Interferon, Gamma (Systemic)
Brand Names : Actimmune
Before Using This MedicineIn 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 gamma interferon,
the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to gamma interferon.
Pregnancy - Gamma interferon has not been studied in pregnant
women. However, in monkeys given 100 times the human dose of gamma interferon
and in mice, there was an increase in deaths of the fetus. Also, in mice,
toxic doses of gamma interferon caused bleeding of the uterus.
Breast-feeding - It is not known whether gamma interferon passes
into the breast milk. However, because this medicine may cause serious side
effects, breast-feeding may not be recommended while you are receiving it.
Discuss with your doctor whether or not you should breast-feed while you are
receiving gamma interferon.
Children - Studies on this medicine have been done mostly in
children and it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems
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 or if they cause different side effects
or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use
of gamma interferon 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. 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 gamma interferon. Make sure you tell your doctor
if you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Convulsions (seizures) or
-
Mental problems (or history of) - Risk of problems affecting
the central nervous system may be increased
-
Heart disease or
-
Multiple sclerosis or
-
Systemic lupus erythematosus - May be worsened by gamma interferon
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