Before Using

Información sobre medicamentos proporcionada por: IBM Micromedex

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 aldesleukin injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of aldesleukin injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have shortness of breath or troubled breathing and age-related kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving aldesleukin injection.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while 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. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Betamethasone
  • Cortisone
  • Deflazacort
  • Dexamethasone
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Methylprednisolone
  • Paramethasone
  • Prednisolone
  • Prednisone
  • Triamcinolone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Cisplatin
  • Dacarbazine
  • Interferon Alfa
  • Tamoxifen

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:

  • Abnormal pulmonary function test or
  • Abnormal thallium stress test or
  • Arrhythmia (heart rhythm problem), uncontrolled or unresponsive or
  • Chest pain (with ECG changes), consistent with angina or heart attack or
  • Heart disease (e.g., cardiac tamponade) or
  • Intubation for more than 72 hours or
  • Kidney failure (requiring dialysis for more than 72 hours) or
  • Mental illness (e.g., coma or psychosis for more than 48 hours) or
  • Organ allograft or
  • Seizures, repetitive or uncontrolled or
  • Stomach or bowel problems (e.g., bleeding that requires surgery, blockage, perforation) or
  • Ventricular tachycardia (abnormal heart rhythm problem), sustained—Should not be given to patients with these conditions.
  • Allergic reaction (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome) or
  • Autoimmune disease (e.g., bullous pemphigoid, inflammatory arthritis, scleroderma) or
  • Cerebral vasculitis or
  • Cholecystitis (inflammation or swelling of the gallbladder) or
  • Crohn's disease or
  • Diabetes or
  • Eye problems (e.g., oculo-bulbar myasthenia gravis) or
  • Hypercalcemia (high calcium in the blood) or
  • Hypotension (low blood pressure) or
  • Kidney disease (e.g., crescentic IgA glomerulonephritis) or
  • Liver disease or
  • Lung disease or
  • Seizures, history of or
  • Thyroid disease—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
  • Infection—May decrease your body's ability to fight infection.