What is tetrabenazine used to treat?
Tetrabenazine is used to treat chorea (a movement disorder) that is caused by Huntington disease. Tetrabenazine works in the central nervous system (CNS) to prevent the absorption of certain chemicals (such as dopamine and serotonin). This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
How quickly does tetrabenazine work?
Tetrabenazine needs to be taken for 1 to 2 weeks before you notice improvement in your symptoms. You may notice improvement earlier if tetrabenazine is combined with other medications. A delay in response is normal.
Is tetrabenazine a sedative?
The most commonly reported adverse effects include sedation and somnolence, insomnia, depression, anxiety, akathisia, nausea, and fatigue.
What type of medicine is tetrabenazine?
Tetrabenazine is used to treat chorea (sudden movements that you cannot control) caused by Huntington’s disease (an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain). Tetrabenazine is in a class of medications called vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors.
Is tetrabenazine an antipsychotic?
Tetrabenazine (TBZ) was initially synthesized in the 1950s by O Schneider and A Brossi at the research laboratory of Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel. They created TBZ as an antipsychotic drug as part of their research into simpler chemical compounds with reserpine-like activity.
Can tetrabenazine cause seizures?
Check with your doctor right away if you have more than one of these symptoms while taking this medicine: convulsions (seizures), difficulty with breathing, a fast heartbeat, a high fever, high or low blood pressure, increased sweating, loss of bladder control, severe muscle stiffness, unusually pale skin, or tiredness …
Can you stop taking tetrabenazine?
Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse. You should not stop using tetrabenazine suddenly or your symptoms may return. Talk to your doctor before you stop taking this medicine.
Does tetrabenazine cause depression?
Tetrabenazine can increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and behavior (suicidality). This risk must be balanced with the clinical need. Monitor patients closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior.
Does tetrabenazine cause insomnia?
The most common side effects included drowsiness (36.5%), parkinsonism (28.5%), depression (15.0%), insomnia (11.0%), nervousness or anxiety (10.3%), and akathisia (9.5%).
Does tetrabenazine cause weight gain?
Weight increase was 0.8 lb/mo in the tetrabenazine group compared with 1.7 lb/mo in the neuroleptic group (P = . 006). Most patients who switched from a neuroleptic drug to tetrabenazine subsequently lost weight.