Mycophenolate (By injection)
mye-koe-FEN-oh-late MOE-fe-til hye-droe-KLOR-ide
Prevents your body from rejecting an organ after transplant by suppressing your immune system.
Drug classes
Immune Suppressant (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Mycophenolate injection belongs to a group of medicines known as immunosuppressive agents. It is used with other medicines to lower the body’s natural immunity in patients who receive organ transplants (eg, kidney, heart, or liver).
When a patient receives an organ transplant, the body’s white blood cells will try to get rid of (reject) the transplanted organ. Mycophenolate injection prevents the white blood cells from rejecting the transplanted organ.
This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, mycophenolate is used in certain patients with the following medical condition:
Lupus nephritis.
Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Injectable
Your doctor will prescribe your dose and schedule. This medicine is given through a needle placed in a vein.
A nurse or other health provider will give you this medicine.
This medicine must be given slowly, so the needle will remain in place for at least 2 hours.
If this medicine gets on your skin, wash the area with soap and water, and tell your caregiver. If you get the medicine in your eyes, nose, or mouth, rinse the area with large amounts of water, and tell your caregiver.
You will receive this form of the medicine for a short time until your condition improves. Then you will be switched you to an oral form that works the same way. If you have any questions about this, talk to your doctor.
This medicine should come with a Medication Guide. Ask your pharmacist for a copy if you do not have one.
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Some foods and medicines can affect how mycophenolate works. Tell your doctor if you are using acyclovir, azathioprine, cholestyramine, cyclosporine, metronidazole, norfloxacin, probenecid, rifampin, sevelamer, or valacyclovir. Tell your doctor if you are also using birth control pills or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medicine for heartburn.
This medicine may interfere with vaccines. Ask your doctor before you get a flu shot or any other vaccines.
When Not To Use
This medicine is not right for everyone. You should not receive this medicine if you had an allergic reaction to mycophenolate, or if you are pregnant.
Warnings
It is not safe to take this medicine during pregnancy. It could harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. A woman should have a pregnancy test before using this medicine and during follow-up appointments.
Birth control pills may not work as well when used with this medicine. Use a second form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant.
Tell your doctor knows if you are breastfeeding or if you have kidney disease, bone marrow problems, high blood pressure, or stomach ulcers or other digestive problems.
This medicine may cause the following problems:
Higher risk of skin cancer or lymphoma Higher risk of infection (including shingles, polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), cytomegalovirus (CMV), BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN)) Reactivation of hepatitis B or C infection Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) Stomach bleeding or ulcersThis medicine may make you bleed, bruise, or get infections more easily. Take precautions to prevent illness and injury. Wash your hands often.
This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Wear sunscreen. Do not use sunlamps or tanning beds.
Your doctor will do lab tests at regular visits to check on the effects of this medicine. Keep all appointments.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
Change in how much or how often you urinate, painful urination, unusual swelling
Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other symptoms of infection
Severe stomach pain, vomiting blood, bloody or black, tarry stools
Skin lump or growth, brown or black patches on your skin, changes to a skin mole
Unusual bleeding, bruising, or weakness
Weakness on one side of the body, confusion, clumsiness, loss of interest in things, trouble thinking clearly
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Pain, itching, burning, swelling, or a lump under your skin where the needle is placed
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
Cellcept
There may be other brand names for this medicine.