Precautions
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
It is very important that your doctor check your progress while you are receiving this medicine. Your doctor will do blood tests to make sure that mycophenolate injection is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby or cause a miscarriage during the first 3 months. If you are a woman who can bear children, your doctor may give you a pregnancy test before you start using this medicine to make sure you are not pregnant. Your birth control pills may not work as well while you are using this medicine. You must use two forms of birth control together for 1 month before starting this medicine, for the entire time that you are being treated, and for 6 weeks after you receive your last dose of this medicine. Use birth control pills together with another form of birth control, including a condom, diaphragm, or contraceptive foam or jelly. Male patients with female partners should use an effective form of birth control during treatment and for at least 90 days after the last dose. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Do not donate sperm during treatment and for at least 90 days after the last dose.
Mycophenolate injection can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, which increases the chance of getting an infection. If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you have a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
Mycophenolate may cause pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). This is a very rare condition where the body no longer makes red blood cells and the patient has severe anemia. Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever and sore throat, pale skin, unusual bleeding or bruising, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
This medicine may increase your risk of developing a serious and rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Check with your doctor right away if you have vision changes, loss of coordination, clumsiness, memory loss, difficulty speaking or understanding what others say, and weakness in the legs.
This medicine may increase your risk of developing rare and serious virus infections, including shingles, herpes, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, polyomavirus associated nephropathy (PVAN), and BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN). The BK virus may affect how your kidneys work and cause a transplanted kidney to fail. Check with your doctor right away if you have bloody urine, a decreased frequency or amount of urine, increased thirst, loss of appetite, lower back or side pain, nausea, swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs, trouble with breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain.
This medicine may cause reactivation of hepatitis B or C infection. Check with your doctor right away if you have dark-colored urine or pale stools, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, pain in your upper stomach, or yellow skin or eyes.
Check with your doctor right away if you have difficulty in moving, fever, muscle pain or stiffness, or pain, swelling, or redness in the joints. These may be symptoms of acute inflammatory (swelling) syndrome.
While you are receiving mycophenolate injection, and after you stop, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Mycophenolate injection will lower your body's resistance and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization is meant to prevent.
Using this medicine may increase your risk of getting skin cancer or cancer of the lymph system (lymphoma). Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.
This medicine may cause serious stomach or bowel problems (eg, ulcers, bleeding). Check with your doctor right away if you have black, tarry stools, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, cramping, or burning, trouble breathing, or vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds.
Use sunscreen or sunblock lotions with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 on a regular basis when you are outdoors. Wear protective clothing and hats and stay out of direct sunlight, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024
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