Rasagiline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor sold in the U.S. under one brand, for parkinson disease. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor
- Treats
- Parkinson Disease
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Azilect
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $30 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How rasagiline is dosed
From the FDA label for Azilect (application NDA021641). Other rasagiline products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Monotherapy: AZILECT 1 mg once daily ( 2.1 ) As adjunct without levodopa: AZILECT 1 mg once daily ( 2.1 ) As adjunct to levodopa: AZILECT 0.5 mg once daily. Increase dose to 1 mg daily as needed for sufficient clinical response ( 2.1 ) Patients taking ciprofloxacin or other CYP1A2 inhibitors: AZILECT 0.5 mg once daily ( 2.2 , 5.4 ) Patients with mild hepatic impairment: AZILECT 0.5 mg once daily. AZILECT should not be used in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment ( 2.3 , 5.5 ) 2.1 General Dosing Recommendations When AZILECT is prescribed as monotherapy or as adjunct therapy in patients not taking levodopa, patients may start AZILECT at the recommended dose of 1 mg administered orally once daily. In patients taking levodopa, with or without other PD drugs (e.g., dopamine agonist, amantadine, anticholinergics), the recommended initial dose of AZILECT is 0.5 mg once daily. If the patient tolerates the daily 0.5 mg dose, but a sufficient clinical response is not achieved, the dose may be increased to 1 mg once daily. When AZILECT is used in combination with levodopa, a reduction of the levodopa dose may be considered, based upon individual response. The recommended doses of AZILECT should not be exceeded because of risk of hypertension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. 2.2 Patients Taking Ciprofloxacin or Other CYP1A2 Inhibitors Patients taking concomitant…
Rasagiline side effects
The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in the Warnings and Precautions section of the label: Hypertension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Falling Asleep During Activities of Daily Living and Somnolence [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Hypotension / Orthostatic Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Dyskinesia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] Hallucinations / Psychotic-Like Behavior [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] Impulse Control /Compulsive Behaviors [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] Withdrawal-Emergent Hyperpyrexia and Confusion [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Most common adverse reactions (incidence 3% or greater than placebo): AZILECT monotherapy: flu syndrome, arthralgia, depression, dyspepsia ( 6.1 ) AZILECT used as adjunct without levodopa: peripheral edema, fall, arthralgia, cough, and insomnia ( 6.1 ) AZILECT used as adjunct to levodopa: dyskinesia, accidental injury, weight loss, postural hypotension, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, dry mouth, rash, abnormal dreams, fall, and tenosynovitis ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Teva Pharmaceuticals at 1-888-483-8279 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted…
Who shouldn’t take rasagiline
AZILECT is contraindicated for use with meperidine, tramadol, methadone, propoxyphene, and MAO inhibitors (MAOIs), including other selective MAO-B inhibitors, because of risk of serotonin syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] . At least 14 days should elapse between discontinuation of AZILECT and initiation of treatment with these medications. AZILECT is contraindicated for use with St. John’s wort and with cyclobenzaprine. AZILECT is contraindicated for use with dextromethorphan because of risk of episode of psychosis or bizarre behavior. Concomitant use of meperidine, tramadol, methadone, propoxyphene dextromethorphan, St. John’s wort, cyclobenzaprine, or another (selective or non-selective) MAO inhibitor ( 4 )
Rasagiline drug interactions
Meperidine: Risk of serotonin syndrome ( 4 , 7.1 ) Dextromethorphan: Risk of psychosis or bizarre behavior ( 4 , 7.2 ) MAO inhibitors: Risk of non-selective MAO inhibition and hypertensive crisis ( 4 , 7.3 ) 7.1 Meperidine Serious, sometimes fatal reactions have been precipitated with concomitant use of meperidine (e.g., Demerol and other tradenames) and MAO inhibitors including selective MAO-B inhibitors [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . 7.2 Dextromethorphan The concomitant use of AZILECT and dextromethorphan was not allowed in clinical studies. The combination of MAO inhibitors and dextromethorphan has been reported to cause brief episodes of psychosis or bizarre behavior. Therefore, in view of AZILECT’s MAO inhibitory activity, dextromethorphan is contraindicated for use with AZILECT [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . 7.3 MAO Inhibitors AZILECT is contraindicated for use with other MAO inhibitors because of the increased risk of nonselective MAO inhibition that may lead to a hypertensive crisis [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . 7.4 Sympathomimetic Medications The concomitant use of AZILECT and sympathomimetic medications was not allowed in clinical studies. Severe hypertensive reactions have followed the administration of sympathomimetics and nonselective MAO inhibitors. Hypertensive crisis has been reported in patients taking the recommended dose of AZILECT and sympathomimetic medications. Severe hypertension has been reported in patients taking the recommended dose of AZILECT and ophthalmic drops containing sympathomimetic medications. Because AZILECT is a selective MAOI, hypertensive reactions are not ordinarily expected with the concomitant use of sympathomimetic medications. