Mechlorethamine, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by IV to treat Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, lung cancer, and other forms of cancer.
• You may get infections or bleed more easily when you are taking this medicine.
• Keep all appointments for tests to see how this medicine affects you.
• 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: antineoplastic (anticancer)

Generic and brand names: mechlorethamine, injection; nitrogen mustard; Mustargen

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by IV infusion (slow drip through a needle into a large vein) to treat Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, lung cancer, and other forms of cancer.

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?

Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A bone marrow disorder or low blood cell counts
• Gout
• Kidney stones

Also tell your provider if you have recently had any kind of infection or if you are taking radiation therapy.

This medicine may make you sterile (unable to have children) whether you are a man or a woman. If you plan to have children someday, talk with your healthcare provider before you start treatment.

Females of childbearing age: This medicine is usually not given during pregnancy because it can harm the baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant. Do not become pregnant during this treatment. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant. Do not breast-feed while receiving these injections.

How do I use it?

This is a very strong medicine. Only healthcare providers experienced with this medicine should prescribe it. This medicine will be given by your healthcare provider in a clinic or hospital where you can be monitored closely. You will have several courses of treatment, depending on your condition and response. Keep all your appointments.

If some medicine accidentally gets on your skin or in your eyes, mouth, or nose, tell your healthcare provider right away.

What should I watch out for?

If this medicine accidentally leaks out of the vein where it is injected, it can damage tissue. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have redness, pain, or swelling at the site of injection.

You will need to have blood tests regularly to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.

While on this medicine, your healthcare provider may want you to drink extra fluids to help prevent kidney problems.

This medicine may make your mouth sore. Use a soft bristle brush or mouth swab to brush your teeth.

You may have nausea and vomiting 1 to 3 hours after an injection. Ask your healthcare provider about ways to decrease these effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have severe or ongoing nausea or vomiting.

You may get infections or bleed more easily when you are taking this medicine. Stay away from people with colds, flu, or other infections. Also, do not have any vaccines without getting your healthcare provider's approval first.

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).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Severe nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea; fever, chills, sore throat, or cough; trouble breathing; severe dizziness or fainting; yellowing of your skin or eyes; dark urine; painful blisters on the skin; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness; black or tarry bowel movements; redness, pain, blisters, or bruising at the injection site; fast heartbeat; trouble hearing or ringing in the ears.

Other: Loss of appetite, weakness, diarrhea, hair loss, joint pain, irregular menstrual periods, headache, mild nausea and vomiting.

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:

• Adalimumab (Humira)
• Certolizumab (Cimzia)
• Clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo)
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Echinacea
• Fingolimod (Gilenya)
• Golimumab (Simponi)
• Immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), pimecrolimus (Elidel), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Astagraf, Prograf, Protopic)
• Infliximab (Remicade)
• Leflunomide (Arava)
• Natalizumab (Tysabri)
• Tofacitinib (Xeljanz)
• Vaccines

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.