Eliglustat is used to treat Gaucher disease type 1, which affects some people and results in issues with the liver, spleen, bones, and blood because a specific fatty material is not properly broken down in the body and accumulates in various organs. Eliglustat belongs to a group of drugs known as enzyme inhibitors. In order to reduce the amount of fatty substance that accumulates in the body and causes symptoms, it works by preventing the body from creating it.

Eliglustat is available as a pill to be swallowed. With or without food, it is often taken once or twice day. Take eliglustat every day at about the same time(s). Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Eliglustat should be taken as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Eliglustat may affect certain people differently depending on their genetic makeup or ancestry. To assist determine the dosage of eliglustat that is most effective for you, your doctor will request a blood test.

Do not split, open, dissolve, or crush the capsules; instead, swallow them whole with water.

Eliglustat manages Gaucher disease but does not treat it. Even if you feel good, keep taking eliglustat. Without first consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking eliglustat.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking eliglustat,

• If you have an allergy to eliglustat, any other medications, or any of the substances in eliglustat capsules, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the Medication Guide or speak with your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbal items, nutritional supplements, and any drugs you are now taking or intend to take. Any of the following should be mentioned: Amitriptyline, as well as several drugs for irregular heartbeats such amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone), Bupropion (Aplenzin, Zyban, in Contrave); cimetidine (Tagamet); digoxin (Lanoxin), quinidine (in Nuedexta), procainamide, and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize); clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac), digoxin; diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, among others); duloxe (Lanoxin); drugs for seizures like carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, among others), phenobarbital, and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); indinavir (Crixivan), itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and metoprolol (Toprol); nefazodone, nelfinavir (Viracept), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, various brands), terbinafine (Lamisil), and sertraline (Zoloft); Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects. Tell your doctor about all the drugs you are taking, even any not on this list, since many other drugs may also interact with eliglustat. Moreover, inform your physician or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines: imiglucerase (Cerezyme), taliglucerase alfa (Elelyso), or velaglucerase alfa, which are examples of enzyme replacement therapies. The last dose of these enzyme replacement therapies must be taken within 24 hours of starting eliglustat.
• Please let your doctor know if you are taking any herbal supplements, especially St. John’s wort.
• In case you have liver problems, let your doctor know. Your doctor may advise you not to take eliglustat based on the results of the blood test used to determine your genetic makeup because some people should not take the drug either by itself or in combination with other drugs if they have liver disease or a specific combination of medical conditions and medications.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had long QT syndrome, another irregular heartbeat or heart rhythm issue, a heart attack, heart failure, heart, or kidney disease, or if you have any other irregular heartbeat or heart rhythm issues. Long QT syndrome increases the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat that may cause fainting or sudden death.
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking eliglustat.

While using this medication, avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose and take the subsequent dose at the regular time. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Eliglustat might have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Joints hurt
• Headache
• Migraine
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Throat and mouth ache
• Diarrhea
• Back ache
• Pain in the arms or legs
• Abdominal pain
• Cough
• Rash

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these signs:

• Dizziness, fainting, or palpitations

Other negative effects of glustat may also occur. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or over the phone if you suffer a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose signs could include the following:

• Dizziness
• Unsteadiness
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how your body is responding to eliglustat, your doctor may request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.