Ethchlorvynol (Systemic)

Brand Names : Placidyl

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For ethchlorvynol, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to ethchlorvynol or tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No. 5). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Ethchlorvynol has not been studied in pregnant women. However, use of ethchlorvynol during the first 6 months of pregnancy is not recommended because studies in animals have shown that high doses of ethchlorvynol increase the chance of stillbirths and decrease the chance of the newborn surviving. Taking ethchlorvynol during the last 3 months of pregnancy may cause slow heartbeat, shortness of breath, troubled breathing, or withdrawal side effects in the newborn baby.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether ethchlorvynol passes into the breast milk. However, this medicine may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients and there is no specific information comparing use of ethchlorvynol in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Elderly people may be especially sensitive to the effects of ethchlorvynol. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases 2 different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking ethchlorvynol, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) - Ethchlorvynol may change the amount of anticoagulant you need to take

• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicine that causes drowsiness) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression) - Using these medicines together with ethchlorvynol may increase the CNS and other depressant effects

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of ethchlorvynol. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Alcohol abuse (or history of) or
• Drug abuse or dependence (or history of) - Dependence on ethchlorvynol may develop

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of ethchlorvynol may result and increase the chance of side effects

• Mental depression or
• Porphyria - Ethchlorvynol may make the condition worse