Mercaptopurine Drug: Indication, Dosage, Precaution, Side Effect , Storage, Category Type and corresponding Brands - www.genericdrugscan.com

Mercaptopurine

pronunciation

pronounced as (mer kap'' toe pure' een)

Why is this medication prescribed?

Mercaptopurine is used alone or with other chemotherapy drugs to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute lymphatic leukemia; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells). Mercaptopurine is in a class of medications called purine antagonists. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells.

How should this medicine be used?

Mercaptopurine comes as a tablet and a suspension (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day. Take mercaptopurine at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take mercaptopurine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

If you are taking the suspension, shake the bottle very well for 30 seconds before each use to mix the medication evenly. It is important to use an oral syringe (measuring device) to accurately measure and take your dose of mercaptopurine. If you do not find an oral syringe with your medication, ask your pharmacist to give you one. After you use the oral syringe to take your medication, remove the plunger from the rest of the measuring device, wash both parts with warm soapy water, and rinse under running tap water. Allow the parts to air dry before putting back together for the next use.

Continue to take mercaptopurine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking mercaptopurine without talking to your doctor

What are the precautions to be followed?

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to mercaptopurine, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in mercaptopurine tablets or suspension. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: allopurinol (Lopurin, Zyloprim); aminosalicylates such as mesalamine (Apriso, Asacol, Canasa, Lialda, Delzicol, Pentasa, others), olsalazine (Dipentum), and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven); doxorubicin (Doxil); and trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have already taken mercaptopurine or thioguanine to treat your cancer. Your doctor may tell you not to take mercaptopurine if either of these medications did not work well against your cancer in the past.
• tell your doctor if you have any type of infection and if you have or have ever had liver or kidney disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. You should use birth control to avoid pregnancy during your treatment with mercaptopurine. If you become pregnant while taking mercaptopurine, call your doctor immediately. Mercaptopurine may harm the fetus.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking mercaptopurine.
• do not have any vaccinations without talking to your doctor.
• you should know that the risk that you will develop serious side effects of mercaptopurine may be higher if you have a genetic (inherited) risk factor. Your doctor may order tests before or during your treatment to see if you have this risk factor.

What are possible side effects of this medication ?

• nausea
• vomiting
• darkening of the skin
• hair loss
• rash

• pale skin
• weakness
• shortness of breath
• sore throat, fever, chills, or other signs of infection
• swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet
• unusual bruising or bleeding
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• loss of appetite
• diarrhea
• swelling of the stomach area
• pain in the upper right part of the stomach

Taking mercaptopurine may increase the risk that you will develop a new cancer. Some people who took mercaptopurine to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis developed hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a very serious form of cancer that often causes death within a short time. Tell your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms: stomach pain; fever; unexplained weight loss; night sweats or easy bruising or bleeding. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.

Mercaptopurine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

How to store the medication and dispose it of after its use later?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Mercaptopurine suspension can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 weeks after the bottle is opened for the first time. Then, throw away any suspension that is left over after 6 weeks and any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

Drug Category/Class

• Antimetabolites
• Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
• Purine analogues
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Immunosuppressive Agents
• Antineoplastic and Immunomodulating Agents
• Purine analogues

Prescribed	For remission induction and maintenance therapy of acute lymphatic leukemia.
Weight :	152.177
Structure	Mercaptopurine
Formula	C5H4N4S

Mercaptopurine has 11 Brands listed

Search Generic Drugs alphabetically