Rasagiline Withdrawal

[MissRita]

Hello all!

Does anybody have any experience with or knowledge of the above subject? Thanks so much!

[OBW1]

MDS swapped me from Rasagiline to Ongentys. Directed me to stop Rasagiline cold turkey. Worst part was my tremors got really bad and has not totally recovered since starting Ongentys.

[MissRita in reply to OBW1]

The problem I’m having with it is I’ve been taking this since the last a part of April and I just started having issues with massive retention of water and my blood pressure is through the roof and technically and historically I’ve never had high blood pressure in my life. I am dizzy and I feel like I’ve got vertigo and yet the overarching feeling is that I have extremely low blood sugar but I’m not a diabetic. What I do have is high fructosimine which is not great.

[OBW1 in reply to MissRita]

I was taking Rasagiline since January and just recently stopped. I had no side effects and could not tell any benefits from using it until I stopped.

[MissRita]

Update:

Last night was the first night I actually had restful sleep and I’ve been off the rasagaline for 24 hours and I feel so much better. I’m not anxious as much in the morning I’m not mean or irritable and I feel like I can actually breathe again and my stomach is not distended and I’m retaining next to no fluid. The best part is no headache this morning as I’ve been having headaches continuously while taking the medication. I called my doctor yesterday and she said to me that I should take the weekend to see how it goes and to see if that makes a difference. Initially she said that high blood pressure and retention of fluid was not a side effect but after she researched her records she found out that it did. Mind you I researched the records before she did and that’s why I knew it was the medication.

[Sane1]

MissRita,

Glad you are feeling better. I have been on Rasagiline for about 5 years without problems. I try to keep up with the drug information/research on each of my drugs. I always thought that you should come off of Rasagiline slowly since quick withdrawal may cause hypotension and dizziness etc. Also that severe hypertension could be caused by eating large amounts of tyramine rich foods while taking Rasagiline. There are also long lists of meds that can interact with Rasagiline including pain meds, cough and cold remedies, some of which cause high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness etc.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple...

[MissRita in reply to Sane1]

I interesting! I became dizzy and imbalanced more so on it. I also don’t eat foods with tyramine in it.

I’ll check out the list!

[caitilin in reply to MissRita]

Rasagiline was a nightmare for me; because I’m taking an SSRI for depression; and Rasagiline negatively interacted with it. Due to my Seratonin level shooting up to a toxic level I had to be hospitalized. My neurologist said she knew there was a warning on mixing the two; but she thought it was so rare an occurrence she ignored it. 😳

[laglag in reply to caitilin]

How did you know your Seratonin level was high ?

[caitilin in reply to laglag]

Hi LagLag, I had been taking Rasagiline for about a month and had noticed mild irritation and building anxiety. One afternoon I just couldn't stay on my feet after I had spent all my energy showering. I started hallucinating; and my blood pressure was extremely high. High enough that my daughter called an ambulance. I didn't know what was happening. I spent 3 days in the hospital. The neurologist in the hospital told me I had Serotonin poisoning. He sorted out my meds and I went home after I was stable. That outcome was a surprise to my GP and my neurologist. Even the pharmacist was surprised. It felt like a horror show to me.

[MissRita in reply to caitilin]

Well it’s funny that you’re saying all this because some of what you wrote I can really connect to. In the last couple of weeks I noticed some hallucinating side effects I thought it was no big deal and maybe I was making more out of it than it was but I don’t now. After 24 hours actually almost 36 hours now being off of it no more hallucinations. I never really realized what her blood pressure could do to a persons body until I experienced it. Very very scary.

[Hikoi in reply to caitilin]

Sounds like serotonin syndrome which is very uncommon. Our drugs are powerful!

[caitilin in reply to Hikoi]

Yes, Serotonin Syndrome is what the neurologist at the hospital called it.

[MissRita in reply to caitilin]

See what I mean!! Drs should take all of the side effects into consideration no matter how rare or how common! I for one usually end up with the most rarest of side effects with anything I’ve taken. I just wish they would listen to the medication makers and really look at the research.

[Hikoi]

I’m not sure what you are saying when you write doctors should take all of the side effects into consideration…. And then what? Personally my doctor does and it is flagged if any medicines I take interact with each other.

[Kwinholt]

Hi there. I’ve taken rasagiline (Azilect ) for nine years. My neuro had me stop taking it in April. I was worried I would have some withdrawals or something, but nothing. I am in the testing phase for approval for DBS, so I’m glad to have one of my meds I seem to do ok without. Karen