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Common name
Cinnarizin (cinnarizine)
Description
Cinnarizin is the antihistaminic with modest anticholinergic effects as well as calcium-antagonistic effects.
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Active Ingredients:
Cinnarizine
Therapeutic actions:
Cinnarizine inhibits contractions of vascular smooth muscle cells by blocking calcium channels. Cinnarizine increases erythrocyte deformability and decreases blood viscosity in vitro. Cinnarizine inhibits stimulation of the vestibular system. Cinnarizine belongs to a group of medicines called antihistamines. Cinnarizine works by blocking histamine and muscarinic receptors in the vomiting center in the brain. This prevents the vomiting center from receiving nerve messages from the vestibular apparatus. In turn, this prevents disturbances in the middle ear from activating the vomiting center and causing nausea, vertigo and vomiting.
What is it used for?:
(Indications:)
• Preventing and treating motion sickness
• Relieving nausea, vomiting, attacks of dizziness or spinning sensations (vertigo) and sensations of ringing or other noise in the ears (tinnitus) associated with Meniere's disease and other middle ear disorders.
Contraindications and cautions:
Before taking cinnarizine make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows:
• If you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breast-feeding.
• If you suffer from hypotension (low blood pressure)
• If you suffer from heart, liver or prostate problems
• If you suffer from Parkinson's disease
• If you have problems urinating (passing water)
• If you suffer from glaucoma
• If you suffer from epilepsy
• If you suffer from porphyria (a blood disorder)
You should not use this medication in:
• Children under five years of age
• Hereditary blood disorders called porphyrias
• Rare hereditary problems of fructose or galactose intolerance, Lapp lactose deficiency, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency (Stugeron tablets contain lactose and sucrose).
• This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
Use with caution in:
• Decreased kidney function
• Decreased liver function
• Parkinson's disease.
Side effects:
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect. The most common antihistaminic side-effect of cinnarizine is sedation which can vary from slight drowsiness to deep sleep, and including inability to concentrate, lassitude, dizziness, and inco-ordination.
Sedative effects, when they occur, may diminish after a few days.
• gastro-intestinal disturbances such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, anorexia or increased appetite and epigastric pain. Somnolence and gastro-intestinal disturbances are usually transient and may often be prevented by achieving the optimum dosage gradually.
• Central effects may include muscular weakness, headache and euphoria.
• Cinnarizine may also produce antimuscarinic effects such as blurred vision, difficulty in micturition, dysuria, dryness of mouth and tightness of chest.
• Weight gain, perspiration or allergic reactions may be observed. Cases of lichen planus and lupus-like symptoms and an isolated case of cholestatic jaundice have been reported. In elderly people cases of aggravation or an appearance of extrapyramidal symptoms sometimes associated with depressive feelings have been described during prolonged therapy. The treatment should be discontinued in such cases.
• Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity (rarely with long-term use, mostly in elderly people - stop taking this medicine and consult your doctor if this occurs)
• Skin reactions (very rarely with long-term use)
• Jaundice (very rarely with long-term use)
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Interactions:
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine.
Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe. Cinnarizine may enhance the sedative effect of central nervous system depressants including alcohol, barbiturates, hypnotics, narcotic analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, sedatives and tranquillisers.
The side-effects of anticholinergic substances such as atropine and tricyclic Antidepressants may be enhanced by the concomitant administration of antihistamines.
Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors may enhance the antimuscarinic effects of antihistamines.
There may be an increased risk of drowsiness if this medicine is taken with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness):
• alcohol • antipsychotics, eg chlorpromazine
• benzodiazepines, eg diazepam, temazepam
• sedating antihistamines, eg chlorphenamine, promethazine
• sleeping tablets, eg zopiclone
• strong opioid painkillers, eg morphine, codeine
• tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline
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