Tinzaparin (Systemic)

Brand Names : Innohep

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 tinzaparin, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to tinzaparin, low molecular weight heparins (LMWH), heparin, sulfites or benzyl alcohol. Also tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, especially pork or pork products, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Tinzaparin has not been studied in pregnant women. However, tinzaparin has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies. Tinzaparin should not be used to prevent blood clots in pregnant women with prosthetic heart valves. Studies on the effects in these women have not been done.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether tinzaparin passes into breast milk. Breast-feeding is not recommended while taking this medicine. 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 tinzaparin in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

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 using tinzaparin, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Aspirin or
• Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics or
• Medicines that prevent platelets from sticking together (clopidogrel [e.g., Plavix], ticlopidine [e.g., Ticlid]) - Using any of these medicines together with tinzaparin may increase the risk of bleeding

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

• Prosthetic heart valve - Tinzaparin may not protect these patients from developing a blood clot

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

• Also, tell your doctor if you have received tinzaparin 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 surgery . This may increase the risk of serious bleeding when you are taking tinzaparin.