Zeldox IM

(zell-docks-i-m)

ziprasidone (zi-pra-si-don)

Consumer Medicine Information

This leaflet answers some common questions about Zeldox IM.

It does not contain all the available information.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or nurse.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of treatment with Zeldox IM against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or nurse.

Keep this leaflet with the medicine.

You may need to read it again.

Zeldox IM is used to treat severe agitation or aggression in people with schizophrenia or similar illnesses.

Your doctor may have prescribed Zeldox IM for another reason.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Zeldox IM has been prescribed for you.

After you have been given Zeldox IM, your symptoms should get better. Your doctor may then switch you to Zeldox capsules or another oral medicine to help manage your symptoms in the long term.

Zeldox IM belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics. It contains the ingredient ziprasidone.

Ziprasidone is thought to work by correcting the imbalance of some chemicals in the brain. This, in turn, reduces the agitation or aggression caused by the illness.

Zeldox IM is an injection. It is available only in a hospital with a doctor’s prescription.

Only a doctor or nurse can give the injection.

Zeldox IM is not recommended for the treatment of elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Zeldox IM is not recommended for use in children under 18 years of age. There is not enough information on its effects in this age group.

You must not be given Zeldox IM if you have an allergy to:

any medicine containing ziprasidone

any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction to Zeldox IM may include:

hives, itching or skin rash

shortness of breath, wheezing

swelling of the face, lips or tongue which may lead to difficulty swallowing or breathing.

You should not be given Zeldox IM if you have had any of the following medical conditions. Your doctor or nurse need to know if you have ever had:

a recent heart attack

heart failure that is not well-controlled

abnormal rhythm of the heart or any other condition requiring other drugs to control your heart rhythm.

Your doctor and nurse need to know if you have any allergies to:

any other medicines

any other substances such as foods, preservatives or dyes.

Your doctor and nurse need to know about all your medical conditions, especially if you have ever had any of the following:

irregular heart rate

a condition requiring other drugs to control the heart rhythm

any heart or blood vessel problems

low blood levels of potassium or magnesium

high sugar levels in your blood

a condition that may give you low blood pressure

kidney problems

a history of seizures (fits)

liver problems

headache

nausea

vomiting

blurred vision

muscle weakness

if you are 65 years of age or over and have a condition known as dementia-related psychosis

if you have ever suffered or suffers from a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is the formation of blood clots in one of the deep veins within the body, e.g., the leg or pelvis. The symptoms of DVT are pain and swelling in your legs. Sometimes the blood clot may break away from its original location and travel to the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary embolism (PE). Symptoms of PE may include sharp chest pain, shortness of breath or you may cough up blood

breathing stops and starts while sleeping.

Your doctor and nurse need to know if you have ever had any of the following reactions to this type of medicine:

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) – symptoms include sudden fever, fast breathing, blood pressure changes, sweating, confusion, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness

Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) – unusual movements (mainly of the face and tongue), or uncontrollable twitching or jerking of the arms and legs.

Your doctor and nurse need to know if:

you are pregnant

you are breastfeeding.

Like most antipsychotic medicines, Zeldox IM is not recommended for use during pregnancy or during breastfeeding. It is thought that low levels of Zeldox passes into breast milk..

Some medicines may be affected by Zeldox IM or may affect how well it works. Your doctor may need to give you different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor will advise you.

Your doctor and nurse need to know if you are taking any other medicines, including:

all prescription medicines

all medicine bought over-the-counter from a pharmacy or supermarket

all complementary and alternative therapies

any supplements or herbal remedies bought from a health food shop

a type of herbal medicine to treat depression called St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

any illicit drugs.

Your doctor and nurse need to know if you are taking medicines for any of the following medical conditions:

Parkinson’s disease

Schizophrenia or other psychoses

fast or irregular heart rhythms

sedatives to help you sleep

anxiety

depression or mood swings

pain – especially any narcotic

epilepsy or mood disorder – especially carbamazepine

fungal infections – especially ketoconazole

rifampicin an antibiotic used for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Your doctor or nurse has more information on medicines to be careful with or to avoid while using Zeldox IM.

