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What is tiagabine?

Tiagabine is an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant. It affects chemical impulses in the brain that cause seizures.

Tiagabine is used to alone or in combination with other medications to treat partial seizures in adults and children who are at least 12 years old.

Tiagabine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

Instructions

Side-effects

Interactions

Precautions

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to tiagabine.

Before taking tiagabine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs or if you have liver disease. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take tiagabine.

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medication. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several months of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

FDA pregnancy category C. Tiagabine may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether tiagabine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Tiagabine can cause side effects that may impair your vision or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by tiagabine.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of tiagabine.

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Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include slurred speech, weakness, drowsiness, muscle stiffness, problems with coordination, confusion, vomiting, weak or shallow breathing, increased seizures, or feeling hostile or agitated.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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Side-effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; fever; swollen glands; painful sores in or around your eyes or mouth; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• new or worsened seizures;
• confusion, hallucination;
• problems with speech or vision;
• severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• tremor;
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or
• chest pain, fast heart rate.

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, tired feeling;
• feeling restless, irritable, or depressed;
• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea;
• trouble concentrating;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• lack of coordination;
• cough, sore throat; or
• weight changes.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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Interactions

Before taking tiagabine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• medicine to treat a psychiatric disorder;
• diet pills, stimulants, or ADHD medication;
• carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol);
• divalproex (Depakote);
• phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
• phenytoin (Dilantin);
• primidone (Mysoline);
• valproic acid (Depakene); or
• narcotic medications such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic), hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph, and others), oxycodone (OxyContin), oxymorphone (Numorphan, Opana), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with tiagabine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

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