TACRINE
(TAK rin) Brand: Cognex
What is the most significant information I must know about tacrine?
• Till taking tacrine, speak your doctor if you have heart malady or a heart rhythm mess such as "sick sinus syndrome" (slow heartbeats), an enlarged prostate, urination problems, asthma, obstructive pulmonary malady, or a seizure mess such as epilepsy.
• Tacrine is most effective when taken between meals on an empty stomach, but you may take it with food if it upsets your stomach.
• It is significant to use tacrine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled till you run out of medication completely.
• Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results from this medication.
• Do not change your tacrine doze without your doctor's advice. Taking this medicine improperly can lead to serious behavioral side effects or a worsening of Alzheimer's symptoms.
• Call your doctor at once if you have serious side effects such as confusion, hallucinations, extreme or sudden changes in behavior, seizure (convulsions), pain or burning when you urinate, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• Do not stop taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking tacrine suddenly, your condition may become worse.
• Tacrine can reason side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
What is tacrine?
• Tacrine 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.
• Tacrine is used to treat mild to temperate dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease.
• Tacrine may also be used for purposes another than those listed in this medicine guide.
What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking tacrine?
• Do not use this medicine if you are allergic to tacrine, or if you have ever had jaundice or another liver problems while taking tacrine.
• Till taking tacrine, speak your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
· liver disease;
· a heart rhythm mess such as "sick sinus syndrome" (slow heartbeats);
· a history of stomach ulcers;
· an enlarged prostate or urination problems;
· epilepsy or another seizure mess; or
· asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary malady (COPD).
• If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use tacrine, or you may need dosage adjustments or particular trials during treatment.
• FDA pregnancy category C. This medicine may be deleterious to an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
• It is not known whether tacrine 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 tacrine?
• Take this medicine exactly as it was predesigned for you. Do not take the medicine in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
• Take this medicine with a full glass of water.
• Tacrine is most effective when taken between meals on an empty stomach, but you may take it with food if it upsets your stomach.
• It is significant to use tacrine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled till you run out of medication completely.
• Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results from this medication.
• Do not change your tacrine doze without your doctor's advice. Taking this medicine improperly can lead to serious behavioral side effects or a worsening of Alzheimer's symptoms.
• When you first start using tacrine, you may have minor side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These side effects may also occur whenever your doze is changed, or if you start taking tacrine again after being off the drug for awhile.
• Do not stop taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking tacrine suddenly, your condition may become worse.
• To be certain this medicine is not causing deleterious effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
• If you need to have any type of surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are taking tacrine. You may need to stop using the medication for a short time.
• Store tacrine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the missed doze and take the medication at your following regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medicine.
• Overdose symptoms may include severe nausea or vomiting, drooling, sweating, slow heart course, feeling light-headed, fainting, muscle weakness, seizure (convulsions), coma, or respiratory failure (breathing stops).
What must I avoid while taking tacrine?
• Tacrine can reason side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
What are the possible side effects of tacrine?
• 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.
• Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
· confusion, hallucinations;
· extreme or sudden changes in behavior;
· seizure (convulsions);
· pain or burning when you urinate; or
· nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• Smaller serious side effects of tacrine include:
· mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach;
· weight loss;
· urinating more than usual;
· agitation, depressed mood;
· skin rash, heighten sweating;
· fever or chills, runny nose, cough;
· dizziness, drowsiness, weary feeling;
· joint or muscle pain; or
· weakness, lack of coordination.
• Side effects another than those listed here may also occur. Conversation to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What another drugs will affect tacrine?
• Till taking tacrine, speak your doctor if you are using any of the next drugs:
· atropine (Atreza, Sal-Tropine, and others);
· cimetidine (Tagamet);
· dicyclomine (Bentyl);
· donepezil (Aricept);
· fluvoxamine (Luvox);
· galantamine (Razadyne);
· glycopyrrolate (Robinul);
· hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Levbid, Levsin, Nulev, and others);
· mepenzolate (Cantil);
· methscopolamine (Pamine);
· propantheline (Pro-Banthine);
· rivastigmine (Exelon);
· scopolamine (Maldemar, Scopace, Transderm-Scop); or
· theophylline (Theo-Dur, Elixophyllin, Theolair, Slo-Bid, Uniphyl).
• If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use tacrine, or you may need dosage adjustments or particular trials during treatment.
• There may be another drugs not listed that can affect tacrine. Speak your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start using a new medicine without telling your doctor.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has information about tacrine written for health professionals that you may read.
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.