tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate at a glance
Medicine class
Antiseizure treatment and selective GABA-uptake inhibitor.
Licensed role
Add-on treatment for focal seizures, with or without secondary generalisation.
Administration
Taken orally with meals.
Driving
Dizziness and other nervous-system effects can impair driving or machinery use, particularly after starting treatment.
What is tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate used for?
The selected UK product is licensed for:
Add-on treatment of focal seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, when at least one other antiseizure treatment has not achieved adequate control.
Adults and adolescents older than 12 years; it is not licensed for children under 12.
How does tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate work?
Tiagabine selectively blocks GAT-1-mediated uptake of GABA into neurons and supporting glial cells. This leaves more GABA outside cells, prolonging inhibitory signalling and helping limit abnormal electrical activity associated with seizures.
tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg
How to take tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate
Take the tablet orally with a meal and exactly as prescribed.
Check with the prescriber before starting, stopping or changing other medicines or herbal products.
Do not drive or operate machinery if dizziness, sleepiness, confusion or poor coordination occurs.
tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Dizziness or tremor
- Tiredness
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Difficulty concentrating, confusion or mood changes
- Poor coordination, unsteady walking or speech disturbance
- Blurred vision
- Diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Muscle twitching
Get urgent medical advice
- Blistering, widespread or peeling rash
- A prolonged or substantially changed seizure, including non-convulsive status epilepticus
- Severe confusion, reduced awareness or encephalopathy
- Psychosis, hallucinations or delusions
- New or worsening suicidal thoughts or behaviour
- Unexplained bruising
- New visual-field loss or other persistent visual symptoms
tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate in pregnancy
Experience during pregnancy is limited. The selected product advises avoiding tiagabine as a precaution unless a specialist considers that the benefits outweigh the potential risks. Anyone planning pregnancy or becoming pregnant should obtain prompt specialist review.
tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate while breastfeeding
There is no adequate product-specific information during breastfeeding. The selected product advises avoiding tiagabine unless the prescriber judges that the expected benefit outweighs potential risk; discuss feeding plans with the epilepsy and maternity teams.
tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate interactions
Ask a prescriber or pharmacist to check all prescribed, non-prescription and herbal products.
St John’s wort
Contraindicated because it can increase tiagabine metabolism, lowering exposure and potentially reducing seizure control.
Phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and primidone
These enzyme-inducing antiseizure treatments accelerate tiagabine metabolism. Starting, stopping or changing them requires clinical review.
Triazolam
Tiagabine may slightly prolong its central nervous system depressant effect, although the product information considers this unlikely to be clinically important.
Common questions about tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate used for?
It is licensed as add-on treatment for focal seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, when another antiseizure treatment has not achieved adequate control.
How does tiagabine hydrochloride monohydrate work?
It blocks GABA reuptake, increasing inhibitory signalling that helps limit abnormal seizure activity.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.