| What is Geodon used for? Geodon
is an antipsychotic medicine. Antipsychotic medicines are
used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia that may include:
- hearing voices, seeing things, or sensing
things that are not there
- mistaken beliefs
- unusual suspiciousness
- becoming withdrawn from family and friends
Who should NOT take Geodon?
Geodon can increase your chance of an abnormal
heart rhythm (the way your heart beats) if you have certain
heart conditions or take certain medicines. Therefore do not
take Geodon if you have the following heart conditions:
- long QT syndrome (a specific heart rhythm
problem)
- a recent heart attack
- severe heart failure
- certain irregularities of heart rhythm
(discuss the specifics with your doctor)
Do not take Geodon if you are currently taking
medications that should not be taken while you are taking
Geodon, such as:
- dofetilide (Tikosyn®)
- sotalol (Betapace®)
- quinidine
- certain anti arrhythmics
- mesoridazine (Serentil®)
- thioridazine (Mellaril®)
- chlorpromazine (Thorazine®)
- droperidol (Inapsine®)
- pimozide (Orap®)
- sparfloxacin (Zagam®)
- gatifloxacin (Tequin)
- moxifloxacin (Avelox®)
- halofantrine (Halfan®)
- mefloquine (Lariam®)
- pentamadine (Pentam®)
- arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®)
- levomethadyl acetate (Orlaam®)
- dolasetron mesylate (Anzemet®)
- probucol (Lorelco®)
- tacrolimus (Prograf®)
Do not take Geodon if you are allergic to
Geodon or any of the other ingredients of Geodon.
General Precautions with Geodon:
Geodon may have a higher risk than some other
medicines for schizophrenia because it may change the way the
electrical current in the heart works more than some other drugs.
We do not know whether this will be harmful, but some other
medicines that cause this kind of change have sometimes caused
rare dangerous heart rhythm problems. Because of this possible
risk, Geodon should be used only after your doctor has considered
this risk for Geodon against the risks and benefits of other
medicines available for treating schizophrenia.
Dizziness, and sometimes fainting, caused
by a drop in blood pressure may happen with Geodon, especially
when you first start taking this medicine or when the dose
is increased.
Because Geodon can cause sleepiness, be
careful when operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle,
until you know how this medicine affects you.
Geodon may interfere with the ability of
your body to adjust to heat. Therefore, avoid high temperatures
and high humidity.
Do not drink alcohol while taking Geodon.
What should I tell my health care provider?
Only your health care provider can decide
if Geodon is right for you. Before you start Geodon, be sure
to tell your health care provider if you:
- are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant.
We do not know if Geodon can harm your baby.
- are breast-feeding. We do not know if Geodon
can pass into your milk and if it can harm your baby.
- have or had any problem with the way your
heart beats or any heart related illness or disease.
- any family history of heart disease or
heart problems.
- have or had any problem with fainting or
dizziness.
- have or had liver problems.
- have ever had an allergic reaction to Geodon
or any of the other ingredients of Geodon capsules. Ask
your doctor or pharmacist for a list of these ingredients.
Tell your health care provider about the
medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription
medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines
can cause serious side effects if taken while you also take
Geodon. Some medicines may affect how Geodon works, or Geodon
may affect how your other medicines work. Check with your
health care provider before starting any new prescription
or non-prescription medicine, vitamin, or herbal supplement.
Your health care provider may want you to
get more laboratory tests to see if Geodon is the right treatment
for you.
What are some possible side effects of Geodon?
(This is NOT a complete list of side effects
reported with Geodon. Your health care provider can discuss
with you a more complete list of side effects.)
Geodon may cause dangerous problems with your
heart rhythm (the way your heart beats). Call your health
care provider right away if you:
- faint or lose consciousness
- feel a change in the way your heart normally
beats (palpitations)
Common side effects of Geodon include the
following:
- feeling unusually tired or sleepy
- nausea or upset stomach
- constipation
- dizziness
- restlessness
- abnormal muscle movements, including tremor,
shuffling, and uncontrolled involuntary movements
- diarrhea
- rash
- increased cough / runny nose
For more detailed information about Geodon, ask your health
care provider or pharmacist.
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