Deutetrabenazine Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on May 24, 2023.

Applies to deutetrabenazine: oral tablet, oral tablet extended release.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to see if the medicine is working properly and to allow for changes in the dose.

Deutetrabenazine 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, especially if they have a condition called Huntington's disease. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

Do not take this medicine if you are also taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan®), phenelzine (Nardil®), selegiline (Eldepryl®), or tranylcypromine (Parnate®) within 14 days of each other. If you have questions, check with your doctor.

Do not take this medicine if you are also taking reserpine (Serpalan® or Renese®-R). Wait at least 20 days after stopping reserpine before starting deutetrabenazine. If you have questions, check with your doctor.

Do not take this medicine if you are also taking tetrabenazine (Xenazine®) or valbenazine (Ingrezza®). If your doctor plans to switch your treatment from tetrabenazine to deutetrabenazine, take your first dose of deutetrabenazine one day after your last dose of tetrabenazine. If you have questions, check with your doctor.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, such as QT prolongation.

Check with your doctor right away if you have difficulty with breathing, a fast heartbeat, a high fever, high or low blood pressure, increased sweating, loss of bladder control, seizures, severe muscle stiffness, unusually pale skin, or tiredness. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

Check with your doctor right away if you have an inability to sit still, need to keep moving, or restlessness. These could be symptoms of a movement disorder called akathisia.

This medicine may cause parkinsonism (a movement disorder). Check with your doctor right away if you have difficulty swallowing, loss of balance control, mask-like face, shuffling walk, slowed movements, slurred speech, stiffness of the arms and legs, tic-like or jerky movements of the head, face, mouth, and neck, or trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands.

This medicine may cause drowsiness, trouble with thinking, or trouble with controlling movements. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting may occur, especially when you get up from a lying or sitting position. Getting up slowly may help. Also, lying down for a while may relieve dizziness or lightheadedness. If the problem continues or worsens, check with your doctor.

Check with your doctor before using this medicine with alcohol or other medicines that affect the central nervous system (CNS). This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants. CNS depressants are medicines that slow down the nervous system, which may cause drowsiness or make you less alert. Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for hay fever, allergies, or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, barbiturates or medicine for seizures, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics (numbing medicines), including some dental anesthetics. This effect may last for a few days after you Stop taking deutetrabenazine.

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.

Serious side effects of deutetrabenazine

Along with its needed effects, deutetrabenazine 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 while taking deutetrabenazine:

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking deutetrabenazine:

Symptoms of overdose

• blurred vision
• confusion
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
• fixed position of the eye
• inability to move the eyes
• increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid
• mood or mental changes
• nausea
• seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• sticking out of the tongue
• sweating
• trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck, trunk, arms, or legs
• unusual facial expressions
• vomiting

Other side effects of deutetrabenazine

Some side effects of deutetrabenazine 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:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to deutetrabenazine: oral tablet, oral tablet extended release.

General adverse events

The most common adverse reactions occurring in greater than 8% were somnolence, diarrhea, dry mouth, and fatigue.^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Sedation/somnolence (11%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Dizziness^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Contusion^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Common (1% to 10%): Diarrhea, dry mouth, constipation^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Urinary tract infection^[Ref]

Other

• Common (1% to 10%): Fatigue^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Common (1% to 10%): Insomnia, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, akathisia/agitation/restlessness^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

• Austedo (deutetrabenazine) vs Xenazine (tetrabenazine): How do they compare?
• What condition is Austedo used to treat?
• Austedo vs Ingrezza: How do they compare?

Further information

Deutetrabenazine side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer