Ziprasidone Side Effects

Some side effects are likely to occur while using Ziprasidone and thus it is important for the patients to be aware of it. Common side effects that are usually experienced while taking this drug are usually not severe and normally subsides after the regular use of the drug. Patients experiencing any of the common side effects must not worry and should not stop using the drug. Few of the common side effects that are generally experienced by the patients taking Ziprasidone include:

Nausea
Upset stomach
Tired and sleepy feeling
Dizziness
Constipation
Abnormal muscle movement
Restlessness
Diarrhea
Cough
Rash

Geodon Severe Side Effects:

Very few severe side effects are experienced by patients taking Ziprasidone. Upon experiencing any of the severe side effects, patients must immediately stop taking the drug and consult the doctor. Some of the serious side effects that can occur include:

Irregular heartbeat
Unusual and uncontrollable movement of face or body
Muscle stiffness
Fever
Confusion
Loss of appetite
Low blood pressure
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Depression
Fungal infection
Flu like symptoms

Ziprasidone Drug Interactions

Before using Ziprasidone patients must inform the doctor or pharmacist of all prescription, non-prescription and herbal medications taken by them. Certain drugs should not be used along with Ziprasidone because it can cause serious interactions. Following drugs should not be taken in combination with Geodon:

Antimuscarinics like scopolamine
High blood pressure drugs like beta blockers or calcium channel blockers
Sibutramine
Levodopa
Metoclopramide
Dofetilide
Moxifloxacin
Pimozide
Quinidine
Sotalol

Various drugs that decrease the levels of Geodon are:

Tegretol, Equetro (carbamazepine)
Dilantin (phenytoin)
Mycobutin (rifabutin)
Phenobarbital
Rifadin/Rimactane/Rofact (rifampin/rifampicin)
Rezulin (troglitazone)
St. John’sWort

Warnings Use of Geodon

Patients prescribed with Ziprasidone must be aware of warnings and important precautions of this drug. This will help them in safe self-administration of the drug without causing any adverse effect on their health. Geodon should never be taken without the supervision of a physician. Some of the important precautions and warnings that must be explained to the patients include:

Geodon is not approved for the treatment of dementia or dementia-related symptoms. Elderly dementia patient are not usually treated with Geodon.
Patients suffering long QT syndrome should avoid taking Geodon.
Ziprasidone can increase blood sugar levels and may also increase the risk of developing diabetes.
Ziprasidone may increase the risk of seizures, thus patients having epilepsy or history of seizure should inform the doctor before taking this drug.
This drug may sometime cause low white blood cells.

Patients suffering from any of the below given problem must inform the doctor before starting treatment with Ziprasidone:

Diabetes
Heart disease
Allergic reactions
Kidney disease
Seizures
Epilepsy
Liver disease
Alzheimer's disease
Low blood pressure
Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives