Zonisamide is used together with other medicines to control partial seizures (convulsions) in the treatment of epilepsy. This medicine is an anticonvulsant that works in the brain to stop seizures.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor to help your condition as much as possible. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.
This medicine comes with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Take the capsule with or without food. Swallow the capsule whole. Do not break, crush, or chew it.
Drink extra water every day with this medicine to help prevent kidney stones.
This medicine will be used together with other seizure medicines. Keep using all of your medicines unless your doctor tells you to stop.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Discouragement
feeling sad or empty
irritability
lack of appetite
loss of interest or pleasure
mood or mental changes
shakiness or unsteady walking
tiredness
trouble with concentrating
trouble with sleeping
Less common
Agitation
bruising
delusions
hallucinations
large, flat blue or purplish patches on the skin
rash
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Abdominal or stomach pain
anxiety
difficulty with memory
dizziness
double vision
headache
loss of appetite
nausea
restlessness
sleepiness
unusual drowsiness
unusual tiredness or weakness
Less common
Aching muscles or joints
acid or sour stomach
bad, unusual, or unpleasant taste in the mouth
belching
change in taste
chills
constipation
diarrhea
difficulty with speaking
difficulty with thinking
dry mouth
fever
general ill feeling
headache
heartburn
indigestion
mental slowness
nervousness
runny or stuffy nose
sneezing
tingling, burning, or prickly feelings on the skin
uncontrolled, back and forth, or rolling eye movements
weight loss
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
This medicine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
Contact your doctor right away if you develop a skin rash, fever, sore throat, sores in your mouth, easy bruising, severe muscle pain or weakness, or worsening of your seizures.
Check with your doctor right away if you have sudden back pain, abdominal or stomach pain, pain while urinating, or bloody or dark urine. These may be symptoms of kidney stones.
Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, chills, cough, diarrhea, itching, joint or muscle pain, red skin lesions, often with a purple center, sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
Zonisamide may cause serious allergic reactions that affect several body organs (eg, liver or kidneys). Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever, dark urine, headache, rash, stomach pain, swelling of the face, feet, or lower legs, swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, trouble breathing, unusual tiredness, or yellow eyes or skin.
This medicine may make you sweat less, which causes your body temperature to increase. Use extra care not to become overheated during exercise or hot weather while you are taking this medicine. Overheating may result in heat stroke. Also, hot baths or saunas may make you dizzy or faint while you are taking this medicine.
Call your doctor right away if you have fast breathing, loss of appetite, fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats, or unusual tiredness or weakness. These may be symptoms of a condition called metabolic acidosis.
Do not stop taking zonisamide without first checking with your doctor. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause your seizures to return or to occur more often. Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount of medicine you are taking before stopping it completely.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than normal. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines, medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping medicine, prescription pain medicine, narcotics, medicine for seizures, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Check with your doctor or dentist before taking any of the above while you are taking this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines, and herbal or vitamin supplements.
