Rasagiline 1 mg tablets
Rasagiline
- 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.
1. What Rasagiline is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Rasagiline
3. How to take Rasagiline
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Rasagiline
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Rasagiline 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. Rasagiline helps to increase and sustain levels of dopamine in the brain.
- 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 Rasagiline:
- 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 Rasagiline treatment before starting treatment with MAO inhibitors or pethidine.
Talk to your doctor before taking Rasagiline
- If you have any liver problems
- You should speak with your doctor about any suspicious skin changes. Treatment with Rasagiline 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 rasagiline 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).
Rasagiline 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.
There is no relevant use of rasagiline in children and adolescents. Therefore, Rasagiline is not recommended for use under the age of 18.
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 Rasagiline together with the antidepressants containing fluoxetine or fluvoxamine should be avoided.
If you are starting treatment with Rasagiline, 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 Rasagiline treatment.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are smoking or intend to stop smoking. Smoking could decrease the amount of rasagiline in the blood.
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 rasagiline if you are pregnant, as the effects of rasagiline on pregnancy and the unborn child are not known
Ask your doctor for advice before you drive and operate machines, since Parkinson’s disease itself as well as the treatment with rasagiline may influence your ability to do so. Rasagiline 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 rasagiline. If you have experienced somnolence and/or episodes of sudden sleep onset before, or while taking rasagiline do not drive or operate machinery (see section 2).
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 rasagiline is 1 tablet of 1 mg taken by mouth once daily. Rasagiline may be taken with or without food.
If you think that you may have taken too many Rasagiline tablets, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Take the Rasagiline carton/blister or bottle with you to show the doctor or pharmacist. Symptoms reported following overdose of rasagiline included slightly euphoric mood (light form of mania), extremely high blood pressure and serotonin syndrome (see section 4).
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.
Do not stop taking Rasagiline without first talking to your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
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
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard 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.
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. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
For the bottle pack, only use for up to 2 months after first opening. After 2 months, take it back to the pharmacy.
Do not store above 25°C.
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.
- The active substance is rasagiline. Each tablet contains 1 mg rasagiline (as tartrate).
- The other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, citric acid, pregelatinised starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, stearic acid, talc.
Rasagiline tablets are presented as white to off-white, circular, flat tablets with "771" debossed on one side and "G" on other side, approximately 8 mm in diameter.
The tablets are available in blister packs of 7, 10, 28, 30, 60, 100 and 112 tablets or in a bottle containing 28 and 30 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited
Laxmi House
2-B Draycott Avenue
Kenton
Middlesex
HA3 0BU
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited
Building 2
Croxley Green Business Park
Croxley Green
Hertfordshire
WD18 8YA
United Kingdom
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals s.r.o.
Fibichova 143
566 17 Vysoké Mýto
Czech Republic
This leaflet was last revised in 04/2021.