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Other brands with the same active ingredient
These brands contain the same active ingredient (Tetrabenazine). Strength and form may differ — confirm substitution with your doctor or pharmacist before switching.
Indications & Uses
Benazin is indicated for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease.
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
Recommended dosing for Tetrabenazine: Tetrabenazine can be taken with or without food. Individualization of dose with careful weekly titration is required. 1st week's starting dose: 12.5 mg daily. 2nd week: 25 mg (12.5 mg twice daily). Then slowly titrate at weekly intervals by 12.5 mg to a tolerated done that reduces chorea. Doses of 37.5 mg and up to 50 mg per day should be administered in three divided doses per day with a maximum recommended single dose not to exceed 25 mg. Patients requiring doses above 50 mg per day should be genotyped for the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP2D6 to determine if the patient is a poor metabolizer or an extensive metabolizer. Maximum daily dose in poor metabolizers: 50 mg with a maximum single dose of 25 mg. Maximum daily dose in Extended and intermediate metabolizers: 100 mg with a maximum single dose of 37.5 mg. If serious adverse reactions occur, titration should be stopped and the dose should be reduced. If the adverse reactions do not resolve, consider withdrawal of Tetrabenazine. Pediatric & geriatric use: Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established. The pharmacokinetics of Tetrabenazine and its primary metabolites have not been formally studied in geriatric subjects.
Side Effects
Common side effects: the most frequently reported reactions (occurring in more than 10% of patients and at least 5% more often than with placebo) were sedation or drowsiness, fatigue, insomnia, depression, akathisia (restlessness), anxiety or worsening of existing anxiety, and nausea. Rare side effects: suicidal thoughts; neuroleptic malignant syndrome, a reaction marked by fever, muscle stiffness and confusion; and pneumonia.
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
The benefit of treatment and the potential for adverse effects, such as worsening mood, cognition, rigidity, and functional capacity, should be periodically re-evaluated. When given together with a strong CYP2D6 inhibitor (e.g., fluoxetine, paroxetine), the maximum daily dose should not exceed 50 mg/day and the maximum single dose should not exceed 25 mg. If Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome occurs, treatment should be discontinued. The dose should be reduced or treatment discontinued if the patient experiences restlessness, agitation, akathisia, or parkinsonism. Treatment may impair the patient's ability to drive or operate complex machinery. Tetrabenzine is not recommended in combination with other drugs that prolong the QTc interval.
Contraindications
Tetrabenazine must not be used in people who are actively suicidal or who have depression that is untreated or not adequately treated, in people with hepatic impairment, in those currently taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or reserpine, or in those currently taking deutetrabenazine or valbenazine.