4.6 Fertility, pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy:
There are no adequate data from the use of tolcapone in pregnant women. Therefore, Tasmar should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus.
Breast-feeding:
In animal studies, tolcapone was excreted into maternal milk.
The safety of tolcapone in infants is unknown; therefore, women should not breast-feed during treatment with Tasmar.
Fertility:
In rats and rabbits, embryo-foetal toxicity was observed after tolcapone administration (see section 5.3) The potential risk for humans is unknown.
4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines
No studies on the effects of Tasmar on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed.
There is no evidence from clinical studies that Tasmar adversely influences a patient's ability to drive and use machines. However patients should be advised that their ability to drive and operate machines may be compromised due to their Parkinson's disease symptoms.
Tasmar, as a COMT inhibitor, is known to increase the bioavailability of the co-adminstered levodopa. The consequent increase in dopaminergic stimulation can lead to the dopaminergic side effects observed after treatment with COMT inhibitors. Patients being treated with Levodopa and presenting with somnolence and/or sudden sleep episodes must be informed to refrain from driving or engaging in activities where impaired alertness may put themselves or others at risk of serious injury or death (e.g. operating machines) until such recurrent episodes and somnolence have resolved (see also section 4.4)