Geodon

Generic Name:

Ziprasidone Injection (zi-PRAS-i-done)

Brand Name:

Geodon

Drug Uses

Geodon is used for treating acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia who require an injectable medicine. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How should you take Geodon?

Geodon capsules should be taken twice a day with food.

Take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Store at room temperature.

Side Effects

You should contact your doctor immediately if you faint or pass out, or if you feel any change in the way your heart is beating while taking Geodon. This is extremely important.

Common side effects include:

• Tiredness or sleepiness
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Restlessness
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Cough/runny nose
• Abnormal muscle movements, such as tremor, shuffling, uncontrolled involuntary movements

Drug Class and Mechanism

Geodon is an antipsychotic. It may work by altering the balance of certain chemicals that occur naturally in the brain, which are responsible for thinking and behavior.

Recommended dosage for Geodon

GEODON

The usual starting dose is 20 milligrams twice a day. If needed, the dosage may be increased at several-week intervals up to a maximum of 80 milligrams twice a day.

The usual starting dose is 40 milligrams twice a day with food. On the second day of treatment, the doctor will increase the dose to 60 or 80 milligrams twice a day. For maintenance treatment, the dosage range is usually 40 to 80 milligrams twice a day.

General information:

• If you have any questions about Geodon , please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• Geodon is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
• If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Geodon . If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist,

Special warnings about Geodon

Remember that Geodon can cause dangerous—even fatal—heartbeat irregularities. Warning signs include dizziness, palpitations, and fainting. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms. Be careful to avoid drugs that prolong the QT interval of the heartbeat. Check with your doctor before combining any other medication with Geodon.

Particularly during the first few days of therapy, Geodon can cause low blood pressure, with accompanying dizziness, fainting, and rapid heartbeat. Tell your doctor if you experience any of these side effects. To minimize such problems, your doctor will increase your dose gradually. If you are prone to low blood pressure, take blood pressure medicine, become dehydrated, or have heart disease or poor circulation in the brain, use Geodon with caution.

Geodon may cause drowsiness and can impair your judgment, thinking, and motor skills. Use caution while driving and don't operate potentially dangerous machinery until you know how this drug affects you.

Geodon poses a very slight risk of seizures, especially if you are over age 65, have a history of seizures, or have Alzheimer's disease.

Drugs such as Geodon sometimes cause a condition called Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). Symptoms include high fever, muscle rigidity, irregular pulse or blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, excessive perspiration, and changes in heart rhythm. If these symptoms appear, tell your doctor immediately. You'll need to stop taking Geodon while the condition is under treatment.

There also is the risk of developing tardive dyskinesia, a condition marked by slow, rhythmical, involuntary movements. This problem is more likely to occur in mature adults, especially older women. When it does, use of Geodon is usually stopped.