Allopurinol Sodium, Injection

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: xanthine oxidase inhibitor

Generic and brand names: allopurinol sodium, injection; Aloprim

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by IV infusion (slow drip through a needle into a large vein). This medicine keeps uric acid from building up in your blood during certain kinds of chemotherapy.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• kidney problems
• liver problems

Females of childbearing age: Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

You will usually receive this medicine before you start chemotherapy. You may get this medicine daily as a single dose, or as several doses every 6, 8, or 12 hours. Your healthcare provider will decide this. How long you have to take this medicine depends on how severe your disease is and how long you have chemotherapy. You may be switched to the oral tablet form of this medicine when your uric acid levels are lowered.

What should I watch out for?

If you receive this medicine at a hospital or clinic, keep all of your appointments for blood tests or IV infusions.

If you lose your appetite, lose weight, notice yellowing of your skin or eyes, have dark urine, or start itching, contact your healthcare provider right away. These may be signs of serious liver problems.

Drink more fluids while you are receiving this medicine. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may make you drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat), seizures.

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Irregular or fast heartbeat, loss of appetite, yellowing of eyes or skin, itching, rash or peeling skin, weight loss, fever, chills, painful joints, decreased or painful urination, blood in urine, unusual bruising or bleeding.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache, high blood pressure, dizziness, diarrhea, constipation, gas.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• ACE inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace)
• alcohol
• antibiotics such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Augmentin, Trimox, Wymox) and ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen, Totacillin)
• anticancer medicines such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) and mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
• antidiabetic medicines such as tolbutamide and chlorpropamide (Diabinese)
• ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
• gout medicines such as colchicine and probenecid (Benemid)
• immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic)
• iron supplements (Feosol, Slow-Fe, Fergon)
• thiazide diuretics (water pills) such as chlorothiazide (Diuril), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), hydroflumethiazide (Diucardin, Saluron), and methyclothiazide
• warfarin (Coumadin)

Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.

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