Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS, is a condition in which the nerves that regulate muscle action slowly deteriorate, causing the muscles to contract and weaken. Edaravone is used to treat this ailment. Edaravone belongs to the group of drugs known as antioxidants. It might help to mitigate the nerve damage brought on by the ALS symptoms getting worse.

Edaravone is available as a liquid suspension that can be ingested orally or through a feeding tube. It is often consumed on an empty stomach in the morning. It is recommended to wait at least 8 hours after eating to take edavarone if you consumed a high-fat meal (800–1000 calories, 50% fat) the previous night. You should wait at least 4 hours after eating a low-fat meal (400–500 calories, 25% fat) before taking edavarone. It is recommended to wait at least 2 hours before taking edavarone if you have consumed a meal supplement, such as a protein drink (250 calories). You should wait at least an hour after taking edaravone before eating or drinking anything than water. Take edaravone every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your medication label that you do not understand, and carefully follow them. Do not alter the dosage of edaravone. Take it only as directed by your doctor, neither more nor less than that amount or more frequently.

For the first 14 days of a 28-day cycle, it is typically administered once daily. After the initial cycle, the first 10 days of a subsequent 28-day cycle are administered once per day. Based on how well your body responds to the drug, your doctor will determine how frequently you should take edaravone.

Edaravone should be shaken thoroughly for at least 30 seconds before opening the bottle. Only use the oral syringe that is provided to measure the dosage of edaravone. Edaravone oral suspension can also be administered by silicone or PVC nasogastric (NG) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes. Using a catheter-tip syringe and at least 1 ounce (30 mL) of water, clean the feeding tube after injecting edaravone via it.

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 receiving edaravone,

• If you have an allergy to edaravone, any other drugs, sodium bisulfite, or any of the chemicals in edaravone suspension, inform your doctor and pharmacist very away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and dietary supplements you are currently taking or intend to take. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you have asthma or have previously had asthma, let your doctor know.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while taking edaravone.

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.

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

• Bruising
• Having trouble walking
• Headache
• Itching, scaly, or red rash

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency care:

• Breathing issues, tightness in the chest, wheezing, and coughing (particularly in asthmatics)

Other adverse effects of edaravone are possible. 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 program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture. The bottle needs to be kept upright. Any unused portion should be thrown away 15 days after the bottle is opened or 30 days after the date of shipment noted on the pharmacy label.

As 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

To make sure that pets, kids, and other people cannot take leftover pharmaceuticals, they should be disposed of in a specific manner. You shouldn’t flush this medication down the toilet, though. The best option to get rid of your medication is instead through a medication take-back program. To find out about take-back initiatives in your neighborhood, speak with your pharmacist or get in touch with your city’s waste/recycling department. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information at the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, 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.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

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.