Amifostine : Before Using

Amifostine - Systemic

Brand Names

Ethyol Amifostine *** Before Using *** How to Use *** Side Effects *** Additional Information

Before Using

In deciding to using a medication, the problems of uses this drugs must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you will make. For amifostine, the following must be considered

Allergic reaction

Tell your family doctor if you have any unusual or allergy to amifostine.

Pregnancy care

Amifostine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, in animal studies, large doses causing toxic or harmful effects in the fetus.

Because amifostinemay cause birth defects or other harmful effects in the fetus, it is usually recommended that women being treated for cancer use birth control.

Breast-feeding problem

It is not known whether amifostine passes into the breast milk. Breast-feeding is not recommended during treat.

Use for Children

Although this drug has been given to a limited number of children, there is no special info comparing use of amifostine in child with use in other age groups.

Elderly care

Many medication have not been studied specifically in elderly people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in adults people or if they cause various side effects or problems in elderly people. Although amifostine has been given to a limited number of elderly people, there is no special info comparing use of amifostine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Drug interactions

Although certain medication must not be using together at all, in other cases two various medication may be using together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your family doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving amifostine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

Amantadine - Symmetrel
Antidepressants - drug for depression
Antihypertensives - drug for high blood pressure
Antipsychotics - drug for mental illness
Beta-adrenergic blocking agents using in the eye, such as betaxolol - Betoptic, carteolol - Ocupress, levobunolol - Betagan, metipranolol - OptiPranolol and timolol - Timoptic,
Bromocriptine - Parlodel
Deferoxamine - Desferal
Diuretics - water pills
Levodopa - Dopar
Medicine for heart disease
Nabilone - Cesamet - with high doses
Narcotic pain drug
Nimodipine - Nimotop
Pentamidine - Pentam
Pimozide - Orap
Promethazine - Phenergan
Trimeprazine - Temaril Amifostine sometimes causes low blood pressure while it is being injected. These other medication may add to this effect and increase the risk of a severe lowering of your blood pressure during treat. You may have to stop taking the other drug for a while before amifostine is given, but do not stop taking it on your own . Instead, the family doctor who is treating your cancer must plan the best way to avoid this problem together with the family doctor who ordered the other drug for you.

Other Information for using

The presence of other medical problems may effect the use of amifostine. Make sure you tell your family doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Dehydration
Heart or blood vessel disease
Low blood pressure
Nausea, history of,
Vomiting, history of,
Stroke - history of
Transient ischemic attacks - sometimes called TIAs or “ministrokes”, history of Some of amifostine's side effects can cause harm to diseaseds with these conditions

Kidney disease The risk of low blood calcium may be increased in people with some forms of kidney disease