Pentamidine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Pentam 300, Pentacarinat

Before Receiving 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 pentamidine, the following should be considered:

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

Diet - Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on a low-sodium, low-sugar, or any other special diet. Since most medicines contain more than their active ingredient, some products may have to be avoided.

Pregnancy - Pentamidine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in rabbits have shown an increase in miscarriages and bone defects in the fetus.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether pentamidine passes into breast milk. However, because of the risk of side effects in the newborn, breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with this medicine.

Children - Although pentamidine has not been widely used in children, 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 or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of pentamidine 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 receiving pentamidine, 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
• Cyclophosphamide (e.g., Cytoxan) or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• X-ray treatment or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) or
• If you have ever been treated with x-rays or cancer medicine - When taken with pentamidine, these medicines may increase the chance of damage to your blood cells

• Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
• Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol) or
• Combination pain medicine containing acetaminophen and aspirin (e.g., Excedrin) or other salicylates (with large amounts taken regularly) or
• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
• Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) (with long-term use) or
• Foscarnet (e.g., Foscavir) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Inflammation or pain medicine (except narcotics) or
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
• Other anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Streptozocin (e.g., Zanosar) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) - When taken with pentamidine, these medicines may increase the chance of kidney damage

• Didanosine (e.g., ddI, Videx) - When taken with pentamidine, didanosine may increase the chance of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) - When taken with pentamidine, these medicines may increase the chance of damage to your blood cells and your kidneys

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

• Anemia or
• Bleeding disorders (history of) or
• Heart disease or
• Hypotension (low blood pressure) or
• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Pentamidine may make these conditions worse

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) or
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) - Pentamidine may increase or decrease blood sugar levels and may disturb control of sugar diabetes