AZILECT 1 MG TABLETS - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

AZILECT® 1 mg tablets

(rasagiline mesilate)

Your medicine is known as AZILECT® 1 mg tablets, but will be referred to as AZILECT throughout the remainder of this leaflet. Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you. – Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

• – If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

• – This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.

• – If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4

What is in this leaflet

• 1. What AZILECT is and what it is used for

• 2. What you need to know before you take AZILECT

• 3. How to take AZILECT

• 4. Possible side effects

• 5. How to store AZILECT

• 6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. what azilect is and what it is used for

AZILECT contains the active substance rasagiline and it is used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in adults. It can be used together with or without Levodopa (another medicine that is used to treat Parkinson’s di­sease).

With Parkinson’s di­sease, there is a loss of cells that produce dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain involved in movement control. AZILECT helps to increase and sustain levels of dopamine in the brain.

2. what you need to know before you take azilect do not take azilect

• – If you are allergic to rasagiline or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

• – If you have severe liver problems.

Do not take the following medicines while taking AZILECT:

• – Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (e.g. for treatment of depression or Parkinson’s di­sease, or used for any other indication), including medicinal and natural products without prescription e.g. St. John’s Wort.

• – Pethidine (a strong pain killer).

You must wait at least 14 days after stopping AZILECT treatment and starting treatment with MAO inhibitors or pethidine.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before taking AZILECT

• – If you have any liver problems

• – You should speak with your doctor about any suspicious skin changes. Treatment with AZILECT may possibly increase the risk of skin cancer.

Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices that you are developing unusual behaviours where you cannot resist the impulse, urges or cravings to carry out certain harmful or detrimental activities to yourself or others. These are called impulse control disorders. In patients taking AZILECT and/or other medicines used to treat Parkinson’s di­sease, behaviours such as compulsions, obsessive thoughts, addictive gambling, excessive spending, impulsive behaviour and an abnormally high sex drive or an increase in sexual thoughts or feelings have been observed. Your doctor may need to adjust or stop your dose (see section 4).

AZILECT may cause drowsiness and may cause you to suddenly fall asleep during day time activities, especially if you are taking other dopaminergic medicinal products (used for the treatment of Parkinson’s di­sease). For further information please refer to section driving and using machines.

Children and adolescents

There is no relevant use of AZILECT in children and adolescents. Therefore, AZILECT is not recommended for use under the age of 18.

Other medicines and AZILECT

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Especially tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• – Certain antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants)

• – The antibiotic ciprofloxacin used against infections

• – The cough suppressant dextromethorphan

• – Sympathomimetics such as those present in eye drops, nasal and oral decongestants and cold medicine containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine

The use of AZILECT together with the antidepressants containing fluoxetine or fluvoxamine should be avoided.

If you are starting treatment with AZILECT, you should wait at least 5 weeks after stopping fluoxetine treatment.

If you are starting treatment with fluoxetine or fluvoxamine, you should wait at least 14 days after stopping AZILECT treatment.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are smoking or intend to stop smoking. Smoking could decrease the amount of AZILECT in the blood.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

You should avoid taking AZILECT if you are pregnant, as the effects of AZILECT on pregnancy and the unborn child are not known.

Driving and using machines

Ask your doctor for advice before you drive and operate machines, since Parkinson’s disease itself as well as the treatment with AZILECT may influence your ability to do so. AZILECT can make you feel dizzy or drowsy; it can also cause episodes of sudden sleep onset.

This might be enhanced if you take other medicines to treat the symptoms of your Parkinson’s di­sease, or if you take medicines which can make you feel drowsy, or if you drink alcohol while taking AZILECT. If you have experienced somnolence and/or episodes of sudden sleep onset before, or while taking AZILECT do not drive or operate machinery (see section 2)

3. how to take azilect

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. The recommended dose of AZILECT is 1 tablet of 1 mg taken by mouth once daily. AZILECT may be taken with or without food.

