Brand name:
Mercaptopurine (Oral Route)
Drug Information provided by: Micromedex
US Brand Names : Purinethol
Description PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
Mercaptopurine belongs to the group of medicines known as antimetabolites.
It is used to treat some kinds of cancer.
Mercaptopurine interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are
eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal body cells may also
be affected by mercaptopurine, other effects will also occur. Some
of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other
effects may not be serious but may cause concern. Some effects may
not occur for months or years after the medicine is used.
Before you begin treatment with mercaptopurine, you and your doctor
should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks
of using it.
Mercaptopurine may also be used for other conditions as determined
by your doctor.Mercaptopurine is available only with your doctor's
prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms: Tablet
Before Using PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must
be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and
your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies :Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic
reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health
care
professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods,
dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read
the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric :Although there is no specific information comparing use
of mercaptopurine in children with use in other age groups, it is not
expected to cause
different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.
Geriatric :Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older
people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the
same way
they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or
problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing
use of mercaptopurine in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Pregnancy :
Pregnancy Category Explanation
All Trimesters D Studies in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the
fetus. However, the benefits of therapy in a life threatening situation or
a serious disease, may outweigh the potential risk.
Breastfeeding / PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk
when using this medication during breas tfeeding. Weigh the potential
benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication
while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended.
Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change
some of the other medicines you take.
Rotavirus Vaccine, Live
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating
food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.
Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions
to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your
medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this
medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical
problems, especially:
Infection—Mercaptopurine may decrease your body's ability
to fight infection
Kidney disease or
Liver disease—Effects of mercaptopurine may be increased because of
slower removal from the body
Proper Use PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more
or less of it, and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered.
The exact amount of medicine you need has been carefully worked out.
Taking too much may increase the chance of side effects, while taking
too little may not improve your condition.
Mercaptopurine is often given together with certain other medicines.
If you are using a combination of medicines, make sure that you take
each one at the right time and do not mix them. Ask your health care
professional to help you plan a way to remember to take your medicines
at the right times.
While you are using mercaptopurine, your doctor may want you to drink
extra fluids so that you will pass more urine. This will help prevent
kidney problems and keep your kidneys working well.
If you vomit shortly after taking a dose of mercaptopurine, check
with your doctor. You will be told whether to take the dose again or
to wait until the next scheduled dose.
Dosing PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine )
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.
Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following
information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your
dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to
do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the
medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed
between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend
on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back
to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Call your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away
from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular
visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly and to check
for unwanted effects.
Avoid alcoholic beverages until you have discussed their use with
your doctor. Alcohol may increase the harmful effects of this medicine.
While you are being treated with mercaptopurine, and after you stop
treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccinations) without
your doctor's approval. Mercaptopurine may lower your body's resistance
and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization
is meant to prevent. In addition, other persons living in your household
should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a chance they could
pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have taken
oral polio vaccine. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the
same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions,
you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the
nose and mouth.
Mercaptopurine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells
in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can
also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper
blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can
take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of
infection or bleeding:
If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor
immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get
a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or
painful or difficult urination.
Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or
bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots
on your skin.
Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your
medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth
and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed
your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a
safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.
Tell the doctor in charge that you are taking this medicine before
you have any medical tests. The results of tests for the amount of
sugar or uric acid in the blood measured by a machine called a sequential
multiple analyzer (SMA) may be affected by this medicine.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted
effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they
do occur they may need medical attention.
Also, because of the way cancer medicines act on the body, there is
a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not
occur until months or years after the medicine is used. These delayed
effects may include certain types of cancer. Discuss these possible
effects with your doctor.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects
occur:
Less common
Black, tarry stools
Blood in urine or stools
Cough or hoarseness
Fever or chills
Lower back or side pain
Painful or difficult urination
Pinpoint red spots on skin
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following
side effects occur:
More common PURI-NETHOL ( Mercaptopurine ) :Unusual tiredness or weakness
Yellow eyes or skin
Less common : Joint pain Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Swelling
of feet or lower legs Rare :Sores in mouth and on lips
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention.
These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts
to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to
tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
Check with your health care professional if any of the following side
effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about
them:
Less common
Darkening of skin ;
Diarrhea;
Headache;
Skin rash and itching;
Weakness
After you stop using this medicine, it may still produce some side
effects that need attention. During this period of time, check with
your doctor immediately if you notice the following side effects:
Black, tarry stools Blood in urine or stools;
Cough or hoarseness;
Fever or chills ;
Lower back or side pain ;
Painful or difficult urination ;
Pinpoint red spots on skin
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Yellow eyes or skin
