Cyproterone (Systemic)

Brand Names : Androcur®

Before Using This Medicine

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

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

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

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether cyproterone passes into the breast milk. However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

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

• Ethinyl estradiol (eg, Estinyl) - Concurrent use with cyproterone may cause blood clotting problems

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

• Blood clots (or history of) or
• Circulation disease (or history of) or
• Stroke (or history of) - If these conditions already are already present, cyproterone may have a greater chance of causing blood clot problems

• Cardiac disease - May make the condition worse

• Depressive tendencies - May cause depression to occur

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - May cause a loss of control of diabetes by increasing blood and urine sugar

• Liver disease - Effects of cyproterone may be increased because of its slower removal from the body