Methsuximide Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 14, 2024.

Applies to methsuximide: oral capsule.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits while you are using this medicine to see if it is working properly and to allow for a change in the dose. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects.

It is important to tell your doctor if you become pregnant while using this medicine. Your doctor may want you to join a pregnancy registry for patients taking a seizure medicine.

For some children, teenagers, and young adults, this medicine can increase thoughts of suicide. Tell your doctor or your child's doctor right away if you or your child start to feel more depressed or have thoughts about hurting yourself. Report any unusual thoughts or behaviors that trouble you or your child, especially if they are new or get worse quickly. Make sure the doctor knows if you or your child have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless. Also tell the doctor if you or your child have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. Let the doctor know if you, your child, or anyone in your family has bipolar disorder (manic-depressive) or has tried to commit suicide.

Do not Stop taking methsuximide without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping completely.

Tell your doctor right away if you or your child feels unusually weak, starts bruising easily, has bleeding gums or nosebleeds, seems to be sick more often, has a fever, swollen glands, or a sore throat that will not go away. These could be a signs of a serious problem with the number of blood cells in your body.

Tell your doctor right away if you or your child has a skin rash, muscle or joint pain, feels unusually tired, has a low-grade fever, or pain the chest that gets worse with breathing. These could be signs of a serious condition called systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Call your doctor right away if you or your child start to have a persistent cough, weight loss, night sweats, fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, headache, blurred vision, or feeling generally ill. These may be signs that you have an infection.

Methsuximide may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.

Serious side effects of methsuximide

Along with its needed effects, methsuximide 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 methsuximide:

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

Symptoms of overdose

• change in consciousness
• difficult or troubled breathing
• irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing
• loss of consciousness
• pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin

Other side effects of methsuximide

Some side effects of methsuximide 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 methsuximide: oral capsule.

General adverse events

The more frequently reported adverse events have included gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and anorexia and neurologic reactions such as drowsiness, dizziness and headache.

Gastrointestinal

• Frequency not reported: Nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, weight loss, epigastric and abdominal pain, constipation, hiccups^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Frequency not reported: Drowsiness, ataxia, dizziness, headache^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Psychosis, suicidal behavior, auditory hallucinations
• Frequency not reported: Confusion, instability, mental slowness, depression, hypochondriacal behavior, aggressiveness, irritability, nervousness, insomnia.^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Frequency not reported: Eosinophilia, leukopenia, monocytosis, and pancytopenia with or without bone marrow suppression^[Ref]

Ocular

• Frequency not reported: Periorbital edema, blurred vision^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Frequency not reported: Proteinuria, microscopic hematuria^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Frequency not reported: Hyperemia^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Frequency not reported: Urticaria, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, pruritic erythematous rashes^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Methsuximide 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