(TOE si LIZ oo mab) Brand: Actemra
• Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with tocilizumab. Contact your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, cough, sweating, feeling short of breath, diarrhea, weight loss, sores on your skin, painful urination, or feeling very tired.
• Till you start treatment with tocilizumab, your doctor may perform trials to create certain you do not have tuberculosis or another infections.
• Speak your doctor if you have an active or last infection, liver malady or hepatitis B, diabetes, diverticulitis, stomach ulcer or bleeding, tall cholesterol, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, a weak immune system, or a history of cancer.
• Tocilizumab can lower the blood cells that help your body fight infections. Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections.
• Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with tocilizumab.
• Treatment with tocilizumab may magnify your risk of developing determined types of cancer. Conversation to your doctor about your specific risk.
• Tocilizumab reduces the effects of a stuff in the body that can reason inflammation.
• Tocilizumab is used to treat temperate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It is sometimes given together with another arthritis medications.
• Tocilizumab is also used to treat systemic juvenile idiopathic arthrits (or "Still disease") in children who are at least 2 years old. It is sometimes given together with methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall).
• Tocilizumab is generally given after another medications have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.
• Tocilizumab may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
• Speak your doctor if you have ever had tuberculosis, if anyone in your household has tuberculosis, or if you have recently traveled to an area where tuberculosis is common.
• To create certain you can safely use tocilizumab, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:
· an active or last infection (such as herpes, pneumonia, or yeast infection);
· signs of infection such as fever, chills, cough, body aches, diarrhea, weight loss, painful urination, or coughing up blood;
· open sores or skin wounds;
· liver disease;
· diverticulitis, stomach ulcer, or a history of stomach or intestinal bleeding;
· diabetes;
· a weak immune system;
· tall cholesterol;
· hepatitis B (or if you are a carrier of the virus);
· a nerve-muscle malady such as multiple sclerosis;
· HIV or AIDS;
· a history of cancer; or
· if you are scheduled to receive any vaccines.
• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether tocilizumab will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication..
• If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to estimate any effects of tocilizumab on the baby.
• It is not known whether tocilizumab passes into breast milk. You must not breast-feed while you are using tocilizumab.
• Treatment with tocilizumab may magnify your risk of developing determined types of cancer. Conversation to your doctor about your specific risk.
• Till you start treatment with tocilizumab, your doctor may perform trials to create certain you do not have tuberculosis or another infections.
• Tocilizumab is injected into a vein through an IV. You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting. Tocilizumab should be given slowly, and the IV infusion can take 1 hour to complete.
• This medicine is generally given each 4 weeks.
• Tocilizumab can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can create it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being near others who are ill. Your blood need to be tested often. Visit your doctor regularly.
• Contact your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, cough, sweating, feeling short of breath, diarrhea, weight loss, sores on your skin, painful urination, or feeling very tired.
• Some infections are more likely to occur in determined areas of the world. Speak your doctor where you live and where you have recently traveled or plan to travel to during treatment.
• If you need to have surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are using tocilizumab.
• You may be treated with a combination of drugs. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every medicine. Do not change your doses or medicine schedule without your doctor's advice.
• Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your tocilizumab injection.
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
• Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using tocilizumab, and avoid coming into contact with anyone who has recently received a live vaccine. There is a chance that the virus could be passed on to you. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), oral polio, chickenpox (varicella), BCG (Bacillus Calmette and Guérin), and nasal flu vaccine.
• Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections.
• 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.
• Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with tocilizumab. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as:
· fever, flu symptoms, mouth and throat ulcers, weight loss, feeling very tired;
· sores in your mouth and throat or on your skin;
· light bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum);
· purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
· cough with yellow or green mucus, stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath;
· pain or burning when you urinate.
• Call your doctor at once if you have any of these another serious side effects:
· severe stomach pain with constipation;
· bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
· painful blistering skin rash with burning, itching, or tingly feeling; or
· upper stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• Smaller serious side effects may include:
· runny or stuffy nose, sinus pain, sore throat;
· headache, dizziness;
· itching; or
· mild stomach cramps.
• 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.
• Speak your doctor about all another medications you use, especially:
· birth control pills;
· a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
· cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
· digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
· omeprazole (Prilosec);
· sirolimus (Rapamune) or tacrolimus (Prograf);
· theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Uniphyl);
· abatacept (Orencia), adalimumab (Humira), anakinra (Kineret) certolizumab (Cimzia), etanercept (Enbrel), golimumab (Simponi), infliximab (Remicade), or rituximab (Rituxan);
· atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor) and another cholesterol-lowering medications;
· seizure medicine such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), divalproex (Depakote), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakene);
· a heart rhythm medicine such as disopyramide (Norpace), procainamide (Pronestyl), or quinidine (Quin-G);
· another drugs that weaken your immune system (such as cancer medication or steroids); or
· any another pain or arthritis medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) including methotrexate (Rheumatrex), aspirin, or another NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
• This list is not complete and much another drugs may interact with tocilizumab. 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. Hold a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.
• Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about tocilizumab.
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.
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