Description

Rivastigmine should be administered twice a day, with morning and evening meals.

As a cholinesterase inhibitor, Rivastigmine may exaggerate the effects of succinylcholine-type muscle relaxants during anaesthesia. Caution is recommended when selecting anaesthetic agents. Possible dose adjustments or temporarily stopping treatment can be considered if needed. In view of its pharmacodynamic effects, rivastigmine should not be given concomitantly with other cholinomimetic substances and might interfere with the activity of anticholinergic medicinal products. No pharmacokinetic interaction was observed between rivastigmine and digoxin, warfarin, diazepam or fluoxetine in studies in healthy volunteers. The increase in prothrombin time induced by warfarin is not affected by administration of rivastigmine. No untoward effects on cardiac conduction were observed following concomitant administration of digoxin and Rivastigmine.

The use of this medicinal product is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance or other carbamate derivatives.

The most commonly reported adverse reactions are gastrointestinal, including nausea (38%) and vomiting (23%), especially during titration. Female patients in clinical studies were found to be more susceptible than male patients to gastrointestinal adverse reactions and weight loss.

For Rivastigmine no clinical data are available. Rivastigmine should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary. In animals, rivastigmine is excreted into milk. It is not known if rivastigmine is excreted into human milk. Therefore, women on rivastigmine should not breast-feed.

Patients with sick sinus syndrome or conduction defects, resp diseases. Cholinergic stimulation may increase gastric acid secretion. May exacerbate urinary obstruction and seizures. Pregnancy. Renal impairment, mild to moderate hepatic impairment. Monitor body wt. Asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease. May worsen extrapyramidal symptoms. Lactation.