Selegiline

Generic name: Selegiline (oral)
Brand names: Zelapar

Usage of Selegiline

Selegiline prevents the breakdown of a chemical in your brain called dopamine (DO pa meen). Low levels of this chemical are associated with Parkinson's disease.

Selegiline is used together with other medicines to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Selegiline may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Selegiline side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Selegiline may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

trouble breathing;

confusion, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior;

increased tremors or uncontrolled muscle movements;

worsening side effects of your other medications;

high levels of serotonin in the body (when taken with an antidepressant)--agitation, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting; or

dangerously high blood pressure--severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, severe chest pain, shortness of breath, pounding heartbeats, or seizure (convulsions).

You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking selegiline. Talk with your doctor if this occurs.

Common side effects of selegiline may include:

dizziness;

nausea, stomach pain, constipation;

skin rash or other irritation;

sleep problems (insomnia); or

mouth sores or ulcers, pain with swallowing (while using selegiline orally disintegrating tablets).

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

Before taking Selegiline

You should not use selegiline if you are allergic to it, or if you have taken fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem and others) within the past 5 weeks.

Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used with selegiline. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use any of the following drugs:

cough medicine that contains Dextromethorphan;

cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril);

Meperidine (Demerol) or other narcotic (opioid) pain medicine;

methadone;

St. John's wort;

tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet);

an antidepressant--citalopram, Desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, Levomilnacipran, milnacipran, mirtazapine, nefazodone, paroxetine, venlafaxine, vilazodone, vortioxetine, and others; or

an MAO inhibitor--isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.

After you stop taking selegiline, you must wait at least 14 days before taking any of the medications listed above.

To make sure selegiline is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

liver or kidney disease;

high blood pressure; or

phenylketonuria (selegiline orally disintegrating tablets may contain phenylalanine).

People with Parkinson's disease may have a higher risk of skin cancer (melanoma). Talk to your doctor about this risk and what skin symptoms to watch for.

It is not known whether selegiline will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether selegiline passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How to use Selegiline

Usual Adult Dose for Parkinson's Disease:

Oral capsule and tablet: 5 mg orally twice a day taken at breakfast and lunchMaximum dose: 10 mg orally per dayOral disintegrating tablet:-Initial dose: 1.25 mg orally once a day for at least 6 weeks -After 6 weeks, the dose may be increased to 2.5 mg orally once a day if neededMaintenance dose: 1.25 to 2.5 mg orally once a day before breakfastMaximum dose: 2.5 mg orally once a dayComments:-Two to 3 days after initiating therapy with this drug, an attempt may be made to reduce the dose of Levodopa-Carbidopa; typically a 10% to 30% reduction is needed; further reductions may be possible during continued concomitant use. -There is no evidence that this drug has beneficial effect in the absence of concurrent levodopa therapy. Use: As an adjunct in the management of Parkinson's disease in patients being treated with levodopa-carbidopa who exhibit deterioration in the quality of their response to this therapy.

Usual Adult Dose for Depression:

Transdermal System: Initial dose: 6 mg/24 hours patch applied topically once a day-Based on clinical judgement, doses may be increased in increments of 3 mg/24 hours at intervals of no less than 2 weeks Maintenance dose: 6 mg/24 hours to 12 mg/24 hours patch applied topically once a day Maximum dose: 12 mg/24 hours Comments:-Full antidepressant effect may be delayed.-Tyramine-rich food should be avoided beginning on the first day of therapy with a dose of 9 mg/24 hours or 12 mg/24 hours and continued to be avoided for 2 weeks after these doses are reduced to 6 mg/24 hours or less. Use: Treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD)

Warnings

Serious drug interactions can occur when certain medicines are used together with selegiline. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all medicines you use now, and any medicine you start or stop using.

What other drugs will affect Selegiline

Many drugs can interact with selegiline, and some drugs should not be used together. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide. Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with selegiline. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com'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 should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com 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.