Side Effects
Please read the Medication Guide that comes with your prescription before you or your child start taking Sabril® (vigabatrin) and each time you get a refill, as there may be new information. This Medication Guide, however, does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your (or your child's) medical condition or treatment.
This is not all the important safety information you should know about Sabril. For more information about safety and side effects, please do the following:
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist
- See the [[orange]Medication Guide]
- See [[orange]Important Safety Information] including Boxed Warning
- See the [[orange]full Prescribing Information] including Boxed Warning
Permanent Vision Loss
An important side effect you need to know is that Sabril can permanently damage the vision of anyone who takes it. People taking Sabril are at risk for vision loss with any amount of Sabril. The risk of vision loss may be higher the more Sabril is taken daily and the longer you take it. This side effect has occurred in 3 of 10 or more of patients taking Sabril. If vision loss occurs, it will not get better.
The most noticeable loss is in your ability to see to the side when you look straight ahead (peripheral vision). People who take Sabril do not lose all of their vision, but some people can have severe loss particularly to their peripheral vision. With severe vision loss you may only be able to see things straight in front of you (sometimes called “tunnel vision”). You may also have blurry vision.
Tell your doctor right away if you or your child:
- Might not be seeing as well as before starting Sabril
- Start to trip, bump into things, or are more clumsy than usual
- Are surprised by people or things coming in front of you that seem to come out of nowhere
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think that your baby is:
- Not seeing as well as before taking Sabril
- Acting differently than normal
It is recommended that your doctor monitor your (or your child's) vision closely while on Sabril, because there is no way to predict who will experience vision loss or when it may occur. For some people, it develops within a few weeks after starting treatment or sooner. It can also occur any time during treatment, even after months or years, and there is no dose that is free from risk of vision loss. However, taking higher doses or taking Sabril for a longer period of time may increase the risk. There is a possibility that vision loss can worsen despite stopping Sabril as well.
Vision tests cannot prevent the vision damage that can happen with Sabril, but they do allow Sabril to be stopped if vision has gotten worse, which usually will lessen further damage. Even these regular vision tests may not show vision damage before it is serious and permanent. Parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers may not recognize the symptoms, or find vision loss in babies, until it is severe.
Additional Sabril Warnings, Precautions, and Side Effects
MRI Changes in Infants
Brain pictures taken by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show changes in some babies after they are given Sabril. It is not known if these changes are harmful.
Risk of Suicidal Thoughts or Actions
Like other antiepileptic drugs, Sabril may cause suicidal thoughts or actions. Call a doctor right away if you (or your child) have any of the following symptoms:
- Thoughts about suicide or dying
- Attempts to commit suicide
- New or worse depression
- New or worse anxiety
- Feeling agitated or restless
- Panic attacks
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- New or worse irritability
- Acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
- Acting on dangerous impulses
- An extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
- Other unusual changes in behavior or mood
Watch for the early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions:
- Pay attention to any changes, especially sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts or feelings
- Keep all follow-up visits with your doctor as scheduled
- Call your doctor between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms
Suicidal thoughts or actions can be caused by things other than medicines. If you or your child has suicidal thoughts or actions, your healthcare provider may check for other causes.
Sudden Withdrawal
Do not stop Sabril without talking with your doctor first. Stopping Sabril suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping a seizure medicine suddenly can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus) in people who are being treated for seizures. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions on how to stop taking Sabril.
Tell your healthcare provider right away about any increase in seizures when Sabril treatment is being stopped. Before your child starts taking Sabril, speak to your child's healthcare provider about what to do if your baby misses a dose, vomits, spits up, or only takes part of the dose of Sabril.
Additional Serious Side Effects
Sabril can cause serious side effects, including:
- Sleepiness and tiredness. Adults taking Sabril should not drive, operate machinery, or perform any hazardous task, unless you and your healthcare provider have decided that you can do these things safely
- Sabril may cause your baby to be sleepy. Sleepy babies may have a harder time suckling and feeding, or may be irritable.
- Weight gain that happens without swelling
The following serious side effects happen in adults. It is not known if these side effects also happen in babies who take Sabril:
- Low red blood cell counts (anemia)
- Nerve problems. Symptoms of a nerve problem can include numbness and tingling in your toes or feet. It is not known if nerve problems will go away after you stop taking Sabril
- Swelling
Sabril may make certain types of seizures worse. Tell your doctor right away if seizures get worse.
Most Common Side Effects
In adults, the most common side effects of Sabril include:
- Problems walking or feeling uncoordinated
- Feeling dizzy
- Shaking (tremors)
- Joint pain
- Memory problems and not thinking clearly
- Eye problems (blurry vision, double vision, and eye movements that you cannot control)
In children 10 to 16 years of age, the most common side effects of Sabril include:
- Weight gain
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Tiredness
- Aggression
- Also expect side effects like those seen in adults
The most common side effects of Sabril in babies include:
- Sleepiness — Sabril may cause your baby to be sleepy. Sleepy babies may have a harder time suckling and feeding, or may be irritable
- Swelling in the bronchial tubes (bronchitis)
- Ear infection
- Irritability
Tell your doctor if you (or your child) have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Sabril.