Procarbazine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Matulane, Natulan

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 procarbazine, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you intend to have children. This medicine may cause birth defects or premature birth if either the male or female is taking it at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. Procarbazine causes birth defects frequently in animals. In addition, many cancer medicines may cause sterility which could be permanent. Although sterility has not been reported with this medicine, procarbazine does affect production of sperm and the possibility should be kept in mind.

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 taking procarbazine. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while taking procarbazine.

Breast-feeding - Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or if you intend to breast-feed during treatment with this medicine. Because procarbazine may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding is generally not recommended while you are taking it.

Children - Although there is no specific information about the use of procarbazine in children, it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Older adults - Side effects may be more likely to occur in elderly patients, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of procarbazine.

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 procarbazine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amantadine (e.g., Symmetrel) or
• Anticholinergics (medicine to help reduce stomach acid and for abdominal or stomach spasms or cramps) or
• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine you take by mouth) or
• Antidyskinetics (medicine for Parkinson's disease or other conditions affecting control of muscles) or
• Antihistamines or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Buclizine (e.g., Bucladin) or
• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants or
• Cyclizine (e.g., Marezine) or
• Disopyramide (e.g., Norpace) or
• Flavoxate (e.g., Urispas) or
• Insulin or
• Ipratropium (e.g., Atrovent) or
• Meclizine (e.g., Antivert) or
• Orphenadrine (e.g., Norflex) or
• Oxybutynin (e.g., Ditropan) or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
• Quinidine (e.g., Quinidex) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril) - Effects of these medicines may be increased by procarbazine

• Amphetamines or
• Appetite suppressants (diet pills) or
• Dextromethorphan (e.g., Delsym) or
• Levodopa (e.g., Dopar) or
• Medicine for asthma or other breathing problems or
• Medicine for colds, sinus problems, or hay fever or other allergies (including nose drops or sprays) or
• Methyldopa (e.g., Aldomet) or
• Methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin) or
• Narcotic pain medicine - Taking any of these medicines while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking procarbazine may cause a severe high blood pressure reaction

• 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
• Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., Retrovir) or
• If you have ever been treated with x-rays or cancer medicines - Procarbazine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Buspirone (e.g., BuSpar) - Risk of increased blood pressure

• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
• Cyclobenzaprine (e.g., Flexeril) or
• Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) - Taking procarbazine while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking any of these medicines may cause a severe high blood pressure reaction

• Cocaine - Use of cocaine while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking procarbazine may cause a severe high blood pressure reaction

• Fluoxetine (e.g., Prozac) - Taking this medicine while you are taking or within 2 weeks of taking procarbazine may cause a severe high blood pressure reaction or may lead to confusion, agitation, restlessness, and stomach problems

• Guanadrel (e.g., Hylorel) or
• Guanethidine (e.g., Ismelin) or
• Rauwolfia alkaloids (alseroxylon [e.g., Rauwiloid], deserpidine [e.g., Harmonyl], rauwolfia serpentina [e.g., Raudixin], reserpine [e.g., Serpasil]) - Taking these medicines while you are taking or within 1 week of taking procarbazine may cause a severe high blood pressure reaction

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

• Alcoholism

• Angina (chest pain) or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• Heart attack or stroke (recent) - Lowered blood pressure caused by procarbazine may make problems associated with some of these conditions worse

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - Procarbazine may change the amount of diabetes medicine needed

• Epilepsy - Procarbazine may change the seizures

• Headaches (severe or frequent) - You may not realize when a severe headache is caused by a dangerous reaction to procarbazine

• Infection - Procarbazine can reduce immunity to infection

• Kidney disease - Effects may be increased because of slower removal of procarbazine from the body

• Liver disease - Procarbazine can cause severe liver disease to become much worse

• Mental illness (or history of) - Some cases of mental illness may be worsened

• Overactive thyroid - Increased risk of dangerous reaction to procarbazine

• Parkinson's disease - May be worsened

• Pheochromocytoma - Blood pressure may be affected