Asenapine: Uses, indications and cautions when using

This is an automatically translated article.

Serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, if not treated early, can lead to many dangerous complications. Currently, there are many drugs to treat mental disorders, including a special drug in the form of Asenapine skin patches. So what is Asenapine and what should be noted when using it?

1. What is Asenapine?

Asenapine is a medicine used to treat mental disorders (such as schizophrenia). Asenapine works to help patients think more positively, reduce anxiety and be more active in daily life. Asenapine also treats symptoms such as hallucinations (such as hearing or seeing things that are not real) and prevents severe mood swings.
Asenapine is an atypical antipsychotic medication that helps restore the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

2. How to use Asenapine transdermal patch?

Asenapine patch is for external use only as directed by your doctor, usually once a day. Each time you change the patch, remove the old one, do not use 2 patches at the same time.
To limit skin irritation, the patient should change the position of the Asenapine patch every day. When replacing the patch, remove the old patch, fold it in half with the adhesive sides together, and keep it out of reach of children and pets.
How to use Asenapine skin patch:
Do not open the package before using it for too long; When using, open the bag, remove the protective liner from the patch as directed, do not cut the patch at all; Apply the Asenapine patch to clean, dry, hairless skin, usually on the arms, back, abdomen, or hips; Do not apply the patch to skin with wounds, scratches, burns, rashes, redness or other skin problems; Wash your hands with soap and clean water after applying the patch; Do not wear the patch for longer than 24 hours; The patient can still shower while the Asenapine patch is on. However, avoid prolonged bathing or swimming as this may cause the patch to fall off. During use, patients should check the Asenapine patch regularly to make sure it is still firmly attached to the skin, especially after bathing, cleaning, changing clothes, sleeping or sweating.
If the edges of the patches come off, the patient can swipe and press them back into place. When the Asenapine patch peels off before it's time for a new patch, the patient should use the new patch immediately and change to a new patch at the same time the next day.
The dose of Asenapine is based on the severity of the disease, medical condition, response to treatment and other psychiatric medications that the patient is taking.
The basic requirement of Asenapine is that it needs to be used regularly and regularly to bring the highest therapeutic effect. Another important factor is to still take Asenapine as prescribed by the doctor, even if the patient feels better and thinks more positively.
Absolutely do not arbitrarily increase the dose or apply more medication than indicated because the patient's condition will not improve faster, but the risk of side effects will increase.
MORE: What can be done to reduce the side effects of schizophrenia medication?

3. Asenapine side effects

Asenapine may cause redness, itching, pain, irritation at the injection site or cause drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness and weight gain... If the above side effects persist or worsen, the disease Please notify medical staff immediately.
Dizziness, lightheadedness can make the patient prone to falls. Therefore, to limit this problem, the patient should change position slowly, especially when sitting or lying down and standing up.
Asenapine may cause neuromuscular abnormalities (extrapyramidal symptoms). Therefore, the doctor may prescribe another medication to limit this problem.
Recognizing signs of extrapyramidal nerve through symptoms such as anxiety, agitation or restlessness, drooling or difficulty swallowing, the patient constantly has to move, the body shakes, the phenomenon occurs. muscle spasms or other severe muscle spasms (such as torticollis, arched back, rolling eyes).
Usually, Asenapine can cause facial muscle twitching and uncontrolled movements (called tardive dyskinesia). In rare cases, the condition can be permanent. Notify the doctor when the patient shows uncontrollable signs such as biting the lips, puckering the mouth, sticking out the tongue, chewing, or unusual limb movements.
Asenapine may increase blood sugar and worsen diabetes, especially when patients gain weight. Be aware of signs of hyperglycemia such as increased thirst and urination.
Therefore, diabetics need to check their blood sugar regularly as directed and share the results with their doctor. If there are abnormalities, the doctor may need to adjust the dose of blood sugar control drugs, change the patient's diet and daily activities.
A small number of patients taking Asenapine may experience increased activity of the hormone prolactin . For women, this can lead to abnormal lactation or decreased fertility. For men, increasing the effectiveness of prolactin can lead to decreased sex drive, decreased sperm production, and gynecomastia.

