Mitoxantrone : Before Using

Mitoxantrone - Systemic

Brand Names

Novantrone Mitoxantrone *** Before Using *** How to Use *** Fore Safe Use *** Side Effects

Before Using

In deciding to using a medication, the chance of taking the drug must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you will make. For mitoxantrone, the following must be considered

Allergic reaction

Tell your health care professional if you have ever had any unusual or allergy to mitoxantrone.

Pregnancy care

Tell your family doctor if you are pregnant or if you intend to have children. There is a risk that this drug may cause birth defects if either the male or female is receiving it at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. Mitoxantrone has been reported to cause low birth weight and slow growth of the kidney in rats and premature birth in rabbits. In addition, many cancer medication may cause sterility, which could be permanent. Although sterility has not been reported with this drug, the possibility must be kept in mind.

Be sure that you have discussed this with your family doctor before receiving this drug. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving mitoxantrone. Tell your family doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving mitoxantrone.

Breast-feeding problem

Tell your family doctor if you are breast-feeding or if you intend to breast-feed during treat with this drug. It is not known whether mitoxantrone passes into breast milk. However, because mitoxantrone may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding is generally not recommended while you are receiving it.

Use for Children

There is no special info comparing use of mitoxantrone 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. There is no special info comparing use of mitoxantrone 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 mitoxantrone, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

Amphotericin B by injection - Fungizone
Antithyroid agents - drug for overactive thyroid
Azathioprine - Imuran
Chloramphenicol - Chloromycetin
Colchicine
Flucytosine - Ancobon
Ganciclovir - Cytovene
Interferon - Intron A, Roferon-A
Plicamycin - Mithracin
Zidovudine - AZT, Retrovir
If you have been treated with radiation or cancer medication Mitoxantrone may increase the side effects of medication or radiation on the blood

Probenecid - Benemid
Sulfinpyrazone - Anturane Mitoxantrone may increase the concentration of uric acid in the blood. Since these medication are using to lower uric acid levels, they may not work as well in diseaseds receiving mitoxantrone

Other Information for using

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

Chickenpox - including recent exposure
Herpes zoster - shingles chance of severe disease effecting other parts of the body

Gout - history of
Kidney stones Mitoxantrone may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones

Heart disease chance of heart problems causing by mitoxantrone may be increased

Infection Mitoxantrone may decrease your body's ability to fight infection

Liver disease Effects of mitoxantrone may be increased because of slower removal from the body