Cytarabine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Cytosar-U, Cytosar, ara-C, cytosine arabinoside

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 cytarabine, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - This medicine may cause birth defects (such as defects of the arms, legs, or ears, which occurred in two babies) if either the male or female is taking it at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. In addition, many cancer medicines may cause sterility. Although sterility has been reported with this medicine, it is usually only temporary.

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

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

Children - Although there is no specific information comparing use of cytarabine in children with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

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. Although there is no specific information comparing use of cytarabine in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

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 cytarabine, 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., Intron 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 - Cytarabine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chlorambucil (e.g., Leukeran) or
• Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine) or
• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• Muromonab-CD3 (monoclonal antibody) (e.g., Orthoclone OKT3) or
• Tacrolimus (e.g., Prograf) - There may be an increased risk of infection because cytarabine decreases your body's ability to fight it

• Probenecid (e.g., Benemid) or
• Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane) - Cytarabine may raise the concentration 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 cytarabine

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of cytarabine. 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) - Cytarabine may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones

• Infection - Cytarabine can decrease your body's ability to fight infection

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Effects of cytarabine may be increased because of slower removal from the body