Solifenacin

Solifenacin is a prescription medication used to treat symptoms of an overactive bladder in adults. Solifenacin belongs to a group of drugs called antimuscarinic medications, which help the bladder muscles to relax.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken once a day, with or without food.

Common side effects include dry mouth, constipation, and urinary tract infections. Solifenacin can cause blurred vision or drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how it affects you.

Solifenacin is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of overactive bladder in adults.

Symptoms treated are:

• frequent urination
• urination leaking accidents

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

Solifenacin may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Vesicare

Solifenacin may cause serious side effects including:

• Serious allergic reaction. Stop taking solifenacin and get medical help right away if you have:
  • hives, skin rash or swelling
  • severe itching
  • swelling of your face, mouth or tongue
  • trouble breathing

The most common side effects of solifenacin include:

• dry mouth
• constipation. Call your doctor if you get severe stomach area (abdominal) pain or become constipated for 3 or more days.
• urinary tract infection
• blurred vision
• heat exhaustion or heat-stroke. This can happen when solifenacin is used in hot environments. Symptoms may include:
  • decreased sweating
  • dizziness
  • tiredness
  • nausea
  • increase in body temperature

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of solifenacin. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

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

• amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone);
• antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral);
• carbamazepine (Tegretol);
• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• cisapride (Propulsid);
• clarithromycin (Biaxin);
• cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune);
• danazol (Danocrine);
• delavirdine (Rescriptor);
• dexamethasone (Decadron);
• diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac);
• disopyramide (Norpace);
• dofetilide (Tikosyn);
• erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin);
• ethosuximide (Zarontin);
• fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem);
• fluvoxamine (Luvox);
• HIV protease inhibitors such as indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir);
• isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid);
• metronidazole (Flagyl); moxifloxacin (Avelox);
• nefazodone;
• phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
• phenytoin (Dilantin);
• pimozide (Orap);
• procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl);
• quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex);
• rifabutin (Mycobutin);
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane);
• sotalol (Betapace);
• sparfloxacin (Zagam);
• St. John's Wort;
• thioridazine (Mellaril);
• troglitazone (Rezulin);
• troleandomycin (TAO);
• verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);
• zafirlukast (Accolate).

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

Solifenacin can cause blurred vision or drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how solifenacin affects you.

Solifenacin can cause a serious allergic reaction. Stop taking solifenacin and get medical help right away if you have:

• rash
• hives or swelling
• severe itching
• diffifulty breathing

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with solifenacin and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.

Before you take solifenacin, tell your doctor if you:

• have any stomach or intestinal problems or problems with constipation
• have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream
• have an eye problem called "narrow angle glaucoma"
• have liver problems
• have kidney problems
• have a rare heart problem called "QT prolongation"
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription 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.

Solifenacin falls into category C. There are no well-controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. Solifenacin should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefit outweighs the possible risk to the unborn baby.

It is not known if solifenacin 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 solifenacin.

• Take solifenacin exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
• You should take 1 solifenacin tablet 1 time a day.
• You should take solifenacin with water and swallow the tablet whole.
• You can take solifenacin with or without food.
• If you miss a dose of solifenacin, begin taking solifenacin again the next day. Do not take 2 doses of solifenacin the same day.
• If you take too much solifenacin, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

Take solifenacin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

The recommended dose of solifenacin is 5 mg once daily. If the 5 mg dose is well tolerated, the dose may be increased to 10 mg once daily.

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

• Store solifenacin at 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Keep the bottle closed.
• Safely throw away medicine that is out of date or that you no longer need.
• Keep solifenacin and all medicines out of the reach of children.