Amsacrine (Systemic)

Brand Names : AMSA P-D, acridinyl anisidide, m-AMSA

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For amsacrine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to amsacrine.

Pregnancy - Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.

Before receiving amsacrine make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving amsacrine. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving amsacrine.

Breast-feeding - Amsacrine is not recommended during breast-feeding, because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of amsacrine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of amsacrine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving amsacrine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Acyclovir (e.g., Zovirax) or
• Anticonvulsants (seizure medicine) or
• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine taken by mouth) or
• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Captopril (e.g., Capoten) or
• Enalapril (e.g., Vasotec) or
• Flecainide (e.g., Tambocor) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Imipenem or
• Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics or
• Lisinopril (e.g., Prinivil, Zestril) or
• Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Pimozide (e.g., Orap) or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
• Ramipril (e.g., Altace) or
• Sulfasalazine (e.g., Azulfidine) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) or
• Tocainide (e.g., Tonocard) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril) - Concurrent use of these agents with amsacrine may cause blood disorders

• Alpha interferons (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antineoplastics, other (cancer medicine) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Cyclophosphamide (e.g. Cytoxan) or
• Flucytosine (e.g. Ancoban) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) - Concurrent use of these agents with amsacrine increases the risk of infection

• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines - Amsacrine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of amsacrine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bone marrow depression or
• Infection - There may be an increased risk of infections or worsening infections because of the body's reduced ability to fight them

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body
• Heart rhythm problems - Patients who have problems with heart rhythms may have increased problems while taking amsacrine
• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Effects of amsacrine may be increased because of its slower removal from the body