Teniposide : Before Using

Teniposide - Systemic

Brand Names

Vumon, VM-26 Teniposide *** Before Using *** How to Use *** Fore Safe Use *** Side Effects

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 teniposide, the following must be considered

Allergic reaction

Tell your family doctor if you have any unusual or allergic reaction to teniposide. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as castor oil.

Pregnancy care

Teniposide has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in pets have shown that teniposide causes slower development or death of the fetus and birth defects, such as defects of the spine or ribs, deformed extremities, being born without eyes and a defect or absence of breast-bone. Be sure that you have discussed this with your family doctor. Tell your family doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving teniposide.

Breast-feeding problem

It is not known if teniposide passes into the breast milk. However, due to the potential for serious side effects, if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed while receiving this drug, be sure that you have discussed this with your family doctor.

Use for Children

Children with Down syndrome may be more sensitive to the effects of this drug compared to other children. Your family doctor may decide to start treat with this drug at a lower dose.

Elderly care

Many medication have not been studied specifically in older 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 teniposide 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 taking teniposide, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

Acyclovir - Zovirax
Anticonvulsants - seizure drug
Antidiabetics, oral - diabetes drug taken by mouth
Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection - drug for infection
Antipsychotics - drug for mental illness
Captopril - Capoten
Carbamazepine - Tegretol
Enalapril - Vasotec
Flecainide - Tambocor
Gold salts - drug for arthritis
Imipenem
Inflammation or pain drug, except narcotics
Lisinopril - Prinivil, Zestril
Maprotiline - Ludiomil
Penicillamine - Cuprimine
Pimozide - Orap
Procainamide - Pronestyl
Promethazine - Phenergan
Ramipril - Altace
Sulfasalazine - Azulfidine
Tiopronin - Thiola
Tocainide - Tonocard
Tricyclic antidepressants - drug for depression
Trimeprazine - Temaril Concurrent use of these agents with teniposide may cause blood disorders

Alpha interferons - Intron A, Roferon-A
Amphotericin B by injection - Fungizone
Antineoplastics, other - cancer drug
Antithyroid agents - drug for overactive thyroid
Azathioprine - Imuran
Chloramphenicol - Chloromycetin
Colchicine
Cyclophosphamide - Cytoxan
Flucytosine - Ancoban
Ganciclovir - Cytovene
Mercaptopurine - Purinethol
Plicamycin - Mithracin
Zidovudine - AZT, Retrovir Concurrent use of these agents with teniposide increases the risk of infection

Sodium salicylate
Sulfamethizole - Thiosulfil Forte
Tolbutamide - Orinase Taking these medication while receiving teniposide may cause the level of teniposide in the body to be higher than usual, which may increase the risk of unwanted effects

If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medication Teniposide may increase the side effects of medication or radiation therapy on the blood

Other Information for using

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

Blood disorders due to bone marrow depression
Infection There may be an increased risk of infections or worsening infections because of the body's reduced ability to fight them

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

Down syndrome Patients who have this condition may be more sensitive to this drug

Hypoalbuminemia
Kidney disease
Liver disease These conditions may cause the level of teniposide in the body to be higher than usual, which may increase the risk of unwanted effects