Dexrazoxane (Systemic)

Brand Names : Zinecard

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 dexrazoxane, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Dexrazoxane has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have shown that dexrazoxane causes birth defects. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether dexrazoxane passes into the breast milk. However, dexrazoxane is not recommended during breast-feeding, because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing infants.

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

Older adults - Many medicine have not been studies specifically on 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 the use of dexrazoxane 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 dexrazoxane, 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) - Dexrazoxane may increase the effects of these medicines on the blood