What foods and drugs can't I take with Xadago?

Avoid foods that have a very high tyramine content such as aged, fermented, cured, smoked and pickled foods. Drugs that affect Xadago include other drugs that are potent inhibitors of monoamine oxidase, opioid drugs, serotonergic medicines, sympathomimetic medicines, dextromethorphan, and dopaminergic antagonists.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to check for possible food interactions or drug interactions with Xadago any time you start or stop a new prescription drug, or over-the-counter, herbal supplements or vitamin product.

Xadago (safinamide) is a monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitor approved for "off" episodes in Parkinson's disease. It is used together with levodopa and carbidopa (Sinemet) treatment.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• meperidine, methadone, propoxyphene, tramadol
• metoclopramide

Drinking alcohol or taking other sedating medicines with Xadago may increase your chances of becoming drowsy or sleepy.

Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, work in high places or do other dangerous activities until you know how Xadago affects you.

Review: Xadago drug interactions

Complete dietary tyramine restriction is not required during treatment with recommended doses of Xadago. However, if you take Xadago for "off" episodes in Parkinson's disease, there are some foods that are very high in tyramine content that you should not eat.

In general, aged, fermented, cured, smoked and pickled foods (e.g., aged cheese, pickled herring) should be avoided. Use with certain foods that contain very high amounts (i.e., more than 150 mg) of tyramine could cause severe hypertension (high blood pressure) due to release of norepinephrine.

Foods and beverages that are high in tyramine include:

• air dried meats, aged or fermented meats, sausage or salami
• pickled herring
• any spoiled or improperly stored beef, poultry, fish, or liver
• red wine, beer from a tap, beer that has not been pasteurized
• aged cheeses, including blue, brick, brie, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and swiss
• sauerkraut
• over the counter supplements or cough and cold medicines that contain tyramine
• soy beans, soy sauce, tofu, miso soup, bean curd, fava beans
• yeast extracts (such as Marmite)

Learn more: Low Tyramine Diet - What You Need to Know

This is not all the information you need to know about Xadago (safinamide) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the full product information here, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.