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised when concomitantly using recommended doses of AZILECT with any sympathomimetic medications including nasal, oral, and ophthalmic decongestants and cold remedies. 7.5 Antidepressants Concomitant use of AZILECT with one of many classes of antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs, SNRIs, triazolopyridine, tricyclic, or tetracyclic antidepressants) is not recommended [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Concomitant use of AZILECT and MAO inhibitors is contraindicated [see Contraindications ( 4 )]. 7.6 Ciprofloxacin or Other CYP1A2 Inhibitors Rasagiline plasma concentrations may increase up to 2 fold in patients using concomitant ciprofloxacin and other CYP1A2 inhibitors. This could result in increased adverse events. Patients taking concomitant ciprofloxacin or other CYP1A2 inhibitors should not exceed a dose of AZILECT 0.5 mg once daily [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . 7.7 Tyramine/Rasagiline Interaction MAO in the gastrointestinal tract and liver (primarily type A) provides protection from exogenous amines (e.g., tyramine) that have the capacity, if absorbed intact, to cause a tyramine reaction with hypertension including clinical syndromes referred to as hypertensive urgency, crisis, or emergency. Foods and medications containing large amounts of exogenous amines (e.g., from fermented cheese, herring, over-the-counter cough/cold medications) may cause release of norepinephrine resulting in a rise in systemic blood pressure. Results of a special tyramine challenge study indicate that rasagiline is selective for MAO-B at recommended doses and can be used without dietary tyramine restriction. However, certain foods may contain very high amounts (i.e., 150 mg or greater) of tyramine and could potentially cause a hypertensive reaction in individual patients taking AZILECT due to increased sensitivity to tyramine. Selectivity for inhibiting MAO-B diminishes in a dose-related manner as the dose is progressively increased above the recommended daily doses. There were no cases of hypertensive crisis in the clinical development program associated with 1 mg daily AZILECT treatment, in which most patients did not follow dietary tyramine restriction. There have been postmarketing reports of patients who experienced significantly elevated blood pressure (including rare cases of hypertensive crisis) after ingestion of unknown amounts of tyramine-rich foods while taking recommended doses of AZILECT. Patients should be advised to avoid foods containing a very large amount of tyramine while taking recommended doses of AZILECT [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. 7.8 Dopaminergic Antagonists It is possible that dopamine antagonists, such as antipsychotics or metoclopramide, could diminish the effectiveness of AZILECT.
Rasagiline and food
Tyramine-rich foods
Follow the specific food list your prescriber gives you and avoid high-tyramine foods while taking an MAOI (and for a period after stopping). Seek urgent care for a sudden severe headache.
Phenelzine (an MAOI) — MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) ↗
Every rasagiline product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Azilect.
What rasagiline pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
How long rasagiline keeps
No rasagiline label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does rasagiline expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsRasagiline and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for rasagiline: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo clinical use of rasagiline during breastfeeding has been reported. Rasagiline might reduce serum prolactin and interfere with milk production. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised October 19, 2020. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about rasagiline
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 821 reports naming rasagiline, and the FDA flagged 76% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- hallucination88 reports
- gait disturbance66 reports
- constipation64 reports
- fall62 reports
- hypotension59 reports
- speech disorder53 reports
- dizziness50 reports
- cerebral hypoperfusion45 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean rasagiline caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is rasagiline?
Azilect (Rasagiline Mesylate) is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor used to treat Parkinson Disease.
What kind of drug is rasagiline?
The FDA classifies rasagiline as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take rasagiline with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run rasagiline against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does rasagiline come in?
Across the brands we track, rasagiline is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic rasagiline?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled rasagiline product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
What should I avoid while taking rasagiline?
Food: aged cheeses, cured or fermented meats, sauerkraut, soy sauce, tap/unpasteurized beer, and other aged or fermented foods — see the food section above for what each one does and whether it means avoiding it or just being consistent. This is what the FDA label and our cited sources say — it is not a complete list. Your pharmacist can check your own combination.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Rasagiline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/rasagiline
- MLA
- “Rasagiline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/rasagiline.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for rasagiline on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.