AbobotulinumtoxinA, Injection ay-boh-BOT-yoo-lin-num TOKS-in typ-A

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: toxin

Generic and brand names: abobotulinumtoxinA, injection; Dysport

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injections (shots) into muscles to treat cervical dystonia (stiffness and neck pain).

It is also used to to smooth the lines between your brows that develop over time. It relaxes the muscles that cause those lines to form.

It may be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine or to cow’s milk protein
• trouble swallowing
• breathing problems such as asthma or emphysema
• any bleeding problems
• diabetes
• heart disease such as irregular heartbeat
• a nerve or muscle disorder such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) or myasthenia gravis

Tell your healthcare provider if you have had any other botulinum injections in the past 4 months or if you have an infection. Tell your healthcare provider if you have plans to have surgery or if you recently had surgery on your face.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant while receiving these shots. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while receiving these shots without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

Read the Medication Guide when you start taking this medicine and each time you get an injection.

Your healthcare provider will inject the medicine into the muscles that need to be relaxed. The number of shots you receive depends on:

• how severe your condition is
• how many muscles are affected
• your response to the medicine.

You usually get results within 2 weeks of treatment. The benefits usually last for about 3 to 4 months. The treatment may be repeated if symptoms return.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause serious side effects that can be life-threatening. These symptoms may occur hours to weeks after an injection. This medicine may spread from the area of injection to other areas of the body. This may cause symptoms similar to those of botulism, such as:

• muscle weakness
• hoarseness
• change or loss of voice
• trouble saying words clearly
• loss of bladder control
• trouble breathing
• trouble swallowing
• double vision or blurred vision
• drooping eyelids

If you have any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Do not drive or operate machinery if you have vision problems, muscle weakness, or drooping eyelids.

This medicine is made from human albumin. It is tested for viruses such as hepatitis and HIV. The risk of getting an infection from this medicine is very low, but it is still possible. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may cause a dry mouth. Sucking on hard, sugar-free candy or chewing sugar-free gun may help.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist if you have received this medicine in the past 3 months.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat), chest pain.

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Trouble swallowing or speaking, irregular heartbeat, inability to close your eye, muscle weakness, hoarseness, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, swollen eyelids.

Other: Dry mouth; sore throat; neck pain; headache; pain or numbness at the injection site; tiredness; nausea; muscle or joint pain; dry eyes; sensitivity to light.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• antibiotics such as amikacin, clindamycin (Cleocin), gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin sulfate (Neo-Fradin), paromomycin, streptomycin, and tobramycin
• anticholinergic medicines such as amantadine (Symmetrel), benztropine (Cogentin), hyoscyamine (Levsin, Levsinex), ipratropium (Atrovent), scopolamine (Isopto Hyoscine, Transderm Scop), and tolterodine (Detrol)
• cold and allergy medicines, especially antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• medicines used to treat Alzheimer's disease such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl), rivastigmine (Exelon), and tacrine (Cognex)
• muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene (Dantrium), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• other botulinum toxins such as Myobloc and Botox
• sleeping pills such as butabarbital (Butisol), phenobarbital, triazolam (Halcion), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien)

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicines in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.