ZONISAMIDE

(zoe NIS a mide) Brand: Zonegran

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

• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to zonisamide, or to another sulfa drugs such as sulfamethoxazole (Gantanol), sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin), or sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra, Sulfatrim, SMX-TMP, and others). A sulfa drug allergic reaction can be fatal.

• You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medicine. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

• Message any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

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

• Do not stop using zonisamide without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel beautiful. You may have heighten seizures if you stop using zonisamide suddenly. You may need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

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

• Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take zonisamide. Any medical care provider who treats you must know that you take seizure medication.

What is zonisamide?

• Zonisamide is a sulfa drug with anti-convulsant effects.

• Zonisamide is used together with another anti-convulsant medications to treat partial seizures in adults with epilepsy.

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

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

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

· liver disease;

· kidney disease;

· stomach flu or diseases causing diarrhea;

· a growth disorder;

· a bone mess that causes soft or weak bones or low bone mineral density;

· asthma or another breathing problems;

· a history of suicidal thoughts or actions; or

· if you have been on a high-protein, low-carb diet.

• You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medicine. Speak your doctor if you have new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first different months of treatment, or whenever your doze is changed.

• Your family or another caregivers must also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

• FDA pregnancy category C. Zonisamide can reason metabolic acidosis, which could harm an unborn child. Use effective birth control, and speak your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

• In animal research, zonisamide caused birth defects and infant death. It is not known whether these effects would occur in people using doses recommended for human use. Ask your doctor about your private risk.

• Zonisamide can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while you are using zonisamide.

• Do not give this medicine to a baby younger than 16 years old without the advice of a doctor.

How must I take zonisamide?

• 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.

• Take zonisamide with a full glass of water. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day to prevent kidney stones while you are taking zonisamide.

• Zonisamide can be taken with or without food.

• Swallow the zonisamide capsule intact. Do not crush, chew, open, or interrupt it.

• While using zonisamide, you may need blood trials at your doctor's office. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Seizures are often treated with a combination of drugs. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every medicine. Do not change your doses or medicine schedule without your doctor's advice.

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

• Do not stop taking zonisamide without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel beautiful. Stopping zonisamide suddenly may reason you to have seizures. You may need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

• If you do stop taking zonisamide for any cause, conversation with your doctor till restarting the medicine. You may need to restart at a lower dose.

• Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take zonisamide. Any medical care provider who treats you must know that you take seizure medication.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

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 slow heart course, feeling light-headed, fainting, and slow or shallow breathing.

What must I avoid while taking zonisamide?

• This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery before you know how zonisamide will affect you.

• Avoid drinking alcohol. It can magnify some of the side effects of zonisamide.

What are the possible side effects of zonisamide?

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

• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· heighten or worsening seizures;

· pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;

· fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat;

· severe pain in your lower back, blood in your urine;

· loss of appetite, weary feeling, problems with thinking or speech, trouble concentrating;

· feeling very thirsty or hot, being unable to urinate, hard sweating, or hot and dry skin without sweating;

· the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild; or

· severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your person or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the person or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· drowsiness;

· dizziness; or

· loss of balance or coordination.

• 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 zonisamide?

• Till using zonisamide, speak your doctor if you regularly use another medicines that create you sleepy (such as cool or allergy medication, sedatives, narcotic pain medication, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medication for depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by zonisamide.

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

· carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol);

· phenobarbital (Solfoton);

· phenytoin (Dilantin);

· topiramate (Topamax); or

· cool or allergy medication that contains an antihistamine.

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with zonisamide. 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.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about zonisamide.

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.

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