Iloperidone, Oral eye-loh-PER-ih-done

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antipsychotic

Generic and brand names: iloperidone, oral; Fanapt

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.

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

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

• a blood disorder such as a low number of white blood cells
• a heart attack or stroke
• Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• breast cancer
• diabetes
• heart failure or other heart disease
• liver disease
• long QT syndrome (problems with electrical activity in the heart muscle)
• low blood pressure
• low levels of potassium or magnesium in the blood
• seizures
• thoughts of suicide
• trouble swallowing

Females of childbearing age: Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval. Taking this medicine during the last 3 months of pregnancy may cause problems for the baby. Symptoms the baby may have include agitation, tight muscles, floppy muscles, shaking, trouble breathing, or trouble feeding. Talk with your provider about this.

How do I take it?

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Your dosage will be adjusted to find the dosage that is effective for you.

Take this medicine regularly. It may take up to 2 weeks or longer for this medicine to start to control your symptoms. Do not stop taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

Contact your healthcare provider if you stop taking this medicine for 3 days or longer. You may need to start taking it at a lower dose and gradually increase your dose again. You make take this medicine with or without food.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: uncontrolled movement or stiffness in tongue, jaw, or neck, drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, seizures, fever, irregular or fast heartbeat.

What should I watch out for?

Your healthcare provider will check you regularly to adjust the dosage. You may need to have blood tests to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments.

Newborn babies may have trouble breathing or feeding, or other symptoms, if the mother takes this medicine in the last 3 months of pregnancy. This medicine should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit is greater than the possible risk to your baby. Talk with your provider about this.

Using this medicine for a long time may cause muscle spasms, twitching in the face and body, and uncontrolled tongue or jaw movement. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

You may feel dizzy or faint when you get up quickly after sitting or lying down. Getting up slowly may help. Also, drinking alcohol may make it worse. Do not drink alcohol unless your healthcare provider approves.

This medicine may make you drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

While taking this medicine, be careful when you exercise, especially when it is hot. This medicine affects your body's ability to cool down, and you may get too hot. If you get too hot, you might vomit, feel dizzy, have a fast heartbeat, get very stiff muscles, or be confused. Contact your provider right away if you have these symptoms.

Older adults with dementia are at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your provider about this.

Rarely, this medicine may cause a painful erection of the penis that will not return to normal within 4 hours. If this occurs, contact your healthcare provider or get medical care right away. It can lead to permanent erectile dysfunction if not treated.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell your healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

This medicine may increase the risk of diabetes, especially if you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes. If you have diabetes, this medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

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); seizures.

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Jerky or abnormal movements you cannot control; fast or irregular heartbeat; unusual weakness; fainting; extreme dizziness or drowsiness; increased urination; extreme hunger; increased thirst; fever, chills, or sore throat; mood changes or thoughts of suicide; painful or prolonged erection; confusion; increased sweating; high fever and muscle stiffness; trouble swallowing or breathing.

Other: Drowsiness, mild dizziness, restlessness, blurred vision, dry mouth, diarrhea, weight gain, stuffy nose, change in sexual ability.

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:

• ACE inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace)
• alcohol
• alpha blockers such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura) and prazosin (Minipress)
• angiotensin receptor II blockers such as candesartan (Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), olmesartan (Benicar), telmisartan (Micardis), and valsartan (Diovan)
• antianxiety medicines such as alprazolam (Xanax), buspirone (BuSpar), clonazepam (Klonopin), clorazepate (Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and oxazepam
• antiarrhythmics (medicines to treat irregular heartbeat) such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), disopyramide (Norpace), flecainide (Tambocor), isradipine (DynaCirc), procainamide, propafenone (Rythmol), quinidine, and sotalol (Betapace)
• antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (Ery-Tabs, E.E.S.), isoniazid, levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), pentamidine (NebuPent), and telithromycin (Ketek)
• anticholinergic medicines such as amantadine (Symmetrel), benztropine (Cogentin), hyoscyamine (Levsin, Levsinex), ipratropium (Atrovent), scopolamine (Isopto Hyoscine, Transderm Scop), and tolterodine (Detrol)
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline, bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine, duloxetine, fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nefazodone, paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor)
• antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and voriconazole (VFEND)
• antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and hydroxyzine (Vistaril)
• anti-HIV medicines such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), and ritonavir (Norvir)
• antinausea medicines such as prochlorperazine and promethazine (Phenergan)
• antipsychotic medicines such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pimozide (Orap), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine, trifluoperazine, and ziprasidone (Geodon)
• antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital, and valproic acid (Depakote)
• arsenic trioxide (Trisenox)
• beta blockers such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), pindolol, propranolol (Inderal LA), and sotalol (Betapace)
• calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), felodipine, isradipine (DynaCirc CR), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia), and verapamil (Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin SR, Verelan)
• conivaptan (Vaprisol)
• diuretics (water pills) such as amiloride, bumetanide, chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), spironolactone (Aldactone), torsemide (Demadex), and triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide)
• imatinib (Gleevec)
• lithium (Lithobid)
• medicines to treat Parkinson's disease such as bromocriptine (Parlodel), cabergoline (Dostinex), carbidopa and levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet), entacapone (Comtan), pergolide (Permax), pramipexole (Mirapex), and ropinirole (Requip)
• muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), dantrolene (Dantrium), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• narcotic pain medicines such as codeine, fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine), morphine, oxycodone (OxyContin), oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet, Tylox), and pentazocine (Talwin)
• natural remedies such as gotu kola, kava, St. John's wort, and valerian
• sleeping pills such as butabarbital (Butisol), flurazepam, phenobarbital, temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien)

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

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.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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 medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.