GALANTAMINE

(ga LAN ta meen) Brand: Razadyne, Razadyne ER

What is the most significant information I must know about galantamine?

• Till taking galantamine, speak your doctor if you have urination problems, heart malady, a heart rhythm mess, stomach ulcers or bleeding, a seizure mess, kidney malady, liver malady, or asthma.

• Stop using galantamine and call your doctor at once if you have chest pain, slow heart course, blood in your stools, coughing up blood, decreased urination, weakness, confusion, extreme thirst, or hot, dry skin.

• There are much another drugs that can interact with galantamine. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

• If you need surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are using galantamine. You may need to stop using the medication for a short time.

• If you have stopped taking galantamine for any cause, conversation with your doctor till you start taking it again. You may need to restart the medicine at a lower dose.

• This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

What is galantamine?

• Galantamine improves the function of nerve cells in the brain. It works by preventing the breakdown of a chemical called acetylcholine (ah see til KO leen). People with dementia generally have lower levels of this chemical, which is significant for the processes of memory, thinking, and reasoning.

• Galantamine is used to treat mild to temperate dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease.

• Galantamine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking galantamine?

• You must not use galantamine if you are allergic to it.

• To create certain you can safely take galantamine, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:

· urination problems;

· heart malady or a heart rhythm disorder;

· a history of stomach ulcer or bleeding;

· seizures or epilepsy;

· kidney disease;

· liver malady; or

· a history of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary malady (COPD).

• FDA pregnancy category B. Galantamine is not expected to harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

• It is not known whether galantamine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take galantamine?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results.

• The galantamine extended-release capsule is generally taken once for day in the morning. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• The galantamine short-acting tablet or the oral solution (liquid) are generally given two times for day, with meals. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• The extended-release capsule works excellent if you take it with food.

• Do not crush, chew, interrupt, or open an extended-release capsule. Swallow it intact. Breaking or opening the pill may reason too many of the drug to be released at one time.

• Measure the liquid using only the particular dose-measuring device provided. Empty the medication into 3 to 4 ounces of any non-alcoholic beverage. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away. Rinse the dose-measuring device with water after every use.

• The liquid form of this medicine comes with patient instructions for safety and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

• Take galantamine with a full glass of water. Drink 6 to 8 full glasses of water every day to hold from getting dehydrated while taking this medication.

• If you need surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are using galantamine. You may need to stop using the medication for a short time.

• If you have stopped taking galantamine for any cause, conversation with your doctor till you start taking it again. You may need to restart the medicine at a lower dose.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not let the liquid medication to freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include severe nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, muscle weakness or spasm, watery eyes, drooling, heighten urination or bowel movements, sweating, slow heart course, feeling light-headed or fainting, and seizure (convulsions).

What must I avoid while taking galantamine?

• This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

What are the possible side effects of galantamine?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Stop using galantamine and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· chest pain, slow heart rate;

· feeling like you might pass out;

· blood in your urine or stool;

· coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

· painful or difficult urination;

· urinating smaller than normal or not at all;

· weakness, confusion, decreased sweating, extreme thirst, hot dry skin; or

· nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· feeling weary, dizzy, or drowsy;

· headache, blurred vision, runny nose;

· depression, sleep problems (insomnia);

· nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite;

· weight loss; or

· unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect galantamine?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· donepezil (Aricept);

· erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole);

· ketoconazole (Nizoral);

· paroxetine (Paxil);

· rivastigmine (Exelon);

· atropine (Atreza, Sal-Tropine), belladonna (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm Scop);

· bladder or urinary medicines such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or solifenacin (Vesicare);

· bronchodilators such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva);

· irritable bowel medicines such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Hyomax), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine);

· NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others; or

· ulcer medications such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul) or mepenzolate (Cantil).

• This list is not complete and there are much another drugs that can interact with galantamine. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor. Hold a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about galantamine.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.