If you take more AZILECT than you should

If you think that you may have taken too many AZILECT tablets, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Take the AZILECT carton/ blister or bottle with you to show the doctor or pharmacist.

Symptoms reported following overdose of AZILECT included slightly euphoric mood (light form of mania), extremely high blood pressure and serotonin syndrome (see section 4).

If you forget to take AZILECT

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Take the next dose normally, when it is time to take it.

If you stop taking AZILECT

Do not stop taking AZILECT without first talking to your doctor.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Contact your doctor right away if you notice any of the following symptoms. You may need urgent medical advice or treatment:

• – If you develop unusual behaviours such as compulsions, obsessive thoughts, addictive gambling, excessive shopping or spending, impulsive behaviour and an abnormally high sex drive or an increase in sexual thoughts (impulse control disorders) (see section 2).

• – If you see or hear things which are not there (hallucinations).

• – Any combination of hallucinations, fever, restlessness, tremor and sweating (serotonin syndrome)

Contact your doctor if you notice any suspicious skin changes because there may be an increased risk of skin cancer (melanoma) with the use of this medicine (see section 2).

Other side effects

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• – Involuntary movements (dyskinesia)

• – Headache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• – Abdominal pain

• – Fall

• – Allergy

• – Fever

• – Flu (influenza)

• – General feeling of being unwell (malaise)

• – Neck pain

• – Chest pain (angina pectoris)

• – Low blood pressure when rising to a standing position with symptoms like dizziness/light-headedness (orthostatic hypotension)

• – Decreased appetite

• – Constipation

• – Dry mouth

• – Nausea and vomiting

• – Flatulence

• – Abnormal results of blood tests (leucopenia)

• – Joint pain (arthralgia)

• – Musculoskeletal pain

• – Joint inflammation (arthritis)

• – Numbness and muscle weakness of the hand (carpal tunnel syndrome)

• – Decreased weight

• – Abnormal dreams

• – Difficulty in muscular coordination (balance disorder)

• – Depression

• – Dizziness (vertigo)

• – Prolonged muscle contractions (dystonia)

• – Runny nose (rhinitis)

• – Irritation of the skin (dermatitis)

• – Rash

• – Bloodshot eyes (conjunctivitis)

• – Urinary urgency

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• – Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)

• – Heart attack (myocardial infarction)

• – Blistering rash (vesiculobullous rash)

Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data

• – Elevated blood pressure

• – Excessive drowsiness

• – Sudden onset of sleep

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed on this leaflet.

You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. how to store azilect

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton, bottle or blister after EXP.

The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not store above 30°C.

If the tablets become discoloured or show any signs of deterioration, seek the advice of your pharmacist who will advise you what to do. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. contents of the pack and other informationwhat azilect contains- the active substance is rasagiline. each tablet contains 1 mg rasagiline (as mesilate).

• – The other ingredients are mannitol, colloidal anhydrous silica, maize starch, pregelatinised maize starch, stearic acid, talc.

What AZILECT looks like and contents of the pack

AZILECT tablets are presented as white to off-white, round, flat, bevelled tablets, debossed with “GIL” and “1” underneath on one side and plain on the other side.

The tablets are available in blister packs of 28.

Other pack sizes are available.

Manufacturers

Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V.

Swensweg 5

2031 GA Haarlem

The Netherlands

and

Pliva Croatia Ltd.

Prilaz baruna Filipovica 25

10000 Zagreb,

Croatia

Procured from within the EU. ---------

Product Licence holder: POM

Ecosse Pharmaceuticals Li mited,

3 Young Place,

East Kilbride, G75 0TD, UK.

Re-packaged by:

Munro Wholesale Medical Supplies Limited,

3 Young Place,

East Kilbride,

G75 0TD. UK.

For any information about this medicinal product, please contact the local representative of the Product Licence Holder:

PLGB 19065/0654

This leaflet was last revised in 17.12.2021

E0654/2 09.20

If you are blind or partially sighted and require this leaflet in a different format, call 01355 574450 and ask for the Regulatory Department.

AZILECT® is a registered trademark of Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd