Nefazodone

Conditions Treated

Nefazodone is used to treat depression. Nefazodone is in a class of medications called antidepressants. It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain that are needed to maintain mental balance.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Nefazodone may cause side effects. Call your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• nausea
• drowsiness
• weakness or tiredness
• nightmares
• dry mouth
• skin more sensitive to sunlight than usual
• changes in appetite or weight
• constipation
• difficulty urinating
• frequent urination
• blurred vision
• changes in sex drive or ability
• excessive sweating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNINGS section, call your doctor immediately:

• jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
• slow or difficult speech
• shuffling walk
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
• fever
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• rash
• irregular heartbeat
• seizures
• painful erections of the penis lasting more than 4 hours

Nefazodone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Nefazodone comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken two times a day and may be taken with or without food. Take nefazodone at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take nefazodone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. It may take a few weeks or longer for you to feel the full benefit of nefazodone. Continue to take nefazodone even if you feel well. Do not stop taking nefazodone without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably want to decrease your dose gradually.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before taking nefazodone, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to nefazodone or any other medications. tell your doctor if you are taking alprazolam (Xanax), astemizole (Hismanal) (not available in the US), cisapride (Propulsid) (not available in the US), pimozide (Orap), or terfenadine (Seldane) (not available in the US) if you are taking or have taken a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar) or tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 2 weeks. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take nefazodone. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antihistamines; buspirone (Buspar); carbamazepine (Tegretol); cimetidine (Tagamet); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); digoxin (Lanoxin); haloperidol (Haldol); levodopa (Sinemet, Larodopa); medication for high blood pressure, seizures, Parkinson's disease, asthma, colds, or allergies; methylphenidate (Ritalin); muscle relaxants; propranolol (Inderal); sedatives; sleeping pills; tacrolimus (Prograf); thyroid medications; tranquilizers; and triazolam (Halcion). If you have recently stopped taking fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), you may have to wait several weeks before beginning to take nefazodone. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had difficulty urinating; seizures; or kidney, liver, or heart disease. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking nefazodone. you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking nefazodone.