Zelax Side effects

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• Side effects of Zelax in details
• Zelax contraindications
• Zelax reviews

What are the possible side effects of Zelax?

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

Report 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.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;

• racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness;

• low levels of sodium in the body - headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady; or

• severe nervous system reaction - very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out.

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Common Zelax side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness, weakness;

• sweating, feeling shaky or anxious;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• dry mouth, loss of appetite;

• nausea, constipation;

• yawning;

• weight changes; or

• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

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.

Side effects of Zelax in details

Applies to Zelax: oral solution, oral tablet

In addition to its needed effects, some unwanted effects may be caused by Zelax. In the event that any of these side effects do occur, they may require medical attention.

Major Side Effects

You should check with your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur when taking Zelax:

Rare

• Coma
• confusion
• convulsions
• decreased urine output
• dizziness
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• headache
• increased thirst
• muscle pain or cramps
• nausea or vomiting
• shortness of breath
• swelling of the face, ankles, or hands
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Minor Side Effects

Some of the side effects that can occur with Zelax may not need medical attention. As your body adjusts to the medicine during treatment these side effects may go away. Your health care professional may also be able to tell you about ways to reduce or prevent some of these side effects. If any of the following side effects continue, are bothersome or if you have any questions about them, check with your health care professional:

More common:

• Constipation
• decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• diarrhea
• dry mouth
• ejaculation delay
• gas in the stomach
• heartburn
• inability to have or keep an erection
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
• trouble sleeping

• Bloated or full feeling
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chills
• cough
• decreased appetite
• excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
• fever
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• increased sweating
• joint pain
• muscle aches and pains
• not able to have an orgasm
• pain in the neck or shoulders
• pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones
• passing gas
• runny nose
• shivering
• sneezing
• sore throat
• stuffy nose
• tightness of the chest
• tooth problems
• trouble breathing
• unusual dreams
• unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness or feeling of sluggishness
• yawning

What is the most important information I should know about Zelax?

• Zelax solution may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Zelax solution with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Do not drink alcohol while you are using Zelax solution.
• Check with your doctor before you use medicines that may cause drowsiness (eg, sleep aids, muscle relaxers) while you are using Zelax solution; it may add to their effects. Ask your pharmacist if you have questions about which medicines may cause drowsiness.
• One to 4 weeks may pass before your symptoms improve. Do NOT take more than the recommended dose, change your dose, or use Zelax solution for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
• Children, teenagers, and young adults who take Zelax solution may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts or actions. Watch all patients who take Zelax solution closely. Contact the doctor at once if new, worsened, or sudden symptoms such as depressed mood; anxious, restless, or irritable behavior; panic attacks; or any unusual change in mood or behavior occur. Contact the doctor right away if any signs of suicidal thoughts or actions occur.
• Zelax solution and a medicine called citalopram have the same active ingredient. Do not take Zelax solution if you are also taking citalopram.
• If your doctor tells you to stop taking Zelax solution, you will need to wait for several weeks before beginning to take certain other medicines (eg, MAOIs, nefazodone). Ask your doctor when you should start to take your new medicines after you have stopped taking Zelax solution.
• Zelax solution may rarely cause a prolonged, painful erection. This could happen even when you are not having sex. If this is not treated right away, it could lead to permanent sexual problems such as impotence. Contact your doctor right away if this happens.
• Serotonin syndrome is a possibly fatal syndrome that can be caused by Zelax solution. Your risk may be greater if you take Zelax solution with certain other medicines (eg, "triptans," MAOIs). Symptoms may include agitation; confusion; hallucinations; coma; fever; fast or irregular heartbeat; tremor; excessive sweating; and nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Contact your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms.
• Certain antidepressants, including Zelax solution, may increase the risk of bleeding. Sometimes, bleeding can be life-threatening. Discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor.
• Some people may be at risk for eye problems from Zelax solution. Your doctor may want you to have an eye exam to see if you are at risk for these eye problems. Call your doctor right away if you have eye pain, vision changes, or swelling or redness in or around the eye.
• Use Zelax solution with caution in the ELDERLY; they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially low blood sodium levels.
• Caution is advised when using Zelax solution in CHILDREN; they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.
• Zelax solution should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 12 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
• Zelax solution may cause weight changes. CHILDREN and teenagers may need regular weight and growth checks while they take Zelax solution.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Zelax solution may cause harm to the fetus if it is used during the last 3 months of pregnancy. If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Zelax solution while you are pregnant. Zelax solution is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Zelax solution.

Zelax contraindications

Zelax is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected convulsive disorders, since it is known to lower the seizure threshold. It is also contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to the drug, and in those with existing severe hepatic or renal damage or a history of severe blood dyscrasias. Patients with narrow angle glaucoma, or with urinary retention (i.e., due to prostatic disease) should not receive maprotiline because of its anticholinergic properties. Zelax is contraindicated during the acute recovery phase following myocardial infarction in the presence of acute congestive heart failure, and in patients with conduction defects. Zelax should not be given in conjunction with, or within 14 days of treatment with a MAO inhibitor. Combined therapy of this type could lead to the appearance of serious interactions such as hyperpyrexia, tremors, generalized clonic convulsions, delirium and possible death. Zelax should not be employed, or should be withdrawn, in cases of acute poisoning with alcohol, hypnotics, analgesics or psychotropic drugs. Maptrotiline should not be used by children.

References

1. European Chemicals Agency - ECHA. "(1S)-1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3H-2-benzofuran-5-carbonitrile: The information provided here is aggregated from the "Notified classification and labelling" from ECHA's C&L Inventory. ". https://echa.europa.eu/information-o... (accessed September 17, 2018).
2. NCIt. "Escitalopram: NCI Thesaurus (NCIt) provides reference terminology for many systems. It covers vocabulary for clinical care, translational and basic research, and public information and administrative activities.". https://ncit.nci.nih.gov/ncitbrowser... (accessed September 17, 2018).
3. KEGG. "Cytochrome P450 interactions". http://www.genome.jp/kegg-bin/get_ht... (accessed September 17, 2018).

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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology