Azilect is a medication used to treat many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Because Azilect helps preserve dopamine in your brain, it can help you move more freely so everyday activities may become less difficult.

Azilect is a once-daily medication that can be taken alone in early Parkinson's disease or with other Parkinson's medications as the disease progresses.

Do not take Azilect if you are taking meperidine as it could result in a serious reaction such as coma or death. Also, do not take Azilect with tramadol, methadone, propoxyphene, dextromethorphan, St. John’s wort, or cyclobenzaprine. You also should not take Azilect with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), as it could result in an unsafe rise in blood pressure

Increases in blood pressure may occur during treatment with Azilect. Inform your physician if you have a history of high blood pressure. Possible symptoms of an unsafe rise in blood pressure include severe headache, blurred vision, difficulty thinking, seizure, chest pain, and nausea/vomiting. It is important that if you experience these symptoms that you speak with your doctor or seek medical attention. When Azilect is taken at recommended doses, restriction of foods and beverages containing a substance called tyramine is ordinarily not required. However, it is recommended that you avoid foods containing high amounts of tyramine such as aged cheeses as some patients may have an increased sensitivity that could lead to an unsafe rise in blood pressure as described above

Inform your physician if you are taking, or planning to take, any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, especially antidepressants and ciprofloxacin. The combination of MAO-B inhibitors such as Azilect and antidepressants has resulted in a serious and sometimes fatal condition called serotonin syndrome.

Azilect can prove to be harmful if you happen to be suffering from certain conditions. It is important that you avoid taking Azilect if you suffer from severe liver disease. You should also consult a doctor or a pharmacist for dose adjustments or special tests to make sure it is safe for you to take the drug if you happen to be suffering from certain medical conditions especially liver disease.

Some patients who have taken Parkinson’s medication (like Azilect) have known to develop melanoma (or skin cancer). Hence, should you develop any skin symptoms it is imperative that you inform your doctor regarding the same right away as you may need to conduct regular skin examinations.

Using Azilect may also lead to impairment in your reflexes, reactions and thinking abilities. Hence it is essential that you take extreme care and caution while performing activities that require you to be especially careful such as driving. You should also avoid getting up quickly from a prone position while you are on this medicine as taking Azilect may make you feel dizzier than normal. Thus you should arise slowly and steadily from a lying or sitting position in order to avoid feeling nauseous and falling over.

While on Azilect, you should also avoid or limit consumption of alcohol. Mixed with Azilect, alcohol can increase the risk of bleeding in the stomach. Also, if you are to have any form of surgery, you should inform your surgeon well ahead of time that you have been using Azilect as aspirin can cause complications in surgical procedures.

Lastly, avoid eating certain cheeses that your doctor has ordered you not to consume while being on Azilect.

Typical Dosage Recommendations

It is extremely important that you take Azilect exactly as your doctor prescribes. Be very careful not to take bigger or smaller amounts or administer the drug for a longer time than recommended and follow the directions given on the prescription label. Azilect is usually taken once every day. Often, your doctor may change your dosage of Azilect in order to make sure that you reap the maximum possible benefit from using the drug. If you were previously on Levodopa before you started using Azilect, your dosage of the former may change when you start taking the latter.

In order to get the most benefit from using the drug, make sure to take your Azilect dosage regularly. Be on the safe side and get your prescription filled early in order to avoid completely running out of the medicine. Additionally, you should not stop taking Azilect suddenly otherwise you could suffer from certain unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal. Consult your doctor regarding how these symptoms can be best avoided once you stop taking Azilect. Lastly, avoid Azilect if you happen to be allergic to rasagiline, the chemical contained within the drug.

Missing a Dose

If you end up missing a dose, take the missed dose the moment you remember to do so. If however you remember when it is time for your subsequent dose, then leave out the missed dose. Do not however take any extra medication to make up for this missed dose.

Overdosing

If you overdose on Azilect, seek medical help right away.

Stop your treatment with this medicine and alert your physician if you experience any of these severe side effects:

You may continue your treatment with Azilect (Rasagiline) but inform your doctor if you experience these common side effects:

Alert your personal physician if you experience anything bothersome during your treatment with Rasagiline.

Ask for your doctor’s consent before taking any other drugs during a treatment with Azilect.