Cisplatin (Systemic)

Brand Names : Platinol, Platinol-AQ

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 cisplatin, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - There is a chance that this medicine may cause birth defects if either the male or female is taking it at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. Cisplatin causes toxic or harmful effects in the fetus in humans and birth defects in mice. In addition, many cancer medicines may cause sterility which could be permanent. Although sterility has not been reported with this medicine, the possibility should be kept in mind.

Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before receiving this medicine. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving cisplatin. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving cisplatin.

Breast-feeding - Because cisplatin may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding is generally not recommended while you are receiving it.

Children - Hearing problems and loss of balance are more likely to occur in children, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of cisplatin.

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 cisplatin 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 cisplatin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Interferon (e.g., Introl A, Roferon-A) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) or
• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines - Cisplatin may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) 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 medicine, except narcotics or
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) - Risk of ear and kidney problems caused by cisplatin is increased

• Probenecid (e.g., Benemid) or
• Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane) - Cisplatin may raise the amount of uric acid in the blood. Since these medicines are used to lower uric acid levels, they may not work as well in patients receiving cisplatin

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

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Gout (history of) or
• Kidney stones (history of) - Cisplatin may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones

• Hearing problems - May be worsened by cisplatin

• Infection - Cisplatin decreases your body's ability to fight infection

• Kidney disease - Effects of cisplatin may be increased because of slower removal from the body