What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- History of substance use disorder
- Kidney disease
- Low red blood cell levels
- Suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempt by you or a family member
- Vision problems
- An unusual or allergic reaction to vigabatrin, other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Breast-feeding
What may interact with this medication?
- Clonazepam
- Other medications that may cause serious eye problems, such as interferon-alpha, peg-interferon, prednisone, or methylprednisolone
- Phenytoin
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse.
This medication may affect your coordination, reaction time, or judgment. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. Sit up or stand slowly to reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Drinking alcohol with this medication can increase the risk of these side effects.
Your vision may be tested before and during use of this medication. Tell your care team right away if you have any change in your eyesight.
Do not suddenly stop taking this medication. You may develop a severe reaction. Your care team will tell you how much medication to take. If your care team wants you to stop the medication, the dose may be slowly lowered over time to avoid any side effects.
This medication may cause thoughts of suicide or depression. This includes sudden changes in mood, behaviors, or thoughts. These changes can happen at any time but are more common in the beginning of treatment or after a change in dose. Call your care team right away if you experience these thoughts or worsening depression.
Wear a medical ID bracelet or chain. Carry a card that describes your condition. List the medications and doses you take on the card.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medicine should only be given by a healthcare provider who has special training and experience in using it.
This medicine can damage your vision. It causes loss of seeing to the side when you look straight ahead (peripheral vision). Any loss in vision will never get better. It may be severe, where you only see things straight in front of you (called tunnel vision). You may also have blurry vision. There is a risk of vision loss with any amount of this medicine. The risk may be higher with a higher dose and with longer treatment. Vision loss can happen at any time during or after treatment. Vision will be carefully monitored during and after treatment.