Your doctor will decide how much Zeldox IM you need.

A doctor or nurse will inject Zeldox IM into a muscle.

Your doctor may use Zeldox IM for up to three days.

As your doctor will supervise how much Zeldox IM you are given, you are unlikely to have an overdose.

If you are given too much Zeldox IM, you may feel slightly drowsy and your speech may be slurred.

If you think you have been given too much Zeldox IM:

tell your doctor or nurse immediately, or

telephone the Poisons Information Centre on 131 126.

This medicine has been prescribed to help you, but it may have unwanted side effects in some people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.

Do not be alarmed by the following list of side effects.

You may not experience any of them.

It is important to tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being treated with Zeldox IM.

Zeldox may also cause falls resulting in fractures or other injuries in some people.

Other side effects not listed below may also occur in some people.

The following list shows common side effects of Zeldox IM. Some of these side effects may affect up to 1 in 10 people, whereas others are less common.

Tell your doctor or nurse if you notice any of the following physical problems and they worry you.

weakness or loss of strength

palpitations or a fast heart rate

dizziness on standing up, especially when getting up from a sitting or lying position

pain or irritation where the injection is given

headache

constipation

diarrhoea

dry mouth

feeling sick (nausea)

vomiting

loss of appetite

difficulties breathing

difficulties speaking

excessive sweating

flushing

muscle stiffness

involuntary muscle spasms

blurred vision

male sexual dysfunction.

Tell your doctor or nurse if you notice any of the following mental or emotional problems and they worry you:

drowsiness or sleepiness

trouble sleeping

restlessness or difficulty sitting still

dizziness, blackouts or feeling faint

anxiety or agitation

loss of control of your bladder

unusual secretion of breast milk.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have a persistent painful erection of the penis without sexual arousal.

The following list includes serious side effects which may require medical attention.

Do not be alarmed as you may not experience any of them.

Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you notice:

any worm-like movements of the tongue

any other uncontrolled movements of the tongue, mouth, cheeks or jaw

any uncontrolled movements spreading to the arms and legs

sleepwalking

eating during sleepwalking

breathing stops and starts while sleeping. Symptoms can be loud or frequent snoring, silent pauses in breathing, choking or gasping sounds.

These are symptoms of a condition called tardive dyskinesia. Tardive dyskinesia is more likely in people who have been given Zeldox IM or taking other antipsychotic medications for a long time. If detected early, it is usually reversible. Your doctor will decide whether to lower your dose or stop the medicine completely.

The following list contains very serious side effects. These symptoms can also sometimes happen after you stop Zeldox IM treatment. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.

If any of the following happen, tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:

convulsions, fits or seizures

trembling and shaking of the hands and fingers

shuffling walk and stiffness of the arms and legs

sudden uncontrollable muscle spasms in the eyes, head, neck and body

sudden signs of allergy – including skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

pain and swelling in the large veins of your legs or hip

sharp chest pain, shortness of breath or and coughing up blood

Experience symptoms of a condition called Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) which include:

high fever

fast breathing

stiff muscles

confusion, drowsiness or sleepiness.

Talk to your doctor or mental health professional if you have thoughts or talk about death, suicide or self-harm.

These may be signs of changes or worsening in your mental illness.

Zeldox IM is supplied to the hospital as a sterile powder for injection, with an ampoule of Water for Injections.

The hospital will mix the Zeldox IM and Water for Injections to produce a solution containing ziprasidone 20 mg/mL.

Zeldox IM contains the active ingredient ziprasidone.

The inactive ingredients are:

sulfobutyl betadex sodium (SBECD)

Water for Injections.

Zeldox IM is supplied in Australia by:

Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd

Sydney NSW

Toll free number: 1800 675 229.

AUST R 154458.

This leaflet was prepared in August 2019.

 

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© Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd 2019.