Description
Perampanel is used alone or together with other medicines to treat certain types of epilepsy, such as partial onset seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. It works in the brain to prevent seizures. Perampanel will not cure epilepsy and will only control the seizures as long as you continue to take it.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Tablet
- Suspension
Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of perampanel to treat partial onset seizures in children younger than 4 years of age or to treat generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children younger than 12 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of perampanel in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have unwanted effects, which may require an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving perampanel.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Abametapir
- Alfentanil
- Alprazolam
- Avacopan
- Benzhydrocodone
- Bosentan
- Bromazepam
- Buprenorphine
- Butalbital
- Butorphanol
- Calcifediol
- Calcium Oxybate
- Cannabidiol
- Cannabis
- Carbamazepine
- Ceritinib
- Cetirizine
- Clobazam
- Clonazepam
- Codeine
- Daridorexant
- Dexmedetomidine
- Dihydrocodeine
- Doxylamine
- Efavirenz
- Enzalutamide
- Esketamine
- Eslicarbazepine Acetate
- Etravirine
- Fedratinib
- Fentanyl
- Fexinidazole
- Flibanserin
- Fosphenytoin
- Gabapentin
- Gabapentin Enacarbil
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Itraconazole
- Ketamine
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Levonorgestrel
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
- Ethanol
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Behavior or mood changes (eg, aggression, anger) or
- Coordination problems (eg, walking, balance) or
- Depression or
- Dizziness—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
- Kidney disease or
- Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.
- Kidney disease, severe or
- Liver disease, severe or
- Patients receiving hemodialysis—Use is not recommended in patients with these conditions.
Proper Use
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
This medicine comes with a Medication Guide and patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Measure the oral liquid with the bottle adapter and oral syringe provided. Shake the bottle well before each use.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage form (suspension or tablets):
- For generalized tonic-clonic seizures:
- Adults and children 12 years of age and older—At first, 2 milligrams (mg) once a day, taken at bedtime. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 12 mg per day.
- Children younger than 12 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For partial-onset seizures:
- Adults and children 4 years of age and older—At first, 2 milligrams (mg) once a day, taken at bedtime. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 12 mg per day.
- Children younger than 4 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For generalized tonic-clonic seizures:
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Call your doctor if you miss more than one dose of this medicine.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Throw away any unused oral liquid 90 days after the bottle is opened for the first time.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it.
This medicine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. Also tell your doctor if you or your child have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. If you, your child, or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, clumsy, faint, unsteady, or less alert than they are normally. It may also cause trouble with controlling body movements, which may lead to falls, fractures, or other injuries. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.
Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever, chills, cough, sore throat, swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, or yellow skin or eyes while using this medicine. These could be symptoms of a serious condition, called drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
This medicine may be habit-forming. If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose. Call your doctor for instructions.
Do not stop taking this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause your seizures to return or to occur more often. Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely.
Birth control pills containing levonorgestrel may not work as well while you are using this medicine. Use another form of birth control together with your pills during treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose to avoid getting pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you have questions.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines, medicines for hay fever, allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicines, prescription pain medicines or narcotics, and other medicines for seizures. Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines together with perampanel.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
- Aggression or anger
- anxiety
- clumsiness or unsteadiness
- deep or fast breathing with dizziness
- dry mouth
- irregular heartbeat
- irritability
- numbness of the feet, hands, and around the mouth
- restlessness
- shakiness
- sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
- trouble sleeping
- unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
- unsteady walk
- unusual tiredness or weakness
Less common
- Abnormal or decreased touch sensation
- burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
Incidence not known
- Changes in behavior
- depression
- thoughts of killing oneself
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
- headache
- nausea
- sensation of spinning
- stomach pain
Less common
- Back pain
- bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet
- blurred vision
- body aches or pain
- bone pain
- changes in speech patterns
- chills
- confusion
- cough
- decreased urine output
- difficulty having a bowel movement
- difficulty with moving
- double vision
- ear congestion
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- fever
- increased thirst
- lack or loss of strength
- loss of voice
- muscle pain, cramps, or stiffness
- nasal congestion
- pain in the arms, joints, or legs
- runny nose
- slurred speech
- sneezing
- sore throat
- trouble remembering
- trouble with speaking
- unusual weight gain or loss
- unusually deep sleep
- vomiting
Incidence not known
- Unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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