Asenapine, and similar antipsychotics, can cause penile pain or erectile dysfunction (which may last longer than 4 hours). At that time, the patient should stop using the drug and immediately call the nearest medical facility.
Some other serious side effects of Asenapine :
Sleep apnea ; signs of infection (such as persistent sore throat, fever, chills, cough); Severe dizziness; Faint; slow heart beat; Convulsions. Asenapine can cause neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) but the incidence is very low. Signs of this syndrome include: fever, tight/painful/soft/weak muscles, severe fatigue, severe confusion, sweating, fast/irregular heartbeat, dark urine, signs of kidney problems.

4. Notes when using Asenapine

Before using Asenapine, patients should inform their doctor if they are allergic to the drug, its ingredients or any other allergic condition.
Some medical history to note before using Asenapine:
Liver disease; Cardiovascular disease (such as coronary artery disease, angina, arrhythmia); Stroke; Diabetes mellitus; Hypotension; Epilepsy ; Blood disease or hemostasis; Dehydration; Breast cancer; Substance use disorder; Alzheimer's disease, dementia; Difficulty swallowing; Sleep apnea. Asenapine can affect heart rate (QT prolongation). QT prolongation can cause a severe (even fatal) fast or irregular heartbeat with other signs such as severe dizziness or fainting.
This risk is increased if the patient has certain cardiovascular conditions or uses certain drugs that affect QT. Therefore, before using Asenapine, the patient must inform the doctor about all the drugs being taken and some of the following conditions: heart failure, bradycardia, QT prolongation on electrocardiogram, history family history of certain heart problems (QT prolongation, sudden cardiac death).
Besides, hypokalemia is also a factor causing QT prolongation, especially when the patient is using drugs such as diuretics or is vomiting, loose stools, sweating profusely causing disturbances in substances. electrolytes in the body.
Asenapine can cause decreased sweating, increased body temperature, increasing the risk of heat stroke. Therefore, limit your body temperature to rise too much, such as not doing hard work, exercising in hot weather or taking a hot bath. When the ambient temperature is high, the patient should drink plenty of water and dress coolly.

Some special subjects need to be careful when using Asenapine:
Elderly people are more sensitive to side effects, especially drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness and QT prolongation; Pregnant women should only use Asenapine when clearly needed. Babies born to mothers using Asenapine may have signs such as muscle stiffness, tremors, drowsiness, difficulty feeding, shortness of breath or constant fussiness... When the above signs are detected, especially in the first months of the baby, the mother must immediately contact the doctor; Psychiatric conditions (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression) can be very serious and require ongoing treatment and should not be discontinued without your doctor's approval. Therefore, patients who plan to become pregnant, are pregnant or think they may be pregnant should discuss with their doctor the benefits and risks of using Asenapine during pregnancy; There is no evidence that Asenapine passes into breast milk, but consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

5. Asenapine drug interactions

Drug interactions can affect how the drug works, reducing the main effect and increasing the risk of side effects. Therefore, patients need to inform their doctor about all the medications they are taking to find out any adverse interactions.
At the same time, during the use of Asenapine, the patient should not arbitrarily start, increase the dose or stop using any drug without a doctor's prescription.
Asenapine may slow down the removal of other drugs from the patient's body and increase the effects of that medicine (eg paroxetine and the like).
Certain other drugs that cause drowsiness, such as opioid pain relievers or cough suppressants, sedatives or anxiety relievers, muscle relaxants or antihistamines, should be avoided in combination with Asenapine. Check the ingredients of products you are using as they may contain active ingredients that cause drowsiness.
Some signs and tests such as weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, complete blood count, cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels... should be checked periodically during the patient's use of Asenapine. Patients need to remember and follow the doctor's follow-up schedule.
To ensure safety and monitor disease status after using the drug, patients should perform periodic health check-ups. At Vinmec International General Hospital, there are now a full range of tests and clinical examinations to check the patient's health status, monitor the time after using the drug of the patient. The entire examination and testing process at Vinmec is carried out by a team of experienced and qualified medical doctors and modern medical facilities, so it can give accurate results, helping doctors advice on the best treatment.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: webmd.com