Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Tiagabine as follows:
General allergic reactions
- Tiagabine use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response, such as, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
Gastrointestinal side-effects
- Tiagabine use can result in common general constitutional symptoms such as, nausea and vomiting. Tiagabine use can also result in increased appetite occasionally. Taking tiagabine after having a meal or a snack can help avoid having unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms with the medication.
- Tiagabine intake can induce extreme dry mouth. Sucking on a sugar free hard candy can help with symptomatic relief of dry mouth.
Musculoskeletal side-effects
- Tiagabine use can result in tremors, poor motor coordination and unsteadiness, with increased fall risk and accidents. Confusion and dizziness with tiagabine use, can add to the motor incoordination, thus enhancing the fall risk significantly.
- Tiagabine use can also result in abnormal contractions of muscles controlling the movement of the eyes, resulting in random and unusual eye movements and consequent vision changes.
- Tiagabine intake also carries the risk of causing or aggravating some varieties of seizures, especially in individuals with history of the same.
