Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

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

You will also need to have your blood pressure measured before starting this medicine and while you are using it. If you notice any change to your recommended blood pressure, call your doctor right away. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

Do not take cyclosporine if you are receiving treatment for psoriasis, including PUVA or UVB therapy, methotrexate (Rheumatrex®), coal tar, or radiation therapy.

Check with your doctor right away if you have blood in the urine, change in the frequency of urination or amount of urine, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, increased thirst, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, or swelling of the feet or lower legs, or weakness. These may be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.

Do not use supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium without first checking with your doctor.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

This medicine may increase your risk of getting skin cancer or lymphoma. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

This medicine may increase your risk of developing infections. Avoid being near people who are sick while you are using this medicine. Wash your hands often. Tell your doctor if you have any kind of infection before you start using this medicine. Tell your doctor if you have ever had an infection that would not go away or an infection that kept coming back.

This medicine may cause thrombotic microangiopathy (damage in the smallest blood vessels) and hemolytic anemia. Tell your doctor right away if you have back, leg, or stomach pains, bleeding gums, chills, dark urine, difficulty breathing, fever, general body welling, headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, nosebleeds, pale skin, sore throat, sudden, severe chest pain, sudden weakness in arms or legs, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.

Tell your doctor if you are taking a corticosteroid or another medicine that may weaken your immune system. This may increase your risk for developing a serious infection.

If you are taking this medicine after a kidney transplant, it may increase your risk for developing rare and serious virus infections, including polyoma virus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), progressive multiple leukoencephalopathy (PML), 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 breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain.

Tell your doctor right away if you have seizures, headaches, confusion, vision problems, unusual drowsiness, tiredness, or weakness. These could be symptoms of a serious nervous system problem called posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

While you are being treated with cyclosporine, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Cyclosporine may lower your body's resistance and the vaccine may not work as well or you might get the infection the vaccine is meant to prevent. In addition, you should not be around other persons living in your household who receive live virus vaccines because there is a chance they could pass the virus on to you. Some examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, influenza (nasal flu vaccine), poliovirus (oral form), rotavirus, and rubella. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

In some patients (usually younger patients), tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums may appear soon after treatment with cyclosporine is started. Brushing and flossing your teeth, carefully and regularly, and massaging your gums may help prevent this. See your dentist regularly to have your teeth cleaned. Check with your medical doctor or dentist if you have any questions about how to take care of your teeth and gums, or if you notice any tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of your gums.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and can increase your risk of having skin cancer. If you are being treated for psoriasis, check with your doctor first before having an ultraviolet (UV) light treatment. Use a sunscreen when you are outdoors and avoid sunlamps and tanning beds.

This medicine may cause a serious nervous system problem. Tell your doctor right away if you have confusion, loss of consciousness, mental changes, muscle weakness, seizures, or vision changes.

This medicine may cause dizziness, confusion, or sleepiness. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

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 (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.

Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024

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