What is this medication for?

Selegiline can be taken alone or in combination with other medications (for e.g. Levodopa) to treat Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects body movement. This medication helps to improve muscle control and allows more normal body movements.

How should I take/use this medication?

• Do not stop taking Selegiline without checking with your healthcare professional.

• You may take Selegiline with food.

• Selegiline can be taken up to twice a day. If you are prescribed with twice a day dosing, take the second dose with lunch so as not to affect your sleep.

What should I do if I forget to take/use this medication?

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.

What precautions should I take?

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication.

• You have kidney or liver condition.

• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

What are some common side-effects of this medication?

• Dry mouth
• Suck on sugar- free candies or ice cubes to stimulate saliva production
• Nausea
• Take after meals to prevent nausea

• Abdominal pain

• Constipation

• Diarrhoea

• Headache

• Difficulty sleeping

• Take the second dose with lunch so as not to affect your sleep
• Low blood pressure resulting in dizziness when getting up from a lying or sitting position
• Get up slowly from a lying or sitting position to reduce dizziness

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue

• Difficulty in breathing

• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

Some rare but serious side effects includes

• Abnormal muscle movements such as twitching or jerking

• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

What food or medication should I avoid when I take this medication?

You should avoid food with high tyramine content while on Selegiline. Tyramine is found commonly in foods that are aged or fermented (e.g. cheese, smoked or pickled meat, over-ripe fruits). Alcoholic or caffeine-containing drinks should be avoided too. Taking Selegiline with these foods may cause blood pressure to be elevated.

Do not take Selegiline if you have taken

• certain drugs used for depression (e.g. isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine) in the past 14 days as this may cause severe high blood pressure

• Fluoxetine (medicine used for mood disorders) within the last 5 weeks

• Tramadol (medicine used for pain control) within the past 14 days

• Dextromethorphan (medicine used for to suppress cough)

How should I store this medication?

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children.

How should I throw away this medication safely?

Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing it into the rubbish chute or bin.

Disclaimers

Please take note that the above is not a complete list of all possible side effects. If you have any concerns about your medication or if you have other side effects that you think are caused by this medication, please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.

This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.

Last updated on Mar 2023