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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar)?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to selegiline, or if you have used any of the following drugs within the past 14 days:

• cough or cold medicine that contains dextromethorphan;
• meperidine (Demerol), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet), or tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet);
• methadone (Dolophine, Methadose); or
• other MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or transdermal selegiline (Emsam).

After you stop taking selegiline, you must wait at least 14 days before taking any of the medications listed above.

Before using this medicine, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, high or low blood pressure, or a seizure disorder. If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take selegiline.

You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking selegiline. It is not known whether the medicine actually causes this effect. Talk with your doctor if you believe you have any intense or unusual urges while taking selegiline.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby. Before you take selegiline, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether selegiline passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not take selegiline without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

The selegiline disintegrating tablets may contain phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this form of selegiline if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

How should I take selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar)?

Take selegiline exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Larger doses will not have any greater effect, but serious side effects could result. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

While you are using selegiline and for 14 days after you stop, you must not eat foods listed in the "What should I avoid while using selegiline?" section of this leaflet. Eating these foods while you are using selegiline can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Foods that you MAY eat include:

• fresh meat, poultry, or fish (including lunch meat, hot dogs, breakfast sausage, and cooked sliced ham);
• any vegetables except broad bean pods (fava beans);
• processed cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese;
• pizza made with cheeses low in tyramine;
• soy milk, yogurt; or
• Brewer's or baker's yeast.

Selegiline capsules are usually taken twice a day, at breakfast and lunch. Follow your doctor's instructions.

The disintegrating tablet form of selegiline (Zelapar) should be taken once a day before breakfast and without any liquid.

To take selegiline orally disintegrating tablets (Zelapar):

• Keep the tablet in its blister pack until you are ready to take the medicine. Open the package and peel back the foil from the tablet blister. Do not push a tablet through the foil or you may damage the tablet.
• Using dry hands, remove the tablet and place it in your mouth. It will begin to dissolve right away.
• Do not swallow the tablet whole. Allow it to dissolve in your mouth without chewing. Swallow several times as the tablet dissolves.
• Do not drink or eat anything for at least 5 minutes after taking a Zelapar orally disintegrating tablet.

Parkinson's disease is often treated with a combination of different drugs. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. When you start taking selegiline, your doses of the other medications may need to change. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.

Do not stop taking selegiline suddenly or you may have harmful side effects. For best results, keep taking the medicine as prescribed.

Store this medicine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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