Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S

Description

About

The human thought process is an outcome of one’s cognitive capabilities enabled by chemical transmitters in the brain (neurotransmitters) that helps weave these thoughts while maintaining a balance between reality and fantasy. Certain mental disorders tend to cloud one’s judgment to discriminate between reality and fictitious thinking, culminating in hallucination, altered perceptions, and behavior changes. This could be due to changes in the levels of key neurotransmitters in the brain. Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S belongs to a class of drugs called “antipsychotics” used to treat serious mental conditions like schizophrenia. It can also be used to treat tics – uncontrolled body movements, behavioral problems, mania, and excessively active children. 

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S chemically contains Haloperidol, known as the first-generation/Typical antipsychotic drug. It works by blocking dopamine receptors, particularly D2 receptors, and helps elevate dopamine levels in the brain thereby elevating mood and helping with the cognitive function of the brain. It takes about a few weeks after starting the treatment before any clinical improvement can be noticed. Abrupt discontinuation of Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S can cause withdrawal symptoms for which reason it is tapered down gradually before stopping the treatment altogether. The time duration for which you will be taking this medicine is determined by your doctor. 

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is available in form of oral tablets to be taken only two to three times per day.

It can be prescribed to children (3 years and above) and adults alike the dosage of which depends on age, the severity of the condition, the patient’s response to medicine, and their comorbidities. Care must be exercised in elderly patients due to the increased risk of side effects; they must be given the lowest effective dose for a brief period only.  Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is started on a low dose which may be gradually increased. Women who are pregnant or planning to have a family or lactating mothers must not use this drug due to safety risks to an unborn baby. The most common side effects observed with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S include nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, fainting spells, tremors, gait, and balance problems. 

Indications

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is prescribed to children, men, and women for the treat:

• Schizophrenia 

• Tourette’s syndrome (Tics)

• Mania 

• Hyperactive children

How does Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S work?

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S chemically contains Haloperidol, known as the first-generation/Typical antipsychotic drug. It works by blocking dopamine receptors, particularly D2 receptors, and helps elevate dopamine levels in the brain thereby elevating mood and helping with the cognitive function of the brain. 

How to use Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is available in the form of tablets. Swallow the tablet with a glass of water without chewing. In general, the treatment with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is started at the lowest effective dose which is gradually increased in potency and frequency over weeks when needed, under careful monitoring. Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is usually prescribed to be taken twice or thrice daily. Tolerance is common to develop with such drugs, dosage is titrated accordingly to match the therapeutic dose.

Available Potency of Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S

• 5 mg – Tablet

• 5 mg – Tablet

• 5 mg    – Tablet

• 10 mg  – Tablet

Dosage

Adult Dose

Schizophrenia or Psychosis

Therapy with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S may be started with a low dose able to provide clinical improvement and may be increased gradually in increments.

Mild to moderate Symptoms: 0.5 – 2 mg to be taken orally two to three times at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Severe symptoms: 3 to 5 mg to be taken orally two to three times at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Maximum Daily Safe Dose: 30 mg per day (orally)

Tourette Syndrome

Starting Dose: 0.5 – 2 mg to be taken orally two to three times at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Dose Adjustment: if the given dose becomes ineffective, it can be increased gradually, 

3 to 5 mg to be taken orally two to three times at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Maximum Daily Safe: to be determined by the doctor 

Pediatric Dose

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S  is not safe to be prescribed to children under 3 years of age.

Schizophrenia or Psychosis

3-12 years (15-40 kg):

Staring Dose- 0.25-0.5 mg/day to be taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Dose Adjustment: if the given dose becomes ineffective, it can be increased gradually,  0.5 mg/day weekly as per need to match the effective dosage

Maintenance Dose: 0.05-0.15 mg/kg/day  taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

>12 years:

 Moderate symptoms, 0.5 – 2 mg to be taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Severe disease, 3-5 mg to be taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Maximum Daily Safe Dose: 30 mg per day (orally)

Tourette Syndrome

3 – 12 years :

Staring Dose- 0.25-0.5 mg/day to be taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

> 12 years: 0.5 mg to be taken orally two to three times a day at 8 to 12 hourly intervals

Dose adjustment can be done when needed

Behavioral Problems

3 – 12 years: As a starting dose give  0.5 mg orally which can be increased by another 0.5 mg each week if needed, to be followed by a reduction in dosage again to the lowest effective possible

Maintenance Dose:  0.05-0.075 mg/kg/day to be given orally in divided doses two to three times a day 

Elderly dose 

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S must be used with caution in patients aged 60 and above. Dose adjustment may be required in case of impaired renal or liver function. Your physician will set the dose most appropriate for your health status. 

