General Information on Saphris
Saphris is used to treat psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and manic depression or bipolar disorder in adults. The generic name of this drug is Asenapine.
Saphris works by altering the action of chemicals in the patient’s brain. It is supplied for sublingual administration and comes in the form of tablets containing 5 mg Asenapine or 10 mg Asenapine. 5 mg Asenapine and 10 mg Asenapine black cherry flavored tablets are also available. The other inactive ingredients include mannitol and gelatin.
You can only buy Saphris online if your doctor has prescribed it for your treatment.
Side effects of Saphris
You should not buy Saphris if you have:
- A hypersensitivity to Saphris or any other allergies such as breathing difficulty and swelling of the tongue, lips or face
- A medical history of liver and heart problems such as a past heart attack, angina, or abnormal heartbeat
- Severe dehydration
- Drug/alcohol/substance addiction
Before you buy Saphris, inform your doctor if you have any of the following:
- Seizures
- Low white blood cell count
- Stroke or Long QT syndrome
- Diabetes
- Breast cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Dementia
- Trouble swallowing
Parkinson’s disease
Some of the common and mild side effects of this drug are:
- Drowsiness, dizziness
- Numbness in or around the mouth
- Sleeping problems
- Constipation
- Weight gain
- Restlessness
You should consult your doctor immediately if your experience any of the following side effects:
- Stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, uneven or fast heartbeat
- Uncontrollable movements of the eyes, tongue, face, arms or legs
- Tremors
- Severe or sudden headache
- Chills, body aches, flu symptoms
- Hallucinations
- Sores on the lips or inside the mouth
If taken during the last 3 months of pregnancy, Saphris can lead to withdrawal symptoms, feeding and breathing problems, fussiness, tremors, and stiff muscles in the newborn. In the case of nursing mothers, Saphris can pass into breast milk and harm a nursing baby.
Dosage of Saphris
Saphris is usually taken twice a day. A patient should keep this sublingual tablet under the tongue and allow it to get dissolved without crushing, chewing or swallowing it. A patient must not eat or drink anything for 10 minutes after taking the tablet.
The recommended dose of Saphris for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in adults is 5mg Saphris twice a day, which is increased to 10mg Saphris twice a day. The recommended dose for bipolar disorder is 10mg Saphris twice a day, which is reduced to 5 mg Saphris twice a day.
In case of a missed dose, a patient should take it as soon as he or she remembers to do so. If it is almost time for the next dose, he/she should skip the missed dose and take the medication at the next scheduled time. A patient should not overdose on Saphris to make up for the missed dose.
Interactions
Many drugs interact with Saphris. These include any blood pressure medication, arsenic trioxide, tramadol, antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-malaria medications, and medicines to prevent or treat nausea, drugs to treat psychiatric disorders, migraine headache drugs, and narcotic medications.
