Pronunciation:

kan-a-bi-DYE-ol

Brand Names:

• Epidiolex

Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Classifications:

Therapeutic—

Anticonvulsant

Chemical—

Cannabinoid

Uses of This Medicine:

Cannabidiol is used to treat seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before Using This Medicine:

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Children—

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of cannabidiol in children 1 year of age and older. Safety and efficacy have been established.

Older adults—

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of cannabidiol in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.

Breast-feeding—

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Other medicines—

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Mavacamten

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Acepromazine
• Alfentanil
• Alprazolam
• Amobarbital
• Anileridine
• Apalutamide
• Aripiprazole
• Asenapine
• Baclofen
• Belzutifan
• Benperidol
• Benzhydrocodone
• Bromazepam
• Buprenorphine
• Buspirone
• Butabarbital
• Butorphanol
• Calcium Oxybate
• Cannabis
• Carbamazepine
• Carbinoxamine
• Carisoprodol
• Carphenazine
• Cetirizine
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorzoxazone
• Citalopram
• Clobazam
• Clonazepam
• Clorazepate
• Clozapine
• Codeine
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Daridorexant
• Dexmedetomidine
• Diacetylmorphine
• Diazepam
• Dichloralphenazone
• Difenoxin
• Digoxin
• Dihydrocodeine
• Diphenhydramine
• Diphenoxylate
• Divalproex Sodium
• Doxylamine
• Droperidol
• Enflurane
• Enzalutamide
• Esketamine
• Estazolam
• Eszopiclone
• Ethchlorvynol
• Ethopropazine
• Ethylmorphine
• Everolimus
• Fedratinib
• Fentanyl
• Fexinidazole
• Flibanserin
• Flunitrazepam
• Fluphenazine
• Flurazepam
• Fluspirilene
• Fosphenytoin
• Fospropofol
• Gabapentin
• Gabapentin Enacarbil
• Halazepam
• Haloperidol
• Halothane
• Hexobarbital
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Hydroxyzine
• Isoflurane
• Itraconazole
• Ketamine
• Ketazolam
• Ketobemidone
• Lacosamide
• Lemborexant
• Levocetirizine
• Levorphanol
• Lorazepam
• Loxapine
• Lumacaftor
• Magnesium Oxybate
• Meclizine
• Melperone
• Meperidine
• Mephobarbital
• Meprobamate
• Meptazinol
• Mesoridazine
• Metaxalone
• Methadone
• Methdilazine
• Methocarbamol
• Methohexital
• Methotrimeprazine
• Methylene Blue
• Midazolam
• Mitotane
• Molindone
• Moricizine
• Morphine
• Morphine Sulfate Liposome
• Nalbuphine
• Nicomorphine
• Nitrazepam
• Nitrous Oxide
• Olanzapine
• Omaveloxolone
• Opium
• Opium Alkaloids
• Orphenadrine
• Oxazepam
• Oxycodone
• Oxymorphone
• Papaveretum
• Paregoric
• Pentazocine
• Pentobarbital
• Perampanel
• Perazine
• Periciazine
• Perphenazine
• Phenobarbital
• Phenytoin
• Pimozide
• Piperacetazine
• Pipotiazine
• Piritramide
• Potassium Oxybate
• Prazepam
• Pregabalin
• Primidone
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Promethazine
• Propofol
• Quazepam
• Quetiapine
• Ramelteon
• Remifentanil
• Remimazolam
• Remoxipride
• Rifampin
• Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b-njft
• Secobarbital
• Sertindole
• Sirolimus
• Sodium Oxybate
• Sparsentan
• St John's Wort
• Sufentanil
• Sulpiride
• Suvorexant
• Tacrolimus
• Tapentadol
• Temazepam
• Thiethylperazine
• Thiopental
• Thiopropazate
• Thioridazine
• Tilidine
• Tizanidine
• Tolonium Chloride
• Topiramate
• Tramadol
• Triazolam
• Trifluoperazine
• Trifluperidol
• Triflupromazine
• Trimeprazine
• Valproate Sodium
• Valproic Acid
• Warfarin
• Zaleplon
• Zolpidem
• Zopiclone
• Zotepine
• Zuranolone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Stiripentol

Other interactions—

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

• Ethanol

Other medical problems—

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Alcohol or drug abuse, history of or
• Depression—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Liver disease, moderate to severe—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of the slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use of This Medicine:

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

This medicine comes with a Medication Guide and patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Measure the dose with a dry, marked measuring oral syringe. Wash the dosing syringe with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry well after each use.

Take this medicine the same way every day, either with or without food.

You may take this medicine using a silicone feeding tube (including nasogastric or gastrotomy tubes) if needed. Do not use it with tubes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane, or silicone nasogastric tubes that are short and narrow.

Dosing—

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage form (oral liquid):
  • For seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome or Dravet Syndrome:
    • Adults and children 1 year of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 2.5 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) 2 times a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 10 mg/kg 2 times a day.
    • Children younger than 1 year of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex:
    • Adults and children 1 year of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 2.5 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) 2 times a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 12.5 mg/kg 2 times a day.
    • Children younger than 1 year of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose—

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage—

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep the bottle in an upright position. Do not refrigerate or freeze. Use this medicine within 12 weeks of first opening the bottle. Throw away any unused medicine after 12 weeks.

Precautions While Using This Medicine:

It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Do not suddenly stop using this medicine without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor will need to slowly decrease your dose before you stop it completely. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause your seizures to return or to occur more often.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

This medicine may make you or your child drowsy. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Check with your doctor before using this medicine with alcohol or other medicines that affect the central nervous system (CNS). The use of alcohol or other medicines that affect the CNS with cannabidiol may worsen the side effects of this medicine, such as dizziness, poor concentration, drowsiness, unusual dreams, and trouble with sleeping. Some examples of medicines that affect the CNS are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicines, medicine for depression, medicine for anxiety, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.

Cannabidiol may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. Also tell your doctor if you or your child have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including angioedema. These can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals after using this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects of This Medicine:

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Agitation

chest pain

chills

cough

dark urine

fever

hoarseness

irritability

loss of appetite

lower back or side pain

nausea

painful or difficult urination

pain or tenderness in the upper stomach

pale stools

sore throat

trouble breathing

unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness

vomiting

yellow eyes or skin

Less common

Aggression

anger

blue lips, fingernails, or skin

confusion

diarrhea

dizziness

fast heartbeat

irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing

stomach pain

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Lack or loss of strength

rash

trouble sleeping

Less common

Change in walking and balance

clumsiness or unsteadiness

decreased weight

drooling

increased saliva

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.