Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Vimpat
What is VIMPAT used for?
VIMPAT is used in adults to treat partial-onset seizures and can be taken alone or with other seizure medicines.
How does VIMPAT work?
VIMPAT works in the brain to block the spread of seizure activity. The precise way that VIMPAT works to treat partial-onset seizures is unknown.
What are the ingredients in VIMPAT?
Medicinal ingredient: lacosamide
Non-medicinal ingredients:
Film-coated tablets: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, hydroxypropylcellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, talc, titanium dioxide and additional agents listed below:
50 mg tablets: black iron oxide, FD&C Blue #2/indigo carmine aluminum lake, red iron oxide
100 mg tablets: yellow iron oxide
150 mg tablets: black iron oxide, red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide
200 mg tablets: FD&C Blue #2/indigo carmine aluminum lake
Solution for injection: hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride and water for injection.
VIMPAT comes in the following dosage forms:
Film-coated tablets: 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg
Solution for injection: 10 mg/mL
Do not use VIMPAT if you:
- are allergic to lacosamide or any of the other ingredients in VIMPAT
- suffer or have suffered in the past from a certain type of heart rhythm disorder (second or third degree AV block)
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take VIMPAT. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
- have any health problems, including ones you have had in the past
- have kidney or liver disease
- suffer from a severe heart disease such as heart rhythm disorder, heart failure or heart attack
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if VIMPAT may harm your unborn baby. You and your healthcare professional will have to decide if VIMPAT is right for you while you are pregnant. If you use VIMPAT while you are pregnant, ask your healthcare professional about joining the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry by calling (888) 233-2334 (toll free). Women who are pregnant and planning to take VIMPAT should call the pregnancy registry to enable collection of valuable data about VIMPAT use in pregnancy. Information on the registry can also be found at the following website: http://www.aedpregnancyregistry.org/
- are breastfeeding. VIMPAT passes into breast milk and may harm your baby. You and your healthcare professional should decide whether you should take VIMPAT or breastfeed, but not both.
Other warnings you should know about:
Severe Skin Reactions: In rare cases, Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS), Stevens - Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), has been reported with VIMPAT. These serious and life-threatening reactions have been reported in very rare cases with this type of medicine.
Driving and Using Machines: VIMPAT may cause dizziness and poor coordination which could increase the risk of accidental injury or a fall. Therefore, you should be careful until you are used to the effects this medicine might have.
Do not
- drive,
- operate complex machinery, or
- engage in other hazardous activities
until you know how VIMPAT affects you.
Ask your healthcare professional when it is okay to do these activities.
Visual Trouble: VIMPAT may cause double vision and blurred vision. If you experience visual disturbances while taking VIMPAT, notify your healthcare professional.
Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviour Changes: A small number of people being treated with anti-epileptics such as VIMPAT have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves. If at any time you have these thoughts, immediately contact your healthcare professional.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with VIMPAT:
- any medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy.
- any medications to treat a heart condition, such as certain types of irregular heartbeat or heart failure (beta-blockers, class I anti-arrhythmic drugs, etc.).
- any medications that may cause certain changes in heart electrical activity (carbamazepine, pregabalin, lamotrigine, eslicarbazepine, etc.).
How to take VIMPAT:
VIMPAT Film-coated tablets
VIMPAT may be taken with or without food.
- Swallow the tablets whole with plenty of water. Do not chew or crush tablets.
VIMPAT Solution for injection
The solution for injection is another way to give VIMPAT for a short time, up to 5 days, when it can't be taken by mouth. VIMPAT will be given into a vein (intravenously) by a healthcare professional.
Usual Dose:
VIMPAT must be taken twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, at about the same time each day.
When you take VIMPAT on its own
The treatment with VIMPAT usually starts with 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg in the evening (200 mg a day). After one week your dose may be increased. The daily maintenance dose is between 200 mg and 600 mg.
When you take VIMPAT with other seizure medicines
The treatment with VIMPAT usually starts with 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg in the evening (100 mg a day). After one week your dose may be increased. The daily maintenance dose is between 200 mg and 400 mg.
Your healthcare professional may use a different dose if you have problems with your kidneys or liver.
If your healthcare professional decides to stop your treatment with VIMPAT, he/she will decrease the dose step by step. This is to prevent your symptoms from coming back again or becoming worse.
Do not stop taking VIMPAT or any other seizure medicine unless your healthcare professional told you to. Stopping a seizure medicine is very serious and can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).
Tell your healthcare professional if your seizures get worse or if you have any new types of seizures.
Remember: This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not give it to anybody else.
Overdose:
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much VIMPAT, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms. |
Missed Dose:
If you miss a dose by a few hours, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, take VIMPAT at your next regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for the missed dose.
What are possible side effects from using VIMPAT?
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking VIMPAT. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
The most common side effects associated with the use of VIMPAT are:
- dizziness
- poor coordination
- headache
- nausea, vomiting
- fatigue
- blurred vision, double vision
If you are elderly (older than 65), you may have a higher chance of the following side effects:
- falling
- diarrhea
- tremors/shaking
Tell your healthcare professional about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
| Serious side effects and what to do about them | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Get immediate medical help | |
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| UNCOMMON | |||
| Allergic reaction: swelling in the mouth, tongue, face and throat, itching, rash | ✓ | ||
| Heart rhythm problems: irregular pulse, slow pulse, rapid pulse, palpitations, shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, fainting | ✓ | ||
| Thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself | ✓ | ||
| RARE | |||
| Liver disorder or liver injury: itching, right upper belly pain, dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, unexplained flu-like symptoms | ✓ | ||
| Serious skin reaction: fever, severe rash, swollen lymph glands, flu-like feeling, blisters and peeling skin that may start in and around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals and spread to other areas of the body, yellow skin or eyes, shortness of breath, dry cough, chest pain or | ✓ | ||
| Serious side effects and what to do about them |
|---|
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Get immediate medical help |
|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases |
|---|---|
| discomfort, feeling thirsty, urinating less often, less urine | |
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |
Storage:
- Store VIMPAT at room temperature, 15 to 30°C.
- Keep VIMPAT and all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about VIMPAT:
- Talk to your healthcare professional
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website: (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html); the manufacturer’s website www.ucb-canada.ca, or by calling 1-866-709-8444.
Last Revised September 15, 2022
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