Schizophrenia or Psychosis

Elderly patients should start with a low dose of 0.25 – 0.5 mg orally in divided doses two to three times a day (every 8 to 12 hours)

This dose can be increased if needed but very slowly and cautiously

Tourette Syndrome

Starting Dose:  0.25 – 0.5 mg orally in divided doses two to three times a day (every 8 to 12 hours)

Dose adjustments when required are done very slowly and cautiously

Pregnancy use and lactation

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is FDA pregnancy risk category C which has shown adverse effects on the unborn baby in studies and trials conducted on animals, therefore if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to conceive a baby, please consult your doctor. Also Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S may be secreted into human milk, if you are breastfeeding, please consult your doctor before taking it.

Contraindications

Please inform your doctor if you have a history of any before using Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S:

• Allergic reaction to Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S or one of its constituents (read the label carefully)

• Severe mental depression 

• Comatose patients 

• Parkinson’s disease 

• Dementia with Lewy bodies 

• Pregnancy 

• Children less than 3 years of age 

• Epilepsy patients with a prolonged history of alcohol or substance abuse 

• Myasthenia gravis 

• Glaucoma 

Precautions‌ ‌

Please‌ ‌tell‌ ‌your‌ ‌doctor‌ ‌about‌ ‌any‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌following‌ ‌conditions‌ before starting or during the treatment with ‌Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S:‌ ‌

• History of drug-associated allergies. Carefully read the label for the composition of your medicine

• Mild to moderate liver disease

• History of thyroid gland problems or a kidney disease 

• ‌Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S if taken in more than the prescribed dosage can lead to severe heart conditions manifested on ECG as prolonged QT intervals. This can be fatal if left untreated 

• Patients with hypokalemia and low serum levels of other electrolytes must be monitored carefully since adverse effects on the heart can be more pronounced in these patients 

• Elderly population must be treated with extreme caution with ‌Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S. Tardive dyskinesia is very commonly developed in this age group 

• Avoid physical exertion, ‌Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S causes a decrease in sweating that could give you a heatstroke

• Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S tends to alter blood cell count in some patients like neutrophils, and white blood cells, depleting their amount in the blood. Monitoring is advised

• ‌Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S has sedative effects which may induce drowsiness, avoid driving/riding a bike or operating any heavy machinery, or sharp tools till you feel better

• Rule out the possibility of any tumor first, particularly those causing  ‘prolactin secretion. Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S can cause high levels of ‘prolactin in the blood

• Discuss with your doctor if you have a history of head injury or stroke/ blood clots in the brain

• Patients with severe mental depression must not be treated with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S

• Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S can cause dependence and may be abused. Strict prescription and supervision are advised 

• Dose adjustments are done gradually and carefully. Similarly, abruptly stopping the treatment with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is not advised

• Consumption of alcohol is not advised with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S

Interaction with other medications

Certain medications could interact with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S and may increase or decrease its absorption, in which case, your doctor might alter your dosage. A few of these interacting drugs are given below:

• Amiodarone 

• Disopyramide 

• Antidepressants like citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine, Duloxetine, etc

• Anxiolytics like Alprazolam

• Azole antifungals like ketoconazole 

• Perphenazine

• Pimozide 

• Antibiotics like azithromycin, erythromycin 

• Rifampicin 

• Antimalarials such as halofantrine

• Antiemetics like dolasetron, promethazine 

• Chemotherapeutic drugs like toremifene 

• Antiepileptics like Carbamazepine, phenytoin 

• Verapamil

• John’s Wort 

Adverse effects

Like most medicines, Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S has some side effects which include:

Common Side effects

• Nausea 

• Headache 

• Flatulence / heartburn 

• Drowsiness 

• Dizziness

• Sedation 

• Agitation 

• Mask-like facial expressions 

Rare side effects

• Anaphylactic reaction 

• Blurred vision

• Fatigue 

• fever/ chills

• Restlessness

• Decreased sweating 

• Hypersalivation 

• Mental confusion

• Abnormal or absence of motor coordination

• Arrhythmias (Prolonged QT interval)

• Swelling of ankles

• Cardiac arrest

• Palpitations 

• Mood swings 

• Enlarged or pain in breasts

• Milk secretion (due to high prolactin)

• Changes in blood pressure

• Retrograde amnesia

• Behavior changes 

• Tardive dyskinesia 

• Disturbance in the menstrual cycle 

• Decreased libido 

• Erectile dysfunction in men 

• Muscle stiffness 

• Difficulty in urination 

• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

HOW TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS

• Fatigue- Patients experiencing this adverse effect are advised to take deep breaths, intake tea or coffee, get a good night’s rest, and not overburden themselves for a few days.

