(in ter FEAR on BAY ta) Brand: Avonex, Avonex Prefilled Syringe, Rebif, Rebif Rebidose
• Follow all directions on your medication label and package. Speak every of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
• Interferon beta-1a is made from human proteins. Interferons help the body fight viral infections.
• Interferon beta-1a is used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). This medicine will not cure MS, it will only decrease the frequency of relapse symptoms.
• Interferon beta-1a may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to interferons or human albumin.
• Some patients using interferon medications have become very depressed or had thoughts of suicide. Stop using interferon beta-1a if you have symptoms of depression (sadness, crying, loss of interest in things you once liked) or if you have any thoughts of hurting yourself.
• To create certain interferon beta-1a is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:
· liver disease;
· epilepsy or another seizure disorder;
· heart malady, chest pain (angina);
· a thyroid mess; or
· a history of depression or suicidal behavior.
• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether interferon beta-1a will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
• It is not known whether interferon beta-1a passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Speak your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
• Some brands of interferon beta-1a contain albumin. Albumin comes from human plasma (part of the blood) which may contain viruses and another infectious agents. Donated plasma is tested and treated to reduce the risk of it containing infectious agents, but there is still a little possibility it could transmit malady. Conversation with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medication.
• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.
• Avonex is injected into a muscle. It is generally given once weekly at bedtime, on the same day every week (such as each Monday). Follow your doctor's instructions.
• Rebif is injected under the skin. It is generally given 3 times for week (such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) at the same time on every dosing day. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• You may be shown how to use injections at house. Do not self-inject this medication if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of used needles and syringes.
• This medicine comes with patient instructions for safety and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
• Use a various seat on your body every time you give the injection. Your care provider will show you the excellent places on your body to inject the medicine. Do not inject into the same seat two times in a row.
• The powder form of Avonex must be mixed with a liquid (diluent) in the medication vial. Gently swirl but do not shake the vial after mixing the medication. The mixture must be clear or easy yellow. Do not use the mixture if it has changed colors or has any particles in it. Mix a new doze or call your doctor for a new prescription.
• Do not draw your doze into a syringe before you are ready to give yourself an injection.
• Every prefilled syringe or single use vial (bottle) of this medication is for one use only. Throw away after one use, even if there is still some medication left after injecting your dose.
• Use a disposable needle only once, then throw away in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Hold this container out of the reach of children and pets.
• Interferon beta-1a can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. This can create it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being near others who are ill. Your blood may need to be tested often. Your liver or thyroid function may also need to be tested.
• Store interferon beta-1a in a refrigerator. Do not freeze. You may take the Avonex prefilled syringe out of the refrigerator and let it to reach room temperature till giving the injection. Do not heat the medication till using.
• Interferon beta-1a may be kept at room temperature for short periods if protected from easy. Avonex powder or Rebif prefilled syringes can be stored at room temperature for up to 30 days. Avonex prefilled syringes can be stored at room temperature for only 7 days.
• After mixing Avonex powder with a diluent, store in the refrigerator and use it within 6 hours.
• Throw away any interferon beta-1a that has become frozen or has been exposed to easy or tall heat.
• Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a doze of this medicine.
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
• Avoid drinking alcohol. It may magnify your risk of liver damage.
• Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections. Speak your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor at once if you have:
· fever, chills, body aches, chest pain, flu symptoms;
· light bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
· severe pain, bruising, swelling, or skin changes where the injection was given;
· changes in your vision;
· depressed mood, anxiety, trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
· seizure (convulsions);
· feeling hot or cool, unexplained weight changes; or
· nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• General side effects may include:
· stomach pain;
· headache, drowsiness; or
· minor irritation where the injection was given.
• 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.
• Interferon beta-1a can harm your liver. This effect is heighten when you also use another medicines deleterious to the liver. Much another drugs (including some over-the-counter medicines) can be deleterious to the liver, and not all are listed here:
· acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, gout or arthritis medication (including gold injections); an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug)--ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib, diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others;
· an antibiotic, antifungal medication, or sulfa drug; tuberculosis medication; antiviral or HIV/AIDS medication; medicine to treat mental illness; seizure medication--carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproic acid, and others;
· birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy; anabolic steroids--methyltestosterone, "performance-enhancing drugs"; cancer medication; or
· cholesterol-lowering medication--Crestor, Lipitor, Vytorin, Zocor, and others; heart or blood pressure medication.
• This list is not complete. Another drugs may interact with interferon beta-1a, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medicine manual.
• Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about interferon beta-1a.
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.