Apomorphine (a-poe-MOR-feen)

Treats loss of control of muscle movements associated with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Brand Name(s):

Apokyn

When This Medicine Should Not Be Used:

How to Use This Medicine:

Injectable

• Your doctor will prescribe your exact dose and tell you how often it should be given. This medicine is given as a shot under your skin.Do not inject this medicine into a vein.
• This medicine comes with patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
• You may be taught how to give your medicine at home. Make sure you understand all instructions before giving yourself an injection. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to. Use a new needle each time you inject your medicine.
• You will be shown the body areas where this shot can be given. Use a different body area each time you give yourself a shot. Keep track of where you give each shot to make sure you rotate body areas.

How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine:

• If you store this medicine at home, keep it at room temperature, away from heat and direct light.
• Throw away used needles in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets.
• Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any leftover medicine, containers, and other supplies. You will also need to throw away old medicine after the expiration date has passed.
• Keep all medicine away from children and never share your medicine with anyone.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

• Tell your doctor if you are using any medicines that make you sleepy. These include sleeping pills, cold and allergy medicine, narcotic pain relievers, and sedatives. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol because it will make drowsiness worse.
• Tell your doctor if you are using metoclopramide (Reglan®), carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet®), cisapride (Propulsid®), dofetilide (Tikosyn®), erythromycin (Erythro-Tab®), fluoxetine (Prozac®), moxifloxacin (Avalox®), or medicine to treat nausea (such as alosetron, ondansetron, dolasetron, palonosetron, or granisetron).
• Tell your doctor if you use medicine to lower blood pressure, such as atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), lisinopril, metoprolol, Accupril®, Lotrel®, Norvasc®, Toprol®, or Zestril®.

Warnings While Using This Medicine:

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding, have a history of heart, liver, or kidney disease, are allergic to sulfa medicines, or are being treated for a mental health problem.
• This medicine may cause nausea and vomiting. Your doctor may give you another medicine to help control these side effects.
• This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Avoid driving, using machines, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert. Rise up slowly from sitting or lying to help prevent dizziness.
• This medicine may cause hallucinations (seeing or hearing something that does not exist), especially in older adults. If you have questions or concerns about this, talk with your doctor.
• Do not stop using this medicine suddenly without asking your doctor. You may need to slowly decrease your dose before stopping it completely.
• If your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse, call your doctor.

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine:

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

• Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
• Chest pain, fast or uneven heartbeat, or a very slow heartbeat (about 50 heartbeats a minute or less).
• Fainting.
• Feeling short of breath, swelling in your feet or lower legs.
• Severe nausea or vomiting.

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

• Depression.
• Dizziness, sleepiness, or yawning.
• Increased sweating.
• Pain in your arms, legs, back, joints, or headaches.
• Redness, pain, or swelling where the shot is given.

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088