Capreomycin (Systemic)

Brand Names : Capastat

Before Receiving 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 capreomycin, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to capreomycin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Capreomycin has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in rats given 31/2 times the human dose have shown that capreomycin may cause birth defects.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether capreomycin passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of capreomycin 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 capreomycin 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 capreomycin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Aminoglycosides by injection (amikacin [e.g., Amikin], gentamicin [e.g., Garamycin], kanamycin [e.g., Kantrex], neomycin [e.g., Mycifradin], netilmicin [e.g., Netromycin], streptomycin, tobramycin [e.g., Nebcin]) or
• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
• Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol) or
• Combination pain medicine containing acetaminophen and aspirin (e.g., Excedrin) or other salicylates (with large amounts taken regularly) or
• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
• Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) (with long-term use) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
• Inflammation or pain medicines, except narcotics, or
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm) or
• Streptozocin (e.g., Zanosar) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) - Use of any of these medicines with capreomycin may increase the chance of hearing, balance, or kidney side effects

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

• Eighth-cranial-nerve disease (loss of hearing and/or balance) - Capreomycin may cause hearing and balance side effects

• Kidney disease - Capreomycin may cause serious side effects affecting the kidneys

• Myasthenia gravis or
• Parkinson's disease - Capreomycin may cause muscular weakness