Tegaserod Hydrogen Maleate Oral, Precautions, Caremark:"This medication is not recommended for use if you have the following medical conditions: severe kidney disease, moderate to severe liver disease, a history of certain stomach disorders (e.g., bowel obstruction, symptomatic gallbladder disease, suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, or abdominal adhesions). Tell your doctor your medical history, especially of: current or repeat episodes of diarrhea or stomach pain, and of any allergies you may have. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using this medication. Tegaserod should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Breast-feeding while using this medication is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding."
AdvancePCS
750 West John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, TX 75039
Phone 469 524-4700, Fax 469-524-4702
http://healthresources.caremark.com/

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Tegaserod, Who is this for, DrugDigest.org:"Tegaserod is a prescription medicine used to treat women with irritable bowel syndrome who have constipation as their main symptom (constipation-predominant IBS). There is not yet enough evidence to show that tegaserod is safe and effective in men with the same condition."
Expresscripts.com
Burstyn, Lance
521 Alton Rd #208, Miami Beach, FL 33140, US
http://www.drugdigest.org/

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Zelnorm, Possible side effects, Drugstore.com:"SIDE EFFECTS that may occur while taking this medicine include headache, stomach pain, joint pain, or diarrhea. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. If diarrhea occurs, it may be only temporary during the first week of treatment. If it occurs, your doctor may recommend that you drink plenty of liquids to avoid becoming dehydrated. If the diarrhea does not resolve on it own after 2 days or if you feel weak or have severe cramping or dizziness, consult your doctor immediately. An allergic reaction to this medicine is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, or trouble breathing. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist."
DrugStore.com
407 Heron Drive, Swedesboro, NJ 08085-9810
1-800-378-4786
http://www.drugstore.com/

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Tegaserod Maleate, Contraindications and Precautions, eDruginfo.com:"Contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to the drug and in those with a history of bowel obstruction, gallbladder disease, severe renal impairment, moderate to severe hepatic impairment, abdominal adhesion, and suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Use caution in patients with diarrhea and in pregnant and breast-feeding patients."
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
P.O. Box 1600, Hagerstown, MD 21741, USA.
In the US, dial 1 (800) 638-3030, Outside the US dial 1 (301) 223-2300
http://www.edruginfo.com/

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Tegaserod, If you miss a dose, Genesis Health System:"If you miss a dose or forget to take your medicine, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose.

Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose."
Genesis Health System
1227 E. Rusholme Street, Davenport, IA 52803
563-421-1000
http://www.genesishealth.com/

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Tegaserod, Drug class and Mechanism, MedicineNet.com:"Tegaserod is an oral medication for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women. IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort and altered bowel function which may be either constipation or diarrhea . As many as 20% of American adults may suffer from IBS.

Contractions of the intestinal muscles, primarily those of the colon, control the movement of food through the intestine. In constipated patients, there are fewer contractions than in persons without constipation. An important factor that controls the contractions is serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical manufactured by nerves in the intestine. It is released by the nerves and then travels and binds to receptors on the surface of nearby nerves. It is a "neurotransmitter," a chemical messenger, that is, a chemical that nerves use to communicate with each other. When it binds to receptors on the nerves that control contractions of the intestinal muscles, serotonin can either promote or prevent contractions depending on the type of receptor it binds to. Binding to some types of receptors causes contractions, and binding to other types of receptors blocks contractions.

The serotonin 5-HT4 receptor is a receptor that prevents contractions when serotonin binds to it. Tegaserod blocks the 5-HT4 receptor and prevents serotonin from binding to it. As a result, contractions increase. The increased contractions speed the transit of digesting food and reverse the constipation. In addition, tegaserod reduces the sensitivity of the intestinal pain-sensing nerves and can thereby reduce the perception of pain. Tegaserod was approved by the FDA in July, 2002."
MedicineNet, Inc.
903 Calle Amanecer, Suite 300 San Clemente, CA 92673
Telephone: 949.940.6500 Fax: 949.940.1094, smartservice@medicinenet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/

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Tegaserod (Systemic), Pregnancy, MEDLINEplus:"Tegaserod has not been studied in pregnant women. Before taking this medicine, make sure your healthcare professional knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding-It is not known if tegaserod passes into the breast milk. Many medicines pass into breast milk and they may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies. Mothers who are taking this medicine and wish to breast feed should discuss this with their healthcare professional and be sure they understand the risks and benefits of the medicine.

Children-Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients and there is no specific information comparing the use of tegaserod in children with use in other age groups."
U.S. National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894
custserv@nlm.nih.gov
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

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Using Tegaserod Maleate (Zelnorm), Special directions, NDHnow.com:"Take this drug two times a day, before meals. To monitor the drug's effectiveness, keep a record of your IBS symptoms. Arrange to have regular medical follow-up while you are taking this drug. Use barrier contraceptives while you're taking this drug. Serious adverse effects could occur during pregnancy; if you become or wish to become pregnant, consult with your health care provider. You'll need to have regular medical follow-up. This drug can be taken for 4 to 6 weeks. If you have good results from the drug, the prescription may be extended for another 4 weeks."
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
P.O. Box 1600, Hagerstown, MD 21741, USA.
In the US, dial 1 (800) 638-3030, Outside the US dial 1 (301) 223-2300
http://www.ndhnow.com/

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Tegaserod Maleate, Indications, RxList.com:"Zelnorm™ (tegaserod maleate) is indicated for the short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation.

The safety and effectiveness of Zelnorm in men have not been established."
RxList - The Internet Drug Index: Searchable drug database. RxList LLC
500 3rd Street Suite 530
San Francisco, CA 94107
707-747-0985 fax: 708 575 8638
info@rxlist.com
http://www.rxlist.com/

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Tegaserod, What is the most important information I should know about tegaserod, Web Md Health:"Diarrhea is an occasional side effect of tegaserod. Most often, diarrhea has been reported during the first week of starting tegaserod. Typically, diarrhea diminishes with continued therapy. If severe diarrhea, or diarrhea together with bad cramping, abdominal pain, or dizziness develops, contact your doctor.

In studies, patients receiving tegaserod had more abdominal surgery than patients receiving sugar pills. However, it is not known if tegaserod will increase the risk of abdominal surgery. If you suddenly get different or worse abdominal pain, contact your doctor."
WebMD
1175 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 2400, Atlanta, GA 30361.
212-624-3700service@webmd.net
http://my.webmd.com/content/drugs/

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