Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Your body's ability to fight infection may be reduced while you are being treated with abatacept (eg, pneumonia, sepsis). Check with your doctor right away if you or your child has fever, chills, cough or hoarseness, flu-like symptoms, lower back or side pain, painful or difficult urination, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema. These can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child has a rash, itching, large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs, trouble with breathing, lightheadedness or fainting, or chest pain after you receive the medicine.

You or your child will need to have a skin test for tuberculosis before you start using this medicine. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your home has ever had a positive reaction to a tuberculosis skin test.

This medicine may increase your risk for cancer, including skin cancer. Check with your doctor right away if your skin have persistent non-healing sore, reddish patch or irritated area, shiny bump, pink growth, or white, yellow or waxy scar-like area.

While you are being treated with abatacept injection or within 3 months after using it, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Your child's vaccines need to be current before he or she begins receiving abatacept injection. Be sure to ask your child's doctor if you have any questions about this.

This medicine contains maltose (a type of sugar) which may affect blood sugar levels. If you or your child have diabetes and you notice a change in the results of your blood sugar tests or if you have any questions, check with your doctor. Your doctor may need you to use a different test for your blood sugar levels.

Do not take other medicines for arthritis unless you talked to your doctor. This includes adalimumab (Humira®), anakinra (Kineret®), certolizumab (Cimzia®), etanercept (Enbrel®), golimumab (Simponi®), infliximab (Remicade®), rituximab (Rituxan®), or tocilizumab (Actemra®). Using any of these together with this medicine may increase your chance of having serious side effects.