• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
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What is ziprasidone?
Ziprasidone is an antipsychotic medication. It works by changing the effects of chemicals in the brain. Ziprasidone is used to treat schizophrenia and the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder (manic depression). Ziprasidone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of ziprasidone?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using ziprasidone and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• dizziness, feeling light-headed, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat;

• fever, stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats;

• tremor (uncontrolled shaking), restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;

• agitation, hostility, confusion;

• increased thirst or urination, weakness, extreme hunger; or

• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Less serious side effects may include:

• mild skin rash;

• anxiety, headache, depressed mood;

• dizziness, drowsiness;

• muscle pain or twitching;

• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;

• runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat; or

• weight gain.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take ziprasidone?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

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What is the most important information I should know about ziprasidone?
Do not use this medication if you have a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome," if you have recently had a heart attack, or if you have uncontrolled heart failure. Stop taking ziprasidone and call your doctor right away if you feel dizzy or light-headed, have a fast or pounding heartbeat, or if you faint. This could be signs of a serious heart rhythm problem. There are many other medicines that can cause serious or life-threatening medical problems if you take them together with ziprasidone. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect ziprasidone?
Before taking ziprasidone, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: a diuretic (water pill), blood pressure medicine, or heart rhythm medicine; carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol); cisapride (Propulsid); haloperidol (Haldol); narcotic pain medication; medicines used to treat Parkinson's Disease such as levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa, Sinemet, Atamet, others); or antibiotics such as azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), dirithromycin (Dynabac), erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Erythrocin, Ery-Tab), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or telithromycin (Ketek).

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Ziprasidone has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed evidence of developmental toxicity including possible teratogenic effects, an increased incidence of fetal structural abnormalities, an increase in the number of offspring born dead, and a decrease in postnatal survival. Studies in female animals reported that ziprasidone increased time to copulation and reduced the rate of fertility. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Ziprasidone should only be given during pregnancy when benefits outweigh risks.

There are no data on the excretion of ziprasidone into human milk. The manufacturer recommends that due to the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, women receiving ziprasidone should not breast-feed.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known history of QT interval prolongation (including congenital long QT syndrome), recent AMI, or uncompensated heart failure. (See Prolongation of QT Interval under Cautions.)
• Concomitant therapy with other drugs that prolong the QT interval (e.g., class Ia and III antiarrhythmics, arsenic trioxide, chlorpromazine, dofetilide, dolasetron mesylate, droperidol, gatifloxacin, halofantrine, levomethadyl acetate, mefloquine, mesoridazine, moxifloxacin, pentamidine, pimozide, probucol, quinidine, sotalol, sparfloxacin, tacrolimus, thioridazine). Ziprasidone also is contraindicated in patients receiving drugs shown to cause QT prolongation as an effect and for which this effect is described in the full prescribing information as a contraindication or a boxed or bolded warning.
• Known hypersensitivity to ziprasidone.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical treatment if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, problems with speech, dizziness, feeling light-headed, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat, or restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking ziprasidone?
Ziprasidone is not for use in psychotic conditions that are related to dementia. Ziprasidone has caused fatal heart attack and pneumonia in older adults with dementia-related conditions. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to ziprasidone, or if you have: a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome"; history of recent heart attack; or uncontrolled or untreated heart failure. Ziprasidone should never be taken together with any of the following drugs, or a life-threatening heart rhythm disorder could occur:

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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