Egaten

Egaten is a prescription medication used to treat infections caused by the liver fluke in patients 6 years and older. Egaten belongs to a group of drugs called anthelmintics, which kills parasites.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken by mouth in 2 doses, 12 hours apart. Egaten is taken with food.

Common side effects of Egaten include pain in the abdomen, sweating, nausea, decreased appetite and headache.

Egaten is a prescription medication used to treat fascioliasis, commonly known as liver fluke infestation, in patients 6 years and older.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Egaten. See the “Egaten Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Egaten include the following:

• abdominal pain
• sweating
• nausea
• headache
• decreased appetite

This is not a complete list of Egaten side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• CYP2C19 enzyme substrates. There is possibly potential for higher concentrations of other medications when given with Egaten. These include medications such as:

  • aripiprazole (Abilify)
  • carisoprodol (Soma)
  • citalopram (Celexa)
  • clomipramine (Anafranil)
  • clopidogrel (Plavix)
  • clozapine (clozaril)
  • desipramine (Norpramin)
  • diazepam (Valium)
  • diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  • doxepin (Sinequan)
  • escitalopram (Lexapro)
  • fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • imipramine (Tofranil)
  • lansoprazole (Prevacid)
  • mephenytoin (Messatoin)
  • methadone
  • moclobemide (Manerix)
  • nelfinavir (Viracept)
  • olanzapine (Zyprexa)
  • omeprazole (Prilosec)
  • pantoprazole (Protonix)
  • pentamidine
  • phenobarbital
  • phenytoin (Dilantin)
  • proguanil
  • propranolol (Inderal)
  • rabeprazole (Aciphex)
  • sertraline (Zoloft)
  • thalidomide
  • voriconazole (Vfend)

This is not a complete list of Egaten drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Egaten including the following:

• QT prolongation. A change in the heart's rhythm has been seen in dogs on this type of medication. Patients with a history of abnormal heart rhythm should be monitored. This is especially true for patients who have symptoms that show a prolonged QT interval or when this medication is used with other medications that can affect the heart rhythm.

Do not take Egaten if you:

• are allergic to Egaten or to any of its ingredients

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Egaten, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Egaten, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Egaten or to any of its ingredients
• have or have had any issues with the heart or heart rhythm
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Egaten. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication. A healthcare provider can help determine if taking Egaten is right for you.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Egaten crosses into human milk. However, in some animal studies, it has been found to be present in animal milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Egaten.

Take Egaten exactly as prescribed.

Egaten comes in tablet form and is taken by mouth in 2 doses, 12 hours apart.

Take with food. Egaten tablets can be swallowed whole or cut in half and taken with water. Egaten tablets can also be crushed and mixed with applesauce. If it is crushed and mixed, it is stable for up to 4 hours.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Egaten at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age
• your gender

The recommended dose of Egaten is 2 doses of 10 mg/kg given 12 hours apart in patients 6 years of age and older. The 250 mg tablets are scored and can be divided into two equal halves of 125 mg.

If you take too much Egaten, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Egaten at room temperature.

• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.