What is Caprizant and what is it used for?
Caprizant is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:
moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).
pain from damaged nerves (postherpetic pain) that follows healing of shingles
(a painful rash that comes after a herpes zoster infection). Caprizant is not for people with RLS who need to sleep during the daytime and need to stay awake at night.
Caprizant is not the same medicine as gabapentin (for example, NEURONTIN® or GRALISE®) and should not be used in its place.
It is not known if Caprizant is safe and effective in children.
What are the possible side effects of Caprizant?
The most common side effects of Caprizant include:
sleepiness
dizziness
headache
Caprizant can cause serious side effects:
Do not drive after taking your dose of Caprizant until you know how Caprizant affects you, including the morning after you take your dose. Do not operate heavy machinery or do other dangerous activities until you know how Caprizant affects you. Caprizant can cause sleepiness, dizziness, slow thinking, and can affect your coordination. Ask your healthcare provider when it would be okay to do these activities.
2. Caprizant may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500.
Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:
thoughts about suicide or dying
attempt to commit suicide
new or worse depression
new or worse anxiety
feeling agitated
new or worse restlessness
panic attacks
new or worse trouble sleeping (insomnia)
new or worse irritability
acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
acting on dangerous impulses
an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
other unusual changes in behavior or mood
How can I watch for early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions?
Pay attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings.
Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider as scheduled.
Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms.
Do not stop Caprizant without first talking to a healthcare provider.
Suicidal thoughts or actions can be caused by things other than medicines. If you have suicidal thoughts or actions, your healthcare provider may check for other causes.
3. Caprizant may cause a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction that may affect your skin or other parts of your body such as your liver or blood cells. You may or may not have rash with these types of reactions. Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of the followingsymptoms:
skin rash
hives
fever
swollen glands that do not go away
swelling of your lips or tongue
yellowing of your skin or eyes
unusual bruising or bleeding
severe fatigue or weakness
unexpected, severe muscle pain
frequent infections
These symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction. A healthcare provider should examine you to decide if you should continue taking Caprizant.
4. Serious breathing problems. Serious breathing problems can occur when Caprizant is taken with other medicines that can cause severe sleepiness or decreased awareness, or when it is taken by someone who already has breathing problems. Watch for increased sleepiness or decreased breathing when starting Caprizant or when the dose is increased. Get help right away if breathing problems occur.
DESCRIPTION
Caprizant (gabapentin enacarbil) is a prodrug of gabapentin. Gabapentin enacarbil is described as (1-{[({(1RS)-1-[(2-Methylpropanoyl)oxy]ethoxy}carbonyl)amino]methyl} cyclohexyl) acetic acid. It has a molecular formula of C16H27NO6 and a molecular weight of 329.39. It is a racemate and has the following structural formula:
Caprizant (gabapentin enacarbil) Structural Formula Illustration
Gabapentin enacarbil is a white to off-white crystalline solid with a melting onset of approximately 64°C and a solubility of 0.5 mg/mL in water and 10.2 mg/mL in phosphate buffer (pH 6.3).
Caprizant is administered orally. Each Caprizant Extended-Release Tablet contains 300 mg or 600 mg of gabapentin enacarbil and the following inactive ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, glyceryl behenate, magnesium stearate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and talc.