Alosetron

Alosetron may cause serious gastrointestinal (GI; affecting the stomach or intestines) side effects including ischemic colitis (decreased blood flow to the bowels) and severe constipation that may need to be treated in a hospital and may rarely cause death. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications: antihistamines; certain antidepressants (‘mood elevators’) called tricyclic antidepressants; or certain medications to treat asthma, diarrhea, lung disease, mental illness, motion sickness, overactive bladder, pain, Parkinson’s disease, stomach or intestinal cramps, ulcers and upset stomach. Tell your doctor if you are constipated now, if you often have constipation, or if you have had problems resulting from constipation. Also tell your doctor if you have a blockage in your bowels, ischemic colitis, blood clots, or any disease that causes inflammation of the bowels such as Crohn’s disease (swelling of the lining of the digestive tract), ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum), diverticulitis (small pouches in the lining of the large intestine that can become inflamed) or liver disease. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take alosetron.

Stop taking alosetron and call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: constipation, new or worse pain in the abdomen (stomach area), or blood in your bowel movements. Call your doctor again if your constipation does not get better after you stop taking alosetron. Once you have stopped taking alosetron because of these symptoms, do not start taking it again unless your doctor tells you that you should.

Only certain doctors who are registered with the company that makes alosetron and who are aware of the possible side effects can write prescriptions for this medication. Your doctor will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) before you begin treatment with alosetron and your pharmacist will give you a copy each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You also can obtain the Medication Guide from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer’s website.

Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking alosetron.

🔔 Why is this medication prescribed?

Alosetron is used to treat diarrhea, pain, cramps, and the feeling of an urgent need to have bowel movements caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS; a condition that causes stomach pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea) in women who have diarrhea as their main symptom and have not been helped by other treatments. Alosetron is in a class of medications called 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists. Alosetron works by slowing the movement of stool (bowel movements) through the intestines.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Alosetron comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken twice a day with or without food. Take alosetron at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take alosetron exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

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Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of alosetron. Your doctor will want to talk to you after you have taken the low dose for 4 weeks. If your symptoms are not controlled but you are not experiencing serious side effects of alosetron, your doctor may increase your dose. If you take the increased dose for 4 weeks and your symptoms are still not controlled, alosetron is not likely to help you. Stop taking alosetron and call your doctor.

Alosetron may control IBS but will not cure it. If alosetron helps you and you stop taking it, your IBS symptoms may return within 1 or 2 weeks.

🔔 Other uses for this medicine

Alosetron should not be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.