HYDROXYUREA

(hye DROX ee yoo REE a) Brand: Droxia, Hydrea

What is the most significant information I must know about hydroxyurea?

• Do not use hydroxyurea if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

• You must not use hydroxyurea if you are allergic to it, or if you have severe bone marrow suppression, severe anemia, or low levels of platelets in your blood.

• Till using hydroxyurea, speak your doctor if you have bone marrow suppression, HIV or AIDS, liver or kidney malady, or if you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation.

• Wash your hands till and after you handle a hydroxyurea capsule or the bottle that contains the pills. For excellent protection, wear disposable gloves when handling the pills.

• Do not open the hydroxyurea capsule. Do not use a pill that has been accidentally opened or broken. The medication from an open capsule can be dangerous if it gets in your eyes, mouth, or nose, or on your skin. If this occurs, wash your skin with soap and water or rinse your eyes with water.

• If any powder from an open capsule is spilled, wipe it up at once with a damp paper towel and throw the towel away in a sealed plastic bag where children and pets can't get to it.

• Hydroxyurea can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood may need to be tested often. Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may magnify your risk of bleeding injury. Speak your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

What is hydroxyurea?

• Hydroxyurea affects determined cells in the body, such as cancer cells or sickled red blood cells.

• Hydroxyurea is used to treat chronic myelocytic leukemia, ovarian cancer, and determined types of skin cancer (melanoma and primary squamous cell cancer of the head and neck).

• Hydroxyurea is also used to reduce pain episodes and the need for blood transfusions in people with sickle cell anemia. Hydroxyurea will not cure sickle cell anemia.

• Hydroxyurea may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking hydroxyurea?

• You must not use hydroxyurea if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

· severe bone marrow suppression;

· severe anemia; or

· low levels of platelets in your blood.

• To create certain you can safely take hydroxyurea, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:

· bone marrow suppression;

· HIV or AIDS;

· liver disease;

· kidney malady; or

· if you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation.

• Using hydroxyurea may magnify your risk of developing another types cancer or leukemia. Conversation with your doctor about your specific risk.

• FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use hydroxyurea if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn child. Use effective birth control, and speak your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

• This medicine may affect fertility (your capacity to have children), whether you are a man or a woman.

• Hydroxyurea can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while you are taking hydroxyurea.

• Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medicine.

How must I take hydroxyurea?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results.

• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of liquid for day while you are taking hydroxyurea. You may take the medication with or without food.

• Hydroxyurea is either taken once for day or once each third day, depending on the condition being treated. On every of your dosing days, take the medication at the same time of day. Your doctor may also want you to take a folic acid supplement. Follow your doctor's instructions very carefully.

• Wash your hands till and after you handle a hydroxyurea capsule or the bottle that contains the pills. For excellent protection, wear disposable gloves when handling the pills.

• If any powder from an open capsule is spilled, wipe it up at once with a damp paper towel and throw the towel away in a sealed plastic bag where children and pets can't get to it.

• Hydroxyurea can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these trials. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Use hydroxyurea regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled till you run out of medication completely.

• This medicine can reason unusual results with determined medical trials. Speak any doctor who treats you that you are using hydroxyurea.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Hold the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, mouth sores, and swelling with pain and purple discoloration in your hands and feet.

What must I avoid while taking hydroxyurea?

• Do not handle hydroxyurea pills or the medication bottle without skin protection (disposable gloves).

• Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections. Speak your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

• This medication can pass into body fluids (including urine, feces, vomit, semen, vaginal fluid). For at least 48 hours after you receive a doze, avoid allowing your body fluids to come into contact with your hands or another surfaces. Patients and caregivers must wear rubber gloves while cleaning up body fluids, handling contaminated trash or laundry or changing diapers. Wash hands till and after removing gloves. Wash soiled clothing and linens apart from another laundry.

• Body fluids must not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant. Use condoms during sexual activity to avoid exposure to body fluids.

What are the possible side effects of hydroxyurea?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat;

· light bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;

· pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;

· skin redness, skin ulcers, or open sores;

· painful or difficult urination;

· confusion, hallucinations, seizure; or

· nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· hair loss;

· skin peeling or discoloration, mild rash;

· upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting;

· headache, dizziness, drowsiness; or

· weight gain.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect hydroxyurea?

• Some medicines can magnify your risk of determined side effects while taking hydroxyurea. Speak your doctor if you are also using:

· didanosine;

· stavudine; or

· an interferon such as Actimmune, Alferon, Avonex, Betaseron, Extavia, Infergen, Intron, Rebetron, Rebif, or Roferon.

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with hydroxyurea. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about hydroxyurea.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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