Tasmar Medication - Uses & Side Effects

Tasmar is used with a Parkinson medication to treat Parkinson's disease. First approved in January 1998, about ten months on the market Tasmar warnings were issued and a boxed warning was added to Tasmar product labeling. Physicians prescribing Tasmar was advised about reports of a new finding of fatal liver injury associated with the use of Tasmar. The adverse Tasmar effects led the manufacturer and the FDA to recommend significant changes in how Tasmar is used, reserved only for patients who do not have severe movement abnormalities and who do not respond to or who are not appropriate candidates for alternate treatments.

Tasmar Dosage

• The usual dose is 100 milligrams 3 times daily (every 6 hours). Take no more than a total of 300 milligrams a day unless prescribed by your doctor.

Uses of Tasmar

• Tasmar is used together with the Parkinson’s medication, carbidopa/levodopa to treat Parkinson’s disease.
• Tolcapone is used together with other medicines to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as muscle stiffness, tremors, muscle spasms, and poor muscle control. Tolcapone is used only in combination with carbidopa and levodopa. It is not effective if it is used alone.
• This medication is usually reserved for use only in people who have used carbidopa and levodopa without success in treating their Parkinson's disease.

Side Effects of Tasmar

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Tasmar. Side effects may include:

• Abdominal pain
• abnormal muscle movements
• acid indigestion
• breathing difficulty
• chest pain
• confusion
• constipation
• decreased muscle movement
• diarrhea
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• hallucination
• headache
• increased muscle movement
• loss of appetite
• loss of balance
• muscle cramps
• nausea
• skin tingling
• sleep disturbances
• sweating
• tiredness
• upper respiratory tract infection

Warnings and precautions before taking Tasmar :

• Because of Tasmar's possible effects on the liver, your doctor should do a blood test to check your liver function before you start Tasmar therapy, then every 2 weeks for the first year, every 4 weeks for the next 6 months, and every 8 weeks thereafter. In addition, be alert for any sign of developing liver damage, such as clay-colored stools, yellowing of your skin and eyes, fatigue, itching, loss of appetite, nausea, dark urine, and pain in the upper right abdomen. Report any such problems to your doctor immediately.
• Especially at the start of therapy, Tasmar can cause severe low blood pressure, marked by nausea, sweating, dizziness, or fainting. To avoid these symptoms, get up very slowly from a seated or reclining position.
• Hallucinations are most likely to occur within the first 2 weeks of therapy. If this problem surfaces, report it to your doctor immediately.
• Diarrhea, occasionally severe, is also a possibility, typically after 6 to 12 weeks of therapy. If this becomes a problem, let your doctor know. Also be quick to inform your doctor if you develop a high fever, muscle rigidity, or altered consciousness.
• Because Tasmar has been known to cause drowsiness and affect mental and motor skills, you should avoid operating machinery or driving until you know how the drug affects you.
• Tasmar can cause nausea, especially at the start of therapy, and sometimes increases muscle stiffness. Your Parkinson's symptoms may also increase, along with fever and confusion, when the drug is discontinued. Your doctor will adjust your other medications carefully if Tasmar needs to be stopped.

Drug Interaction :- If Tasmar is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Tasmar with the following:

• Apomorphine
  
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
  
• Isoproterenol (Isuprel)
  
• MAO inhibitors such as the antidepressants Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
  
• Methyldopa (Aldomet)
  
• Nervous system depressants such as alcohol and the sedatives phenobarbital and
• Seconal
  
• Warfarin (Coumadin)

Overdose

Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of Tasmar overdose may include:

• Dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting