Most likely, you won’t be advised to take flibanserin by your doctor. If you are currently taking any of the following medications or have recently taken them, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away: Clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac), conivaptan (Vaprisol), amprenavir (Agenerase; no longer available in the United States), atazanavir (Reyataz, in Evotaz), boceprevir (Victrelis), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), diltiazem (Cartia XT, Diltzac, Tiazac, fluconazole (Diflucan), nelfinavir (Viracept), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), erythromycin (E.E.S., Erytab, Erythrocin), nefazodone, and telaprevir (Incivek; no longer sold in the United States), saquinavir (Invirase), telithromycin (Ketek), posaconazole (Noxafil), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra, in Viekira Pak), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan, in Tarka). When you are receiving treatment with flibanserin, your doctor may advise you not to take it, change your medication regimen, or closely monitor you for side effects. When taking flibanserin, avoid consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Call your doctor right away and lie down if you experience any of the following symptoms: lightheadedness, fainting, or dizziness.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

The manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) will be provided to you by your doctor or pharmacist when you start treatment with flibanserin as well as 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.

Women who have not gone through menopause (change of life, the cessation of monthly menstrual cycles) who have hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD; a low sexual desire that causes distress or interpersonal trouble) are treated with flibanserin. Flibanserin shouldn’t be used to treat HSDD in men, women who have just had menopause, or to enhance sexual performance. The drug flibanserin belongs to a group of drugs known as serotonin receptor 1A agonist/serotonin receptor 2A antagonists. It alters the way that serotonin and other naturally occurring chemicals behave in the brain.

Flibanserin is available as an oral tablet. Typically, one dose is given at bedtime each day. Take flibanserin every night before bed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Take flibanserin as prescribed by your doctor. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not go away after 8 weeks of treatment.

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

Before taking flibanserin,

• If you have an allergy to flibanserin, any other drugs, or any of the ingredients in flibanserin tablets, inform your doctor and pharmacist 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. Mention any of the following as well as the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section. fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) and other antidepressants; drugs for anxiety or mental disease; antifungals; digoxin (Lanoxin); diphenhydramine (Benadryl); cimetidine (Tagamet); opiate (narcotic) painkillers; drugs for seizures such as carbamazepine (Epitol, Tegretol, Teril, and others), phenobarbital, and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); oral contraceptives; proton pump inhibitors such as pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), rabeprazole (Aciphex), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), and esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater), ranitidine (Zantac), rifabutin (Mycobutin), and rifabutin; sedatives, sirolimus (Rapamune), tranquilizers, and sleeping medications. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• In particular, mention ginkgo, resveratrol, and St. John’s wort to your doctor.
• Inform your doctor if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while taking flibanserin. While taking flibanserin, avoid breastfeeding.
• You should be aware that flibanserin might cause you to feel sleepy. After taking flibanserin, wait at least 6 hours before operating machinery or driving a car to see how this drug affects you.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

Take the next dose at bedtime the next day if a dose is missed at bedtime. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

There could be adverse consequences from libanserin. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

1. Nausea
2. Tiredness
3. Having trouble falling or staying asleep
4. Mouth ache
5. Constipation

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms or any of those detailed in the IMPORTANT WARNING and SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS sections:

1. Extreme drowsiness
2. Trouble breathing or swallowing; hoarseness
3. Hormones; itch
4. Face, lips, or mouth edema

Other negative effects of libanserin 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.

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.

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.