Before taking fingolimod,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to fingolimod, If you have had a serious allergic reaction to fingolimod or any of the ingredients in fingolimod capsules (rash, hives, swelling of the face, eyes, mouth, throat, tongue, lips, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs), your doctor will probably tell not to fingolimod. Also, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medications, or any of the ingredients in fingolimod capsules. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.
tell your doctor if you are taking medications for irregular heartbeat such as amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone), disopyramide (Norpace), dofetilide (Tikosyn), dronedarone (Multaq), ibutilide (Corvert), procainamide, quinidine (in Nuedexta), and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize). Your doctor will probably tell you not to take fingolimod if you are taking one or more of these medications.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take during your treatment with fingolimod. Be sure to mention any of the following: beta-blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin, in Tenoretic), carteolol, labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL, in Dutoprol, in Lopressor HCT), nadolol (Corgard, in Corzide), nebivolol (Bystolic, in Byvalson), propranolol (Inderal LA, Innopran XL), and timolol; diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac, others); chlorpromazine; citalopram (Celexa); digoxin (Lanoxin); erythromycin (E.E.S., Ery-Tab, PCE, others); haloperidol (Haldol); ketoconazole; medications for heart problems; methadone (Dolophine, Methadose); and verapamil (Calan, Verelan, in Tarka). Also tell you doctor if you are taking any of the following medications, or if you have taken them in the past: corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and prednisone; medications for cancer; and medications to weaken or control the immune system such as mitoxantrone, natalizumab (Tysabri), and teriflunomide (Aubagio), Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with fingolimod, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
tell your doctor if you have or have had any of these conditions in the last six months: heart attack, angina (chest pain), stroke or mini-stroke, or heart failure. Also tell your doctor if you have long QT syndrome (condition that increases the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat that may cause fainting or sudden death) or irregular heart rhythm. Your doctor may tell you not to take fingolimod.
tell your doctor if you have ever fainted, had a heart attack, stroke, or mini stroke, or if you currently have a fever or other signs of infection, if you have an infection that comes and goes or that does not go away, and if you have or have ever had diabetes; sleep apnea (condition in which you briefly stop breathing many times during the night) or other breathing problems; high blood pressure; uveitis (inflammation of the eye) or other eye problems; a slow heartbeat; low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood; skin cancer, or heart or liver disease. Also tell your doctor if you have recently received a vaccine.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. You should use birth control to prevent pregnancy during your treatment and for 2 months after your final dose. If you become pregnant while taking fingolimod or within 2 months after your final dose, call your doctor.
do not have any vaccinations during your treatment with fingolimod or for 2 months after your final dose without talking to your doctor. Talk to your child's doctor about vaccinations that your child may need to receive before beginning his or her treatment with fingolimod.
tell your doctor if you have never had chicken pox and have not received the chicken pox vaccine. Your doctor may order a blood test to see if you have been exposed to chicken pox. You may need to receive the chicken pox vaccine and then wait one month before beginning your treatment with fingolimod.
plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and UV light (such as tanning booths) and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Fingolimod may make your skin more sensitive to the dangerous side effects of sunlight, and may increase your risk of developing skin cancer.