• Feeling drowsy – If the medication makes you feel drowsy or sleepy, stop what you’re doing and sit or lie down until you feel better, and do not rise too fast or immediately from a sitting or lying down position to a standing posture. Do not drive or use tools or machinery in case of any of these effects.

• Headaches- In which case make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid the use of alcohol. Take a prescribed painkiller. Consult your doctor if the headaches last longer than a week or are severe

• Feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) or diarrhea –Avoid eating rich or spicy food. It might help to take medication after food. If you’re sick, try drinking small, frequent sips of water. 

• Feeling dizzy (lightheaded) or weak –If the medication makes you feel dizzy or weak, stop what you’re doing and sit or lie down until you feel better, and do not rise too fast or immediately from a sitting or lying down position to a standing posture. Do not drive or use tools or machinery in case of any of these effects.

• Muscular Aches and Pains – A hot or cold compress can be placed at the area of discomfort to bring relief; an over-the-counter pain reliever such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can be ingested to bring ease as well. Avoid high-intensity exercise while suffering from muscular pain.

• Flatulence- This can be eased by consuming smaller, more frequent meals that don’t trigger your flatulence. Getting a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise has shown great results in combating flatulence. 

• Heartburn – can be dealt with by chewing on mint-flavored gum that’ll help neutralize the acid in the body. Standing up straighter, adding ginger to the daily diet, elevating the patient’s upper body, and having licorice supplements has shown to provide relief.

• Blurred vision- this side effect tends to go away on its own if a few days; patients are advised to not operate heavy machinery or drive any motorized vehicles in the meantime. If blurred vision persists, please contact your doctor.

• Dehydration- Patients are recommended to always care around a water bottle with them wherever they go and periodically keep sipping to prevent thirst and extremely dry mouth. Ice pops in hot weather and energy drinks (verified by the doctor) help combat dehydration.

FAQs

#1. WHAT EXACTLY DOES Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S DO?

It is an “antipsychotic” (D2 receptor inhibitor) that works by increasing the levels of natural substances that help elevate dopamine levels in the brain thereby elevating mood and helping with the cognitive function of the brain. 

#2. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S TO START WORKING?

Normally it takes a few weeks varying from  4-6 weeks for Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S to show its effects completely.

#3. HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO TAKE Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S FOR?

Time duration depends on why you’re taking Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S and the exact duration must be determined by your doctor. Large doses are not prescribed for longer durations.

 #4. CAN I STOP TAKING Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

Do not just stop taking the medicine, make sure to complete your treatment course even if you feel better. Stopping it suddenly may cause withdrawal problems like difficulty sleeping, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and uncontrollable muscle movements. 

#5. IS Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S HIGHLY ADDICTIVE?

Yes, it is addictive and may cause dependence, both physical and psychological, hence stopping the medicine abruptly can cause undesirable withdrawal symptoms.

#6. CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL WITH Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

No, Consuming alcohol when taking Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S may cause excessive drowsiness and could increase the risk of liver damage, hence should be avoided. 

#7. WHAT IF I TAKE TOO MUCH OF Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

If you have taken too much of the prescribed Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S you may experience symptoms of overdose for example, fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat, upset stomach, blurred vision, fainting, dizziness, and seizures. Contact your doctor or rush to a nearby emergency immediately if you have any of these symptoms. 

#9. WHAT IF I FORGET TO TAKE Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S is taken two to three times daily, if you forget to take it on time then take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it’s nearly time for your next dose, in which case you should skip the missed dose. If it helps to remind you, set an alarm so you do not miss any dose. Make sure to complete your course of treatment even if you feel better and think you do not need to take it anymore.

#10. CAN I TAKE Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S DURING PREGNANCY OR BREASTFEEDING?

If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, please consult your doctor before using Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S. If you are breastfeeding, please consult your doctor before taking Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S. 

#11. CAN THE USE OF Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S CAUSE DROWSINESS?

It may cause drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue (tiredness), and visual disturbances. If you experience any of these symptoms avoid driving or operating heavy machinery.

#12. CAN I DRIVE OR RIDE A BIKE AFTER TAKING Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S?

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S tends to make you drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive or use any machinery until you feel normal again

#13. HOW SHOULD Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S BE STORED?

Store it at room temperature, away from excess heat and moisture. Make sure it is not consumed by pets, children, and other people. Dispose of the unused medicine. 

#14. CAN Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S AFFECT MY SEXUAL ACTIVITY?

Sexual dysfunction has been reported with Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S. It may cause a decrease in libido and erection problems in men. You must discuss this with your consultant. 

#15. WILL Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S AFFECT MY FERTILITY? 

Serenace 5mg Tablet 100 ‘S can create disturbance in the menstrual cycle which is reversible. High prolactin levels can cause problems in ovulation in women. Discuss it with your doctor.