Razadyne

Razadyne is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Razadyne belongs to a group of drugs called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. These work by stopping a specific enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine in the brain.

This medication comes as a tablet and oral (by mouth) solution and are usually taken twice a day, with the morning and evening meals.

Common side effects of Razadyne include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Razadyne can also cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Razadyne affects you.

Razadyne is a prescription medication used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a disease that impairs memory and the ability to think and perform daily activities. 

Razadyne may improve the ability to think and remember or slow the loss of these abilities in people who have Alzheimer's disease. However, Razadyne will not cure Alzheimer's disease or prevent the loss of mental abilities at some time in the future.

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

• Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Razadyne. See the "Razadyne Drug Precautions" section.

Common side effects of Razadyne include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Stomach upset
• Decreased heart rate
• Uncontrollable shaking in a part of your body
• Depression

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

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does 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:

• anticholinergics such as glycopyrrolate (Cuvposa, Robinul), trospium (Sanctura), oxybutynin (Anturol, Gelnique, Oxytrol, Ditropan), solifenacin (Vesicare), dicyclomine (Bentyl), propantheline (Pro-Banthine), and atropine (Atropen, Sal-Tropine)
• medications that block a protein in the body (CYP3A4) such as some macrolide antibiotics (clarithromycin, telithromycin), some HIV protease inhibitors (indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir), some HCV protease inhibitors (boceprevir, telaprevir), some azole antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole), conivaptan (Vaprisol), delavirdine (Rescriptor), and nefazodone
• medications that block a protein in the body (CYP2D6) such as quinidine (Qualaquin), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), amitriptyline (Elavil, Amitril), and paroxetine (Paxil)
• Cimetidine
• Cholinergics such as bethanechol (Urecholine), cevimeline (Evoxac), pilocarpine (Salagen)

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

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

• Bradycardia (slowing of the heart rate) and AV block (changes in heart rhythm. This can cause your body and your brain to not get enough oxygen. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of bradycardia and AV block:
  • Fainting, or nearly fainting
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weakness
  • Getting tired quickly or easily
  • Chest pain
• Increase in the amount of stomach acid produced. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of having more stomach acid:
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Stomach pain or burning
  • Bloody or tarry stools
  • Acid reflux or heart burn
  • Indigestion
• Bladder outflow obstruction. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of bladder obstruction:
  • pain in the stomach or abdomen
  • pain while urinating
  • Feeling that the bladder is always full
  • Not being able to urinate or pee completely 
  • Urinating or peeing often
  • Urinating slowly
• Seizures
• Worsening of asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of asthma or COPD
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty catching breath
  • Using inhalers more often

Razadyne can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Razadyne affects you.

Do not take Razadyne if you are allergic to Razadyne or 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 Razadyne, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

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

• are allergic to Razadyne or to any of its ingredients
• have, or have had, seizures
• have heart problems, or heart rhythm problems
• have liver problems
• have kidney problems
• will be having surgery that requires anesthesia
• only have mild cognitive impairment, and not Alzheimer's Disease
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

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.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Razadyne falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

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

It is not known if Razadyne crosses into human 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 Razadyne.

Take Razadyne exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes as a tablet and oral (by mouth) solution are usually taken twice a day, with food.

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 Razadyne 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 starting dose for Razadyne (galantamine) for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease is 4 mg twice a day. The maximum recommended dose for Razadyne (galantamine) is 12 mg twice daily.

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

If Razadyne is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Razadyne at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.