Drug Interaction Report

Consumer information for this interaction is not currently available.

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients. Sedation and impairment of attention, judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills may increase.

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Cautious dosage titration may be required, particularly at treatment initiation. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

Safinamide may be taken with or without food. While there is no need to strictly avoid most foods and beverages that contain tyramine (usually aged, fermented, cured, smoked, or pickled foods such as air-dried and fermented meats or fish, aged cheeses, most soybean products, yeast extracts, red wine, beer, and sauerkraut) during treatment with safinamide, certain foods such as some of the aged cheeses (for example, Boursault, Liederkrantz, Mycella, and Stilton) and pickled herring may contain very high amounts of tyramine and should generally be avoided if possible. Consumption of very high levels of tyramine (greater than 150 mg) while on safinamide treatment may lead to dangerous increases in your blood pressure, a condition known as hypertensive crisis. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are uncertain about what foods, if any, to avoid. You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience sudden and severe headache, blurred vision, confusion, seizures, chest pain, nausea or vomiting, sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), speech difficulties, fever, sweating, lightheadedness, and/or fainting during treatment with safinamide, as these may be signs and symptoms of a hypertensive crisis. Do not take larger doses or use the medication more frequently than prescribed. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.