What is Xenazine used for?
Xenazine (tetrabenazine) is a monoamine depletory used to treat Huntington's chorea (uncontrolled muscle movements). Xenazine reduces the amount of certain chemicals in the body that are overly active in people with Huntington's disease.
How do you get tetrabenazine?
TETRABENAZINE is used to treat the involuntary movements of Huntington's disease, also known as Huntington's chorea....This drug is only available at select specialty pharmacies, which usually means:It may be expensive.You cannot fill this in a regular pharmacy.This drug has a complex regimen to manage.
How long does it take tetrabenazine to work?
Tetrabenazine needs to be taken for 1 to 2 weeks before you notice improvement in your symptoms. You may notice improvement earlier if tetrabenazine is combined with other medications. A delay in response is normal.
What is tetrabenazine drug used for?
Tetrabenazine is used to treat chorea (a movement disorder) that is caused by Huntington disease. Tetrabenazine works in the central nervous system (CNS) to prevent the absorption of certain chemicals (such as dopamine and serotonin). This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Is xenazine generic?
Tetrabenazine (Xenazine) is a medication used for a movement problem called chorea, which is a symptom of Huntington's disease. It's available as a generic and is taken once or twice per day.
What is another name for tetrabenazine?
XENAZINE (tetrabenazine) is a monoamine depletor for oral administration.
Does tetrabenazine cause weight gain?
Weight increase was 0.8 lb/mo in the tetrabenazine group compared with 1.7 lb/mo in the neuroleptic group (P = . 006). Most patients who switched from a neuroleptic drug to tetrabenazine subsequently lost weight.
Does tetrabenazine cause depression?
Tetrabenazine can increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and behavior (suicidality). This risk must be balanced with the clinical need. Monitor patients closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior.
Can you just stop taking tetrabenazine?
Tapering of the tetrabenazine dose is not needed when the drug is being discontinued. Chorea may become evident within 12 to 18 hours after the last dose. After a treatment interruption of more than five days, dosing should be re-titrated.
Can tetrabenazine cause insomnia?
The most common side effects included drowsiness (36.5%), parkinsonism (28.5%), depression (15.0%), insomnia (11.0%), nervousness or anxiety (10.3%), and akathisia (9.5%).
Is tetrabenazine an antipsychotic?
Tetrabenazine (TBZ) was initially synthesized in the 1950s by O Schneider and A Brossi at the research laboratory of Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel. They created TBZ as an antipsychotic drug as part of their research into simpler chemical compounds with reserpine-like activity.
Can tetrabenazine cause seizures?
Check with your doctor right away if you have more than one of these symptoms while taking this medicine: convulsions (seizures), difficulty with breathing, a fast heartbeat, a high fever, high or low blood pressure, increased sweating, loss of bladder control, severe muscle stiffness, unusually pale skin, or tiredness ...
How does tetrabenazine treat tardive dyskinesia?
Tetrabenazine inhibits presynaptic dopamine release and blocks postsynaptic dopamine receptors. It has been used for decades to treat a variety of hyperkinetic move- ment disorders, including tardive dyskinesia (3–9).
Is tetrabenazine approved for tardive dyskinesia?
Developed in the 1950s [18], tetrabenazine is currently approved for the treatment of moderate to severe TD in some countries, and has been used and studied off-label for TD in the USA [19,20].
Is tetrabenazine an antipsychotic?
Tetrabenazine (TBZ) was initially synthesized in the 1950s by O Schneider and A Brossi at the research laboratory of Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel. They created TBZ as an antipsychotic drug as part of their research into simpler chemical compounds with reserpine-like activity.
Does tetrabenazine cause weight gain?
Weight increase was 0.8 lb/mo in the tetrabenazine group compared with 1.7 lb/mo in the neuroleptic group (P = . 006). Most patients who switched from a neuroleptic drug to tetrabenazine subsequently lost weight.