How to Take ZELAPAR
When should I take ZELAPAR?
How do I remove the ZELAPAR tablet?
Remember that your pharmacist knows a great deal about medications. For tips on talking with your pharmacist, click here.
What else should I know?
ZELAPAR has an initial dose and a maintenance dose—normally, patients start on 1 tablet, and your doctor may increase the dose to 2 tablets at an appropriate time.
Are there any reasons not to take ZELAPAR?
You and your doctor will decide whether ZELAPAR is right for you.
ZELAPAR is not recommended:
Rare cases of hypertensive reactions have been reported when patients have taken the recommended daily dose of conventional selegiline (tablets you have to swallow) and have eaten foods containing tyramine.
In general, at least 14 days should pass between treatment with a tricyclic antidepressant or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and treatment with ZELAPAR, and 5 weeks between treatment with Prozac® (fluoxetine) and treatment with ZELAPAR.
Remember that only your doctor can say for sure whether ZELAPAR is right for you. You may wish to print pages from this Web site to start the dialogue.
For additional information, see ZELAPAR Safety and the full prescribing information.
Prozac is a registered trademark of Eli Lily and Company.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Indication
Zelapar is added to levodopa/carbidopa treatment of Parkinson’s disease in patients who are experiencing a reduced response to this therapy. There is no evidence from clinical studies that Zelapar provides any benefit if used without levodopa therapy.
Important Safety Information
Zelapar should not be taken by patients who are allergic to selegiline or any of the ingredients in Zelapar. Zelapar should not be taken along with certain other medications, including:
Zelapar is not usually recommended in combination with antidepressant medications such as tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Be sure to discuss with your doctor any medication you are taking.
Do not take more than 2 tablets of Zelapar a day (2.5 mg) because of rare cases of high blood pressure reported when conventional selegiline tablets were taken along with foods containing tyramine.
In clinical studies, cases of low blood pressure were higher in elderly patients taking Zelapar than in patients taking placebo (a sugar pill), but this was not seen in nonelderly patients. Zelapar may increase some side effects of levodopa and may cause or worsen dyskinesia. Lowering the dose of levodopa may reduce this side effect. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or may become pregnant, because Zelapar is used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit to the mother justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
The most common side effects reported in clinical studies were dizziness, nausea, pain, headache, sleeplessness, runny nose, dyskinesia, back pain, soreness in the mouth or throat, and indigestion.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 800.FDA.1088.
Click here for full prescribing information.