Description
Sodium chloride injection is used to replace water and electrolyte loss.
This medicine is to be given only by or under the supervision of your doctor.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Solution
Before Using
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 this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of sodium chloride injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established. However, pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of this medicine in children are not expected. Recommended doses should not be exceeded, and the patient should be carefully monitored during treatment.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of sodium chloride injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have electrolyte imbalance and age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.
Breastfeeding
Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
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 healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Congestive heart failure or
- Epilepsy (seizures) or
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
- Kidney disease, severe or
- Liver disease (eg, cirrhosis)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
- Brain or nerve problems (eg, swelling in the brain) or
- Heart problems or
- Hypernatremia (high sodium level in the blood) or
- Hypervolemia (fluid overload) or
- Hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) or
- Lung problems or
- Psychogenic polydypsia (increased water intake without being thirsty) or
- Surgery, recent or
- Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)—Use with caution. May increase risk for hyponatremia, which may lead to encephalopathy.
Proper Use
A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is given through an IV catheter that is placed into one of your veins.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check you closely to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
This medicine may cause a serious allergic reaction or an infusion reaction. Check with your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, chest pain, chills, confusion, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, facial swelling, fever, headache, nausea or vomiting, shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet, skin rash, sweating, trembling or shaking of the hands or feet, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
This medicine may cause fluid overload and overhydration, which can lead to pulmonary congestion (fluid in the lungs) and swelling. Talk with your doctor right away if you are urinating less, you have noisy, rattling breathing, trouble with breathing, swelling of the fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs, troubled breathing at rest, or weight gain.
This medicine may cause hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood), which can lead to acute hyponatremic encephalopathy. Check with your doctor right away if you have loss of consciousness, confusion, seizures, decreased urine output, dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, headache, increased thirst, muscle pain or cramps, trouble breathing, swelling of the face, ankles, or hands, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
Check with your doctor right away if you have dizziness, fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, irritability, muscle twitching, restlessness, seizures, swelling of the feet or lower legs, or weakness. These may be symptoms of hypernatremia (high sodium in the blood).
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
- Excessive blood loss
- fever
Rare
- Anxiety
- burning pain in lower stomach
- chest pain, severe
- chills
- confusion
- cough
- dizziness
- feeling of heat
- feeling of warmth in the lips and tongue
- headache (severe or dull)
- loss of consciousness
- nervousness
- numbness of the fingertips
- pain in lower back, pelvis, or stomach
- ringing in the ears
- seizures
- sweating
- thirst (sudden) or salty taste
- vision problems
- weakness
Incidence not known
- Bad smelling discharge from the vagina
- bleeding or redness at the injection site
- blurred vision
- chest tightness
- coma
- decrease in the amount of urine
- decreased urine output
- dilated neck veins
- dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
- extreme tiredness or weakness
- full or bloated feeling
- increase in bleeding from the uterus
- increased thirst
- irregular breathing or heartbeat
- muscle pain, cramps, or twitching
- nausea or vomiting
- pain in the lower stomach
- passing of pieces of tissue from the uterus
- pressure in the stomach
- stomach cramping
- swelling of the stomach area
- swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
- trouble breathing
- weight gain
Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:
Symptoms of overdose
- Drowsiness
- nausea
- usual tiredness or weakness
- vomiting
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not known
- Loss of appetite
- weight loss
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
DRG-20068846
