Allopurinol Sodium, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by IV to keep uric acid from building up in your blood during certain kinds of chemotherapy.
• 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: 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.

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?

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

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Kidney or 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 dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

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; 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; unexplained loss of appetite; yellowing of eyes or skin; itching; light-colored bowel movements; severe nausea or vomiting; skin redness, rash, blisters, or peeling skin; weight loss; fever; chills; decreased or painful urination; dark urine or blood in urine; unusual bruising or bleeding; swollen or red, painful joint; severe stomach pain; blood in bowel movement or black, tarry bowel movements.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, constipation, gas, weight loss, injection site pain or irritation.

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, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace)
• Alcohol
• Antibiotics such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Moxatag) and ampicillin
• Cancer medicines such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), fluorouracil (Adrucil, Carac, Efudex, Fluoroplex), and mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
• Chlorpropamide
• Didanosine (Videx)
• Diuretics (water pills) such as captopril/hydrochlorothiazide, chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), hydroflumethiazide (Saluron), irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide (Diovan HCT), lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide (Prinzide, Zestoretic), losartan/hydrochlorothiazide (Hyzaar), methyclothiazide (Enduron), quinapril/hydrochlorothiazide (Accuretic), and triamterene/hydrochlorothiazide (Dyazide, Maxzide)
• Gout medicines such as allopurinol (Aloprim, Zyloprim), colchicine (Colcrys), pegloticase (Krystexxa), and probenecid
• Immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) and cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• Warfarin (Coumadin)

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.