In patients with Huntington’s disease, deutetrabenazine may raise the risk of depression or suicidal thoughts (thinking about injuring or killing yourself, preparing to do so, or trying to do so) (an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain). If you suffer from depression now or in the past, as well as if you have ever considered harming or killing yourself, let your doctor know. Your doctor would probably advise against taking deutetrabenazine if you have Huntington’s disease and are depressed or have suicidal thoughts. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you, your family, or carer should contact your doctor right away: new or worsening depression, thoughts of harming or killing yourself, plans, or attempts to do so, extreme worry, agitation, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, hostile or aggressive behaviour, acting without thinking, severe restlessness, anxiety, changes in body weight, loss of interest in social interactions, difficulty paying a bill. Make sure your family or carer constantly checks on you and is aware of any symptoms that might be significant so they can contact the doctor on your behalf if you are unable to call for help.

Do not miss any of your doctor’s appointments. While you are on this medicine, your doctor will likely want to discuss your mental health with you.

The patient information sheet (Medication Guide) from the manufacturer will be provided to you by your doctor or pharmacist when you start taking deutetrabenazine and each time you get a prescription refill. If you have any questions, carefully read the material and contact your doctor or pharmacist. The Medication Guide is also available on the manufacturer’s website or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Deutetrabenazine is used to treat chorea (rapid, uncontrollable movements) brought on by Huntington’s disease (an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain). TARD is another condition that it is used to treat (uncontrollable movement of the face, tongue, or other body parts). A group of drugs known as vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors includes deutetrabenazine. It operates by altering the behaviour of specific organic compounds in the brain that influence nerves and muscles.

Deutetrabenazine is available as an oral tablet. It is often given with food once day at initially for people with Huntington’s disease before being increased to twice daily. It is often administered twice day with food to people with tardive dyskinesia. Deutetrabenazine should be taken 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. Follow the deutetrabenazine directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not chew, break, or crush the tablets; instead, swallow them whole.

Deutetrabenazine dosages are often started at modest levels and then gradually increased, usually no more than once per week, by your doctor.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

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

Before taking deutetrabenazine,

• If you have any allergies, including to deutetrabenazine, other drugs, or any of the substances in deutetrabenazine tablets, notify your doctor right away. It functions by altering the way that a few organic brain chemicals behave. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor if you are using reserpine, tetrabenazine (Xenazine), valbenazine (Ingrezza), or an MAO inhibitor like isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have just stopped using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or reserpine (20 days ago). You should not take deutetrabenazine, according to your doctor, most likely.
• 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: antidepressants including bupropion (Aplenzin, Wellbutrin, Zyban), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Selfemra), and paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva); medicines for anxiety; drugs that treat schizophrenia, such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine, and ziprasidone (Geodon); the drugs moxifloxacin (Avelox), amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone), procainamide, quinidine (in Nuedexta), and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize); sedatives, tranquillizers, or sleeping tablets are seizure drugs. Your doctor might need to adjust your medication doses or keep a close eye out for any negative side effects.
• In case you have liver problems, let your doctor know. Most likely, your doctor will advise against taking deutetrabenazine.
• Inform your doctor if you have long QT syndrome or any other irregular heartbeat or cardiac rhythm issues. Long QT syndrome raises the chance of developing an abnormal heartbeat that could result in fainting or sudden death. Moreover, let your doctor know if you have breast cancer or low blood levels of potassium or magnesium.
• 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 deutetrabenazine.
• Deutetrabenazine can make you sleepy or weary, so you should be aware of this. Prior to understanding how this drug affects you, avoid using machinery or driving a car.
• Alcohol may intensify the drowsiness brought on by this prescription, so you should be aware of that. Deutetrabenazine should not be taken with alcohol.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

See your doctor before starting deutetrabenazine again if you skip more than a week of taking it. Very likely, you’ll need to start taking it again at a lesser dosage.

Side effects from deutetrabenazine are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Mouth ache
• Tiredness
• Urination may cause pain or burning
• Bruising
• Lung infection, upper

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Deutetrabenazine should be stopped immediately if you suffer any of the following symptoms or any of those mentioned in the IMPORTANT CAUTION section:

• Fever, perspiration, disorientation, rapid or erratic heartbeat, and extreme muscular stiffness
• Trembling, stiffness, or trouble moving or balancing
• Falls
• Fast or irregular pulse
• Fainting

Further negative effects of deutetrabenazine could occur. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from light, excessive heat, and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

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, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes 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 programme, 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.

Symptoms of overdose may include:

• Jerking or twisting motions
• Quickly moving eyes
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Sedation
• Confusion
• Diarrhea
• Hallucinations (seeing thing or hearing voices that do not exist)
• Cutaneous rashes
• Shakes uncontrollably

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.