GEODON

Geodon is an antipsychotic medicine. Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia that may include: 

• hearing voices, seeing things, or sensing things that are not there 
• mistaken beliefs 
• unusual suspiciousness 
• becoming withdrawn from family and friends

Geodon can increase your chance of an abnormal heart rhythm (the way your heart beats) if you have certain heart conditions or take certain medicines. Therefore do not take Geodon if you have the following heart conditions: 

• long QT syndrome (a specific heart rhythm problem) 
• a recent heart attack 
• severe heart failure 
• certain irregularities of heart rhythm (discuss the specifics with your doctor) 

Do not take Geodon if you are currently taking medications that should not be taken while you are taking Geodon, such as: 

• dofetilide (Tikosyn®) 
• sotalol (Betapace®) 
• quinidine 
• certain anti arrhythmics 
• mesoridazine (Serentil®) 
• thioridazine (Mellaril®) 
• chlorpromazine (Thorazine®) 
• droperidol (Inapsine®) 
• pimozide (Orap®) 
• sparfloxacin (Zagam®) 
• gatifloxacin (Tequin)
• moxifloxacin (Avelox®) 
• halofantrine (Halfan®) 
• mefloquine (Lariam®) 
• pentamadine (Pentam®) 
• arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®) 
• levomethadyl acetate (Orlaam®) 
• dolasetron mesylate (Anzemet®) 
• probucol (Lorelco®) 
• tacrolimus (Prograf®) 

Do not take Geodon if you are allergic to Geodon or any of the other ingredients of Geodon.

Geodon may have a higher risk than some other medicines for schizophrenia because it may change the way the electrical current in the heart works more than some other drugs. We do not know whether this will be harmful, but some other medicines that cause this kind of change have sometimes caused rare dangerous heart rhythm problems. Because of this possible risk, Geodon should be used only after your doctor has considered this risk for Geodon against the risks and benefits of other medicines available for treating schizophrenia. 

Dizziness, and sometimes fainting, caused by a drop in blood pressure may happen with Geodon, especially when you first start taking this medicine or when the dose is increased. 

Because Geodon can cause sleepiness, be careful when operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle, until you know how this medicine affects you. 

Geodon may interfere with the ability of your body to adjust to heat. Therefore, avoid high temperatures and high humidity. 

Do not drink alcohol while taking Geodon.

Only your health care provider can decide if Geodon is right for you. Before you start Geodon, be sure to tell your health care provider if you: 

• are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant. We do not know if Geodon can harm your baby. 
• are breast-feeding. We do not know if Geodon can pass into your milk and if it can harm your baby. 
• have or had any problem with the way your heart beats or any heart related illness or disease. 
• any family history of heart disease or heart problems. 
• have or had any problem with fainting or dizziness. 
• have or had liver problems. 
• have ever had an allergic reaction to Geodon or any of the other ingredients of Geodon capsules. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of these ingredients. 

Tell your health care provider about the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines can cause serious side effects if taken while you also take Geodon. Some medicines may affect how Geodon works, or Geodon may affect how your other medicines work. Check with your health care provider before starting any new prescription or non-prescription medicine, vitamin, or herbal supplement. 

Your health care provider may want you to get more laboratory tests to see if Geodon is the right treatment for you.

Geodon may cause dangerous problems with your heart rhythm (the way your heart beats). Call your health care provider right away if you: 

• faint or lose consciousness 
• feel a change in the way your heart normally beats (palpitations) 

Common side effects of Geodon include the following: 

• feeling unusually tired or sleepy 
• nausea or upset stomach 
• constipation 
• dizziness 
•  restlessness 
• abnormal muscle movements, including tremor, shuffling, and uncontrolled involuntary movements 
• diarrhea 
• rash 
• increased cough / runny nose