Riluzole Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Riluzole Tablet (generic name: riluzole) is a prescription medicine belonging to the miscellaneous central nervous system agents class, specifically a benzothiazole glutamate inhibitor. It is used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neurone disease. It works on the nervous system and may help slow the disease, though you may not notice any difference when you take it.

What is Riluzole Tablet

Riluzole is a prescription medicine used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neurone disease. It works on the nervous system and may help slow the disease, though you may not notice any difference when you take it.

Riluzole Tablet uses

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Motor neuron disease (ALS type)
• Helps slow the progression of ALS
• May extend survival in ALS patients
• May delay the need for mechanical breathing support

Benefits of Riluzole Tablet

• Treats amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• May extend survival in ALS.
• May delay the need for breathing support.
• Helps manage ALS progression.
• Supports ongoing ALS treatment.

How Riluzole Tablet works

Riluzole is thought to work by reducing the release of a brain chemical called glutamate, which may be involved in damaging the nerve cells affected in ALS. By blocking glutamate activity, it may help protect these nerve cells, although its exact way of working is not fully understood.

Riluzole Tablet dosage

Take your prescribed dose at about the same time each day, such as morning and evening. Take this medicine on an empty stomach, since it may not work as well if taken with meals, especially high-fat meals. Do not take it immediately before or after meals.

Swallow the tablets whole with a full glass of water — do not chew them, because chewing destroys the special coating that lets the tablet pass through the stomach before releasing the medicine in the intestines. This medicine can also be given through a feeding tube if needed.

Keep taking this medicine regularly until your doctor tells you to stop — do not stop or change the dose without checking with your doctor first. If you forget a dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time — do not double up.

Available forms and strengths

• Film-coated tablet (50 mg)
• Oral suspension/liquid (50 mg/10 mL)

Side effects of Riluzole Tablet

Common

• Weakness or loss of strength
• Stomach ache, nausea, vomiting
• Rash, flaking skin
• Joint stiffness
• Headache, dizziness, sleepiness
• Numbness or tingling around the mouth
• Increased blood pressure
• Reduced lung function

Serious

• Severe upper stomach pain, often with nausea and vomiting
• Swelling of the hands, feet or legs
• Itching or yellowing of the skin (signs of liver problems)
• Bruising more easily
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Irregular or fast heartbeat
• Frequent infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers (signs of low white blood cells)
• Dry cough or trouble breathing (possible lung inflammation)
• Signs of a severe allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause liver damage, which can be serious. Your doctor will do regular blood tests to check your liver, especially during the first year of treatment.
• This medicine can lower your white blood cell count, increasing the risk of serious infection. Report any fever or signs of infection to your doctor right away.
• This medicine has been linked to lung inflammation (interstitial lung disease), which can be serious. Seek medical help if you develop a dry cough or difficulty breathing.
• This medicine is not recommended for children or teenagers, as there is no information on how safe or effective it is in this age group.
• Do not stop taking this medicine or change your dose without talking to your doctor first.
• This medicine should not be used during pregnancy, as it may harm the developing baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking it.
• This medicine should not be used while breastfeeding, since it may pass into breast milk and could affect the baby.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, as it isn't recommended for people with impaired kidney function because it hasn't been well studied in this group.
• This medicine should not be used by people with liver disease or significantly abnormal liver test results. It can cause liver enzyme elevations and, rarely, serious liver injury, so your doctor will check your liver with blood tests before and during treatment.
• Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. It isn't known if alcohol increases the risk of liver problems with this medicine, so heavy drinking should be avoided.
• This medicine may cause dizziness or sleepiness in some people. Know how it affects you before you drive or use machinery.

Storage

• Keep tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them, as they may not keep well once removed
• Keep in a cool, dry place, protected from light, where the temperature stays below 25°C
• Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on window sills
• Keep out of reach and sight of children — a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines
• Do not use after the expiry date
• If no longer needed or out of date, take it to a pharmacy for safe disposal

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor straight away or go to the emergency department if you have severe upper stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, swelling of the hands/feet/legs, itching or yellowing of the skin, easy bruising, shortness of breath, an irregular or fast heartbeat, signs of infection (fever, chills, sore throat, mouth ulcers), or tingling around the mouth.
• If you think you have taken too much of this medicine, get medical help immediately, even if you feel fine, by contacting your doctor, a poison control service, or going to the nearest hospital emergency department.
• Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this medicine.

Alternatives

• Riluzole generic
• Tofersen
• Edaravone