Rasagiline can be taken alone or in combination with other medications (for e.g. Levodopa) treat Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects body movement. This medication helps to improve muscle control and allows more normal body movements.

• Do not stop taking Rasagiline without checking with your healthcare professional.
• You may take Rasagiline with or without food.

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication.
• You have kidney or liver condition.
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

• Dry mouth
  • Suck on sugar-free candies or ice cubes to stimulate saliva production
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Joint pain
• Headache
• Low blood pressure resulting in dizziness when getting up from a lying or sitting position
  • Get up slowly from a lying or sitting position to reduce dizziness

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

Some rare but serious side effects includes

• Abnormal muscle movements such as twitching or jerking
• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
• Strong urge that are hard to control (such as eating, gambling, spending money)

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

You should avoid food with high tyramine content while on Rasagiline. Tyramine is found commonly in foods that are aged or fermented (e.g. cheese, smoked or pickled meat, over-ripe fruits). Alcoholic or caffeine-containing drinks should be avoided too. Taking Rasagiline with these foods may cause severe high blood pressure.

Do not take Rasagiline if you have taken

• Certain drugs used for treatment of depression (e.g. isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine) in the past 14 days as this may cause severe high blood pressure
• Fluoxetine (medicine used for mood disorders) within the last 5 weeks
• Tramadol (medicine used for pain control) within the past 14 days
• Dextromethorphan (medicine used for to suppress cough)

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children.

Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing it into the rubbish chute or bin.