ethotoin

What is the most important information I should know about ethotoin?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to ethotoin or if you have liver disease or a blood cell disorder (such as anemia, hemophilia, and others).

Ethotoin can cause a decrease in many types of blood cells (white cells, red cells, platelets). Call your doctor at once if you have any unusual bleeding, weakness, or any signs of infection, even if these symptoms first occur after you have been using the medication for several months.

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medication. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Contact your doctor if your seizures get worse or you have them more often while taking ethotoin.

Carry an ID card or wear a medical alert bracelet stating that you are taking ethotoin, in case of emergency. Any doctor, dentist, or emergency medical care provider who treats you should know that you are taking a seizure medication.

What is ethotoin?

Ethotoin is an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant.

Ethotoin is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat seizures in adults and children.

Ethotoin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking ethotoin?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to ethotoin or if you have liver disease or a blood cell disorder (such as anemia, hemophilia, and others).

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take ethotoin:

• lupus;
• liver disease; or
• folic acid (or folate) deficiency.

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medication. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several months of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

FDA pregnancy category D. Seizure medication may cause harm to an unborn baby, but having a seizure during pregnancy could harm both the mother and the baby. Do not start taking ethotoin during pregnancy without telling your doctor you are pregnant.

If you become pregnant while taking ethotoin for seizures, do not stop taking it without your doctor's advice. Seizure control is very important during pregnancy and the benefits of preventing seizures may outweigh any risks posed by taking ethotoin.

If you have taken ethotoin during pregnancy, be sure to tell the doctor who delivers your baby about your ethotoin use. Both you and the baby may need to receive medications to prevent excessive bleeding during delivery and just after birth.

Your name may need to be listed on a pregnancy registry if you take ethotoin during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate whether the medication had any effect on the baby.

Ethotoin passes into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take ethotoin?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

If you are switching to ethotoin from another anticonvulsant medication, carefully follow your doctor's instructions about timing and dosage when switching from one drug to another. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose over several weeks or months to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Take ethotoin after eating to prevent upset stomach.

Ethotoin can cause a decrease in many types of blood cells (white cells, red cells, platelets). This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. Call your doctor at once if you have any unusual bleeding, weakness, or any signs of infection, including flu-like symptoms. These symptoms may first develop even after you have been using the medication for several months.

To be sure your blood cells do not get too low, your blood may need to be tested on a regular basis while taking ethotoin. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Contact your doctor if your seizures get worse or you have them more often while taking ethotoin.

Carry an ID card or wear a medical alert bracelet stating that you are taking ethotoin, in case of emergency. Any doctor, dentist, or emergency medical care provider who treats you should know that you are taking a seizure medication.

It is important to use ethotoin regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Store ethotoin at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include vision changes, nausea, vomiting, extreme drowsiness, and trouble standing or walking.

What should I avoid while taking ethotoin?

Ethotoin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

What are the possible side effects of ethotoin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• chest pain;
• vision problems;
• signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums), mouth sores, unusual weakness;
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• joint pain or swelling with fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, chest pain;
• patchy skin color, red spots, or a butterfly-shaped skin rash over your cheeks and nose (worsens in sunlight);
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; or
• worsening of seizures.

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness, headache, tired feeling;
• vomiting, diarrhea;
• swelling in your gums;
• sleep problems (insomnia); or
• lack of balance or coordination.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect ethotoin?

Before taking ethotoin, tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:

• medicine to prevent blood clots, such as ticlopidine (Ticlid) or warfarin (Coumadin);
• an antibiotic such as dapsone, penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen), pentamidine (Nebupent), rifapentine (Priftin);
• an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), maprotiline (Ludiomil), mirtazapine (Remeron), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others;
• heart rhythm medication such as flecainide (Tambocor), procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl), or propafenone (Rythmol);
• medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo), loxapine (Loxitane), perphenazine (Trilafon), pimozide (Orap), prochlorperazine (Compazine), thiothixene (Navane), and others;
• an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), and others;
• other seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), divalproex (Depakote), felbamate (Felbatol), primidone (Mysoline), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakene);
• a sulfa drug such as Bactrim, Septra, Cotrim, SMX-TMP;
• thyroid replacement medication such as levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid); or
• type 2 diabetes medications such as chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolazamide (Tolnase), tolbutamide (Orinase).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with ethotoin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about ethotoin.