement problems, rigidity, tremors, and slowed physical movement . This medicine is only available with your doctor's prescription. If you take this medicine and consume tyramine-rich foods, beverages, or dietary supplements or amines (from over-the-counter medicines), you could experience a hypertensive crisis or "cheese reaction". A hypertensive crisis (increase in blood pressure) is very serious and requires immediate medical attention. It is very important that you restrict dietary tyramine by avoiding the following tyramine-rich foods and beverages:
Before Using This Medicine:In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered: Allergies— Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Children— Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of rasagiline in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established . Older adults— Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatrics-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of rasagiline in the elderly . Pregnancy—
Breast-feeding— Studies suggest that this medication may alter milk production or composition. If an alternative to this medication is not prescribed, you should monitor the infant for side effects and adequate milk intake. Other medicines— Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Other interactions— Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other medical problems— The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Proper Use of This Medicine:The absorption of rasagiline is not affected by food, so this drug can be taken with or without food . Dosing— The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
Missed dose— If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Storage— Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Precautions While Using This Medicine:If you experience signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, you should seek immediate medical attention. Signs and symptoms include severe headache, blurred vision or visual disturbances, difficulty thinking, stupor or coma, seizures, chest pain, unexplained nausea or vomiting, or signs and symptoms of a stroke . You should not use any of the following medicines while you are taking rasagiline, or for 2 weeks after stopping rasagiline:
You should tell your doctor before having any surgery that requires general anesthesia. Rasagiline should be discontinued at least 14 days before surgery . Some studies have shown that patients with Parkinson's disease may have a higher risk of developing skin cancer. Therefore, it is very important that a dermatologist check you at regular visits for melanomas. You or your caregiver should also monitor for melanomas frequently and on a regular basis . If you are taking this medicine with levodopa, you may experience increased dyskinesia (e.g., twitching, twisting, uncontrolled repetitive movements of tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs) and postural low blood pressure (e.g., chills, cold sweats, confusion, dizziness, faintness, or light-headedness when getting up from lying or sitting position). Side Effects of This Medicine:
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur: Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them: Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Last Updated: 11/4/2010 Copyright © 1984-
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