7 mins read

Overview: Palsonify is a medicine used to treat certain people with acromegaly. Palsonify is a tablet that you swallow. Palsonify must only be taken with water on an empty stomach at least six hours from when you last had any food. Tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter medicines that you take before taking Palsonify. Diarrhea and stomach pain are common side effects. If you get severe stomach pain, dizziness, or confusion, call your health care provider right away.

Uses

What is Palsonify used for?

Palsonify (paltusotine) is commonly used for certain people with acromegaly.

Palsonify may also be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

How does Palsonify work (mechanism of action)?

Palsonify acts like a natural hormone in your body called somatostatin, which helps regulate other hormones.

How is Palsonify supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Palsonify

Dosage forms and strengths

  • 20 mg, 30 mg oral tablets

How should I store Palsonify?

Palsonify should be stored at room temperature, between 68 F and 77 F (20 C and 25 C). It can be exposed to temperatures between 59 F and 86 F (15 C and 30 C) for shorter periods of time, such as when transporting it. Store in a cool, dry place in the bottle given to you.

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of Palsonify?

The most common side effects of Palsonify are listed below. Tell your health care provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea
  • Decreased appetite
  • Heart rate changes (see below)
  • High blood sugar (see below)
  • Stomach flu

There may be other side effects of Palsonify that are not listed here. Contact your health care provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088). In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of Palsonify?

While less common, the most serious side effects of Palsonify are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Palsonify may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking Palsonify and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Itching or skin rash
  • Bumps on the skin called hives that can be red, pink, white, or brown, depending on your skin tone
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Gallbladder Problems. Taking Palsonify can cause gallbladder problems, including cholecystitis and cholelithiasis (also known as gallstones). These problems may lead to inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • Your skin or the whites of your eyes turning yellowish in color (also called jaundice)
  • Fever
  • Sudden pain in your upper stomach area, right shoulder, or between your shoulder blades
  • Stool (poop) that is clay-colored
  • Vomiting or severe pain in the upper part of your belly that travels to your back

High Blood Sugar. Palsonify may increase your blood sugar levels or lead to diabetes. Talk to your health care provider about how to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Be sure to keep all your appointments for blood tests. Call your health care provider if you have the following symptoms of high blood sugar.

  • Feeling thirsty more than usual
  • Peeing more than usual
  • Increase in hunger
  • Tiredness
  • Feeling sick to your stomach
  • Confusion
  • Fruity-smelling breath

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia). Palsonify can cause low blood sugar, which can be serious and may lead to death. You may need to check your blood sugar more often if you have made any changes to your diet, exercise regimen, or medicines for diabetes. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia.

  • Headache
  • Crankiness or anxiety
  • Hunger
  • Dizziness or confusion
  • Blurry vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Sweating
  • Feeling jittery or shakiness
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Seizures

Heart Rate Changes. Palsonify can make your heart beat slower than normal (bradycardia). Some people have other heart changes that can be found by an electrocardiogram (ECG). Keep all appointments with your health care provider. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint
  • Confusion
  • Feeling weak or getting easily tired
  • Slow heartbeat or feeling of skipped heartbeats

Low Thyroid Hormones (Hypothyroidism). Palsonify can affect how your thyroid gland functions, which can lead to low thyroid levels. Keep all appointments to have your blood checked. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following signs of low thyroid hormones.

  • Weight gain
  • Feeling cold
  • Tiredness that does not go away or continues to worsen
  • Constipation

Fatty Poop. Palsonify may make it harder for your body to absorb fats from food. As a result, you may have too much fat in your stool (poop), called fatty stool. Tell your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • Poop that floats in the toilet
  • Changes in the color of your poop
  • Loose or greasy poop
  • Stomach bloating
  • Unexplained weight loss

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not use Palsonify?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take Palsonify.

  • Palsonify
  • Paltusotine
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in Palsonify.

What should I know about Palsonify before using it?

Do not take Palsonify unless it has been prescribed to you by a health care provider. Take it as prescribed.

Do not share Palsonify with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Keep Palsonify out of the reach of children.

Talk with your health care provider about when it may be best to take Palsonify each day. This medicine must be taken when you have no food in your stomach. Food prevents enough of this medicine from getting into your body. You may want to take Palsonify when you first wake up, after sleeping for at least six hours. You need to wait at least an hour after taking Palsonify to eat or drink anything but water.

Palsonify commonly causes diarrhea. If you have diarrhea that gets worse or does not go away, tell your health care provider right away.

Take any vitamins or supplements that your health care provider recommends. Low levels of vitamin B12 may happen with Palsonify.

Keep all appointments to have your blood checked. Your health care provider needs the results to help you get the most benefit from Palsonify and lower the risk of any side effects.

What should I tell my health care provider before using Palsonify?

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them know if Palsonify is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

High or Low Blood Sugar. Palsonify may affect your blood sugar levels. Your levels may get too low or high. Tell your health care provider if you take or use any medicines for diabetes. You may need to check your blood sugar levels more often when you start Palsonify and if your dose is changed.

Heart Problems. Tell your health care provider if you have any problems with your heartbeat, such as low heart rate. Also tell your health care provider about all medicines you take, especially those that can slow down your heartbeat, such as diltiazem (Cardizem CD and others), verapamil (Verelan, Verelan PM), or a beta-blocker, such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL, and others), or propranolol (Inderal LA, Innopran XL).

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following.

  • Gallbladder problems
  • Thyroid problems

Other Medicines and Supplements. Palsonify may interact with other medicines and supplements. Before taking Palsonify, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how Palsonify could affect pregnancy or harm a fetus. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Breastfeeding. It is not known if Palsonify passes into breast milk. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your health care provider will let you know if you should take Palsonify while breastfeeding.

How can I get more information about Palsonify?

For more information about Palsonify, you can visit the drugmaker’s website at www.palsonify.com or call them at 833-276-4636.

Interactions

Does Palsonify interact with foods or drinks?

Palsonify should be taken on an empty stomach, at least six hours after eating and at least one hour before the next meal.

It is unknown if drinking alcohol affects how Palsonify works.

Does Palsonify interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before taking Palsonify.

  • Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, and others), which is a medicine commonly used to treat seizures or nerve pain
  • Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune, and others), which is a medicine that suppresses your immune system
  • A proton pump inhibitor (PPI), such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), or rabeprazole (Aciphex)

Many other medicines may alter the blood levels of Palsonify. Tell your health care provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken.

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with Palsonify. Always check with your health care provider.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally use too much Palsonify?

If you or someone else has used too much Palsonify, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of Palsonify?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember if you can still take it at least six hours after eating and at least one hour before a meal. Otherwise, skip the missed dose and only take the next dose the next day. Do not take double or extra doses.