• This medicine does not mix well with many medicines. Serious reactions may occur. Check all medicines with healthcare provider.
• If you have an allergy to mercaptopurine or any other part of this medicine.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
• If you have severe bone marrow disease or severe liver disease.
• If you are pregnant or may be pregnant.
• If you are breast-feeding.
• Mercaptopurine injures cancer cells causing their death.
• It decreases the body's harmful response to diseases affecting the immune system.
• Take this medicine at a similar time of day.
• Take this medicine on an empty stomach. Take 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.
• Drink plenty of noncaffeine-containing liquid unless told to drink less liquid by healthcare provider.
• Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule.
• Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
• Change in condition being treated. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
• Check blood work regularly. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Follow up with healthcare provider.
• Store at room temperature.
• Protect from moisture. Do not store in a bathroom or kitchen.
Created: 2005-04-07 16:57:44.0
Modified: 2010-03-09 08:30:35.0
Lexi-PALS TM © (1977)-(2007) Lexi-Comp, Inc. All rights reserved.
• This medicine is used to treat a specific type of leukemia.
• This medicine is used to treat Crohn's disease.
• This medicine is used to treat ulcerative colitis.
• If you have a life-threatening allergy, wear allergy identification at all times