Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

1. Zurzuvae

Descriptions

Zuranolone is used to treat postpartum depression (unusual physical, emotional, and behavioral changes in women after giving birth).

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Capsule

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 zuranolone in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of zuranolone in geriatric patients.

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.

• Acepromazine
• Alfentanil
• Alprazolam
• Amobarbital
• Anileridine
• Apalutamide
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Armodafinil
• Asenapine
• Baclofen
• Benperidol
• Benzhydrocodone
• Boceprevir
• Bosentan
• Bromazepam
• Buprenorphine
• Buspirone
• Butabarbital
• Butorphanol
• Calcium Oxybate
• Cannabidiol
• Cannabis
• Carbamazepine
• Carbinoxamine
• Carisoprodol
• Carphenazine
• Cenobamate
• Ceritinib
• Cetirizine
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorzoxazone
• Clarithromycin
• Clobazam
• Clonazepam
• Clorazepate
• Clozapine
• Cobicistat
• Codeine
• Conivaptan
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Dabrafenib
• Daridorexant
• Dexamethasone
• Dexmedetomidine
• Diacetylmorphine
• Diazepam
• Dichloralphenazone
• Difenoxin
• Dihydrocodeine
• Diphenhydramine
• Diphenoxylate
• Dipyrone
• Doxylamine
• Droperidol
• Efavirenz
• Elagolix
• Enflurane
• Enzalutamide
• Esketamine
• Eslicarbazepine Acetate
• Estazolam
• Eszopiclone
• Ethchlorvynol
• Ethopropazine
• Ethylmorphine
• Etravirine
• Fentanyl
• Flibanserin
• Flunitrazepam
• Fluphenazine
• Flurazepam
• Fluspirilene
• Fosphenytoin
• Fospropofol
• Gabapentin
• Gabapentin Enacarbil
• Halazepam
• Haloperidol
• Halothane
• Hexobarbital
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Hydroxyzine
• Idelalisib
• Indinavir
• Isoflurane
• Itraconazole
• Ivosidenib
• Josamycin
• Ketamine
• Ketazolam
• Ketobemidone
• Ketoconazole
• Lesinurad
• Levocetirizine
• Levorphanol
• Lonafarnib
• Lopinavir
• Lorazepam
• Lorlatinib
• Loxapine
• Lumacaftor
• Magnesium Oxybate
• Meclizine
• Melperone
• Meperidine
• Mephobarbital
• Meprobamate
• Meptazinol
• Mesoridazine
• Metaxalone
• Methadone
• Methdilazine
• Methocarbamol
• Methohexital
• Methotrimeprazine
• Methylene Blue
• Mibefradil
• Midazolam
• Mifepristone
• Mitotane
• Modafinil
• Molindone
• Moricizine
• Morphine
• Morphine Sulfate Liposome
• Nafcillin
• Nalbuphine
• Nefazodone
• Nelfinavir
• Nevirapine
• Nicomorphine
• Nitrazepam
• Nitrous Oxide
• Olanzapine
• Opium
• Opium Alkaloids
• Orphenadrine
• Oxazepam
• Oxcarbazepine
• Oxycodone
• Oxymorphone
• Papaveretum
• Paregoric
• Pentazocine
• Pentobarbital
• Perampanel
• Perazine
• Periciazine
• Perphenazine
• Phenobarbital
• Phenytoin
• Pimozide
• Piperacetazine
• Pipotiazine
• Piritramide
• Posaconazole
• Potassium Oxybate
• Prazepam
• Prednisone
• Primidone
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Promethazine
• Propofol
• Quazepam
• Quetiapine
• Ramelteon
• Remifentanil
• Remimazolam
• Remoxipride
• Ribociclib
• Rifabutin
• Rifampin
• Rifapentine
• Ritonavir
• Saquinavir
• Secobarbital
• Sertindole
• Sodium Oxybate
• St John's Wort
• Sufentanil
• Sulpiride
• Suvorexant
• Tapentadol
• Telaprevir
• Telithromycin
• Telotristat Ethyl
• Temazepam
• Thiethylperazine
• Thiopental
• Thiopropazate
• Thioridazine
• Tilidine
• Tizanidine
• Tolonium Chloride
• Topiramate
• Tramadol
• Triazolam
• Trifluoperazine
• Trifluperidol
• Triflupromazine
• Trimeprazine
• Troleandomycin
• Tucatinib
• Voriconazole
• Zaleplon
• Zolpidem
• Zopiclone
• Zotepine

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 is usually not recommended, 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:

• Alcohol abuse, or history of or
• Depression, history of or
• Drug dependence, especially with narcotic abuse or dependence, or history of—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Kidney disease, moderate or severe or
• Liver disease, severe—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more or less of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. This medicine can be habit-forming. Call your doctor if you think your medicine is not working.

This medicine comes with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Take this medicine together with fat-containing food.

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 (capsules):
  • For postpartum depression:
    • Adults —50 milligrams (mg) once a day taken in the evening for 14 days. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

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.

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.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress closely while you are receiving this medicine to make sure that this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control during treatment and for at least 1 week after the last dose. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

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 have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

This medicine may make you less alert and aware, which can affect your ability to drive and do other dangerous activities safely. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous for at least 12 hours after taking each dose.

This medicine may cause confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, sleepiness, slow thinking, or trouble with walking, which may lead to falls.

This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that can make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine, other prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you are using this medicine.

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 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

1. Body aches or pain
2. bladder pain
3. bloody or cloudy urine
4. cough
5. difficult, burning, or painful urination
6. dizziness
7. ear congestion
8. fever
9. frequent urge to urinate
10. headache
11. loss of voice
12. lower back or side pain
13. muscle aches
14. sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
15. sneezing
16. sore throat
17. stuffy or runny nose
18. trouble breathing
19. unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common

1. Being forgetful
2. chills
3. diarrhea
4. fear, nervousness
5. loss of taste or smell
6. muscle pain
7. nausea
8. shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
9. trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
10. vomiting

Incidence not known

1. Changes in behavior
2. thoughts or attempts at 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

1. Lack or loss of strength

Less common

1. Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
2. difficulty in moving
3. dry mouth
4. joint pain
5. muscle aches, cramps, or stiffness
6. stomach pain
7. swollen joints
8. toothache

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.

Portions of this document last updated: March 01, 2024

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/zuranolone-oral-route/precautions/drg-20554199