PENICILLAMINE

(pen ih SILL ah meen) Brand: Cuprimine, Depen

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

• Notify your doctor immediately if you develop fever; chills; a sore throat; unusual bruising or bleeding; blood in your urine, unexplained shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing; muscle weakness; or double vision. These symptoms could be early signs of dangerous side effects.

What is penicillamine?

• Penicillamine is a chelating agent. It attaches to another chemicals in the body, which aids in their removal.

• Penicillamine is used to remove excess copper associated with Wilson's malady. It is also used to reduce cystine in the urine and to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis.

• Penicillamine may also be used for purposes another than those listed in this medicine guide.

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

• You can't take penicillamine if you have taken it in the past and it has damaged your blood cells.

• Till taking penicillamine, speak your doctor if you have kidney malady or any another serious diseases. You may not be able to take penicillamine, or you may require a lower doze or particular monitoring during therapy.

• Penicillamine may reason birth defects in an unborn child. However, it has also been used during pregnancy with no evidence of defects. Penicillamine must not be used during pregnancy except to treat Wilson's malady and some cases of cystine in the urine. Do not take this medicine without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.

• It is not known whether penicillamine passes into breast milk. Since penicillamine may harm a nursing infant, breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with this medication.

How must I take penicillamine?

• Take penicillamine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

• Take every doze with a full glass of water.

• Penicillamine should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour till or 2 hours after a full meal, and at least 1 hour till or after any another drug, food, or milk. Taking penicillamine with anything else in the stomach greatly decreases its effectiveness.

• Do not stop taking penicillamine without first talking to your doctor. Stopping therapy may reason your body to react abnormally when therapy is restarted. If you do stop taking the medicine, do not restart without first talking to your doctor. You may need particular monitoring.

• Your doctor may want you to take a vitamin and mineral supplement during treatment with penicillamine. Penicillamine may reduce vitamin B6 and iron in the body. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• Store penicillamine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze on an empty stomach as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the doze you missed and take only your following regularly scheduled doze. Do not take a double doze of this medicine unless otherwise directed by your doctor. If you have missed different doses in a row, do not take any more doses without first talking to your doctor.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention.

• Symptoms of a penicillamine overdose are not known.

What must I avoid while taking penicillamine?

• Follow any particular diet restrictions recommended by your doctor.

What are the possible side effects of penicillamine?

• If you experience any of the next serious side effects, search abnormal medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:

· an allergic reaction (shortness of breath; closing of your throat; difficulty breathing; swelling of your lips, person, or tongue; or hives);

· fever or chills;

· a sore throat;

· unusual bleeding or bruising;

· blood in the urine;

· unexplained shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing;

· abdominal pain;

· yellow skin or eyes;

· muscle weakness; or

· double vision.

• Another, smaller serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take penicillamine and notify your doctor if you experience

· itching or a rash;

· nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased appetite;

· ringing in the ears;

· decreased taste;

· sores in the mouth;

· poor wound healing; or

· heighten wrinkling of the skin.

• Side effects another than those listed here may also occur. Conversation to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect penicillamine?

• Do not take penicillamine if you are taking any of the next medicines:

· a gold-therapy product such as auranofin (Ridaura), aurothioglucose (Solganal), or gold sodium thiomalate (Myochrysine, Aurolate);

· an antimalarial medication such as quinine (Quinamm), mefloquine (Lariam), chloroquine (Aralen), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), primaquine, or pyrimethamine (Daraprim);

· a cancer chemotherapy medication; or

· phenylbutazone.

• Like penicillamine, the medications listed above can affect the blood and the kidneys. Combined with penicillamine, any of these medicines can be very dangerous.

• Till taking penicillamine, speak your doctor if you are taking digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps). Penicillamine may decrease the effects of digoxin, and your doctor may want to adjust your dosage or monitor your therapy.

• Much another drugs, especially antacids and vitamin and mineral supplements, can decrease the effects of penicillamine. Do not take any medicines or over-the-counter drugs or supplements within 1 hour of a penicillamine dose.

• Drugs another than those listed here may also interact with penicillamine. Conversation to your doctor and pharmacist till taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist has additional information about penicillamine written for health professionals that you may read.

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.