Abciximab, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by IV to prevent blood clots.
• This medicine increases your risk of bleeding. Be careful while shaving, cutting fingernails or toenails, or when using sharp objects
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: platelet aggregation inhibitor; monoclonal antibody

Generic and brand names: abciximab, injection; ReoPro

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by IV infusion (slow drip through a needle into a large vein) to prevent blood clots. It is used before a procedure to open clogged coronary arteries. It is usually used with heparin and aspirin.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

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

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine or to murine proteins
• A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• A brain tumor, bleeding in the brain, or brain aneurysm
• Bleeding problems
• High blood pressure
• Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels)

Tell your healthcare provider if you have been injured, had major medical or dental surgery, or any internal bleeding in the last 6 weeks. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you have taken a medicine that reduces the chance of blood clots forming in the past 7 days.

Females of childbearing age: Tell 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?

This medicine is given by a healthcare provider in a hospital or clinic.

What should I watch out for?

You will be monitored very closely by your healthcare provider while you are receiving this medicine. If you have any bleeding during the IV infusion, call your provider right away. After you leave the hospital, you may bleed more easily for several days. Watch carefully for any signs of bleeding or bruising and report them to your healthcare provider right away.

Use a soft brush to brush your teeth. Be careful while shaving, cutting fingernails or toenails, or when using sharp objects. Avoid sports and activities that may cause injuries. If you fall or are injured, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Adults over the age of 65 may be at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

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; chest pain or tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat), black or bloody bowel movements, severe stomach pain, blood in your urine, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, unusual bruising or bleeding, irregular or slow heartbeat, chest pain, blurred vision, fainting or severe dizziness, unusual tiredness or weakness; sudden weakness, numbness, or tingling, especially on one side of your body; sudden or severe headache; sudden trouble with vision, speech, balance, or walking.

Other: Nausea; vomiting; dizziness; diarrhea; constipation; mild headache; back pain; pain, redness, or swelling at injection site; swelling of feet or ankles.

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:

• Aspirin and other salicylates
• Medicines to treat or prevent blood clots such as anagrelide (Agrylin), apixaban (Eliquis), argatroban, bivalirudin (Angiomax), cilostazol (Pletal), clopidogrel (Plavix), dabigatran (Pradaxa), dipyridamole (Persantine), enoxaparin (Lovenox), eptifibatide (Integrilin), fondaparinux (Arixtra), lepirudin (Refludan), prasugrel (Effient), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), ticagrelor (Brilinta), tirofiban (Aggrastat), and warfarin (Coumadin)
• Medicines to treat pulmonary hypertension such as epoprostenol (Flolan, Veletri), iloprost (Ventavis), and treprostinil (Remodulin, Tyvaso)
• Natural remedies such as alfalfa, angelica, anise, arnica, bilberry, bladderwrack, bromelain, capsicum, cat's claw, celery, chamomile, dong quai, evening primrose, fenugreek, feverfew, fish oil, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, glucosamine, grape seed, green tea, horse chestnut, licorice, papain, passionflower, prickly ash, red clover, reishi, SAMe, sweet clover, turmeric, and willow
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cambia, Voltaren, Zipsor), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen, ketorolac, nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan), oxaprozin (Daypro), piroxicam (Feldene), and sulindac (Clinoril)
• Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva)
• SSRI antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and sertraline (Zoloft)
• Vitamin E or multivitamins that contain vitamin E

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. 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.