Fondaparinux (Systemic)

Brand Names : Arixtra

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 fondaparinux, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Fondaparinux has not been studied in pregnant women. However, fondaparinux has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether fondaparinux passes into human breast milk. Because many medicines pass into breast milk, 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 fondaparinux in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Bleeding problems may be especially likely to occur in elderly patients, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of fondaparinux.

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. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

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

• Blood disease or bleeding problems or
• Eye problems caused by diabetes or high blood pressure or
• Heart infection or
• High blood pressure (hypertension) or
• If you weigh less than 110 pounds or
• Kidney disease or
• Stomach or intestinal ulcer (active) or
• Stroke - The risk of bleeding may be increased

Also, tell your doctor if you have received fondaparinux or heparin before and had a reaction to either of them called thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count in the blood), or if new blood clots formed while you were receiving the medicine.

In addition, tell your doctor if you have recently had medical surgery or spinal anesthesia . This may increase the risk of serious bleeding when you are taking fondaparinux.