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Ganciclovir Injection
IMPORTANT WARNING: Ganciclovir may lower the number of all types of cells in your blood, causing serious and life-threatening problems. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had anemia (red blood cells do not bring enough oxygen to all parts of the body); neutropenia (less than normal number of white blood cells); thrombocytopenia (less than normal number of platelets); or other blood or bleeding problems. Tell your doctor if you have ever developed blood problems as a side effect of any medication. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or have taken any of the following medications: anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); cancer chemotherapy medications; dapsone; flucytosine (Ancobon); heparin;immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf); interferons (Infergen, Intron A, PEGASYS, PEG-Intron, Roferon-A); medications to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) including didanosine (Videx) , zalcitabine (HIVID), or zidovudine (Retrovir, AZT); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications to treat pain and swelling such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others; pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam); pyrimethamine (Daraprim, in Fansidar); steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron), prednisone (Deltasone), or others; trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole, Bactrim, Septra); or if you have received or are receiving radiation (X-ray) therapy. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: excessive tiredness; pale skin; headache; dizziness; confusion; fast heartbeat; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; weakness; shortness of breath; unusual bleeding or bruising; sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests to check your body's response to ganciclovir. Laboratory animals who were given ganciclovir developed birth defects. It is not known if ganciclovir causes birth defects in people. If you can become pregnant, you should use effective birth control while using ganciclovir. If you are a man and your partner can become pregnant you should use a condom while taking this medication, and for 90 days after your treatment. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about birth control. Do not use ganciclovir if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking ganciclovir, call your doctor immediately. Laboratory animals who were given ganciclovir developed a lower sperm count (fewer male reproductive cells) and fertility problems. It is not known if ganciclovir causes lower sperm counts in men or problems with fertility in women. Laboratory animals who were given ganciclovir developed cancer. It is not known if ganciclovir increases the risk of cancer in humans. The manufacturer warns that ganciclovir should only be used for treatment of patients with certain diseases because the medication may cause severe side effects and there currently is not enough information to support safety and effectiveness in other groups of patients. (See the section, About Your Treatment.) Talk to your doctor about the risks of using ganciclovir. |
About your treatment Your doctor has ordered ganciclovir, an antiviral medication, to help treat or prevent an infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV). This medication will be added to an IV ( intravenous) fluid that will drip through a needle (catheter) placed in your vein, and will be given to you two times a day for 2-3 weeks, and then once a day, 5-7 days of each week.Your dose of ganciclovir will be given at a constant rate over at least 60 minutes. Giving ganciclovir too quickly may increase the side effects of this medication.The manufacturer states that this medication should not be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Ganciclovir works by preventing the spread of CMV disease or slowing the growth of CMV. Ganciclovir injection is used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (eye infection) that can cause blindness in people whose immune system is not working normally, including people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Ganciclovir is also used to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in people who have received an organ transplant and who are at risk of getting CMV disease. Ganciclovir does not cure CMV retinitis. Your doctor may increase your dose if your condition gets worse, or decrease your dose if you develop side effects. Ganciclovir injection is for intravenous (into a vein) use only. Giving ganciclovir through intramuscular (into a muscle) or subcutaneous (just under the skin) injection may cause severe skin and tissue irritation. Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations, including eye exams. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor, the laboratory, and the ophthalmologist (eye exams). The length of treatment depends on how your infection and symptoms respond to the medication. Storing your medication - Your health care provider may give you several doses (enough for a day's supply) of premixed ganciclovir injection solution at one time. You should store premixed ganciclovir solution in the refrigerator. Do not freeze ganciclovir. Use premixed ganciclovir solution within 24 hours. Throw away any ganciclovir solution that is not used within 24 hours of preparation. Ask your health care provider if you have any questions about the storage of ganciclovir solution.
Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand what you need to do to store your medication properly. Keep your supplies in a clean, dry place when you are not using them, and keep all medications and supplies out of reach of children. Your health care provider will tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing, and containers to avoid accidental injury. In case of emergency/overdose In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911. Symptoms of overdose may include: - upset stomach
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- loss of appetite
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- excessive tiredness
- weakness
- pale skin
- headache
- dizziness
- confusion
- fast heartbeat
- difficulty sleeping
- shortness of breath
- sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection
- decreased urination
- swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- seizures
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
- flu-like symptoms
- pain in the upper right part of the stomach
Signs of infection If you are receiving ganciclovir injection you need to know the symptoms of a catheter-related infection (an infection where the needle enters your vein). If you experience any of these effects near your intravenous catheter, tell your health care provider as soon as possible: - tenderness
- warmth
- irritation
- drainage
- redness
- swelling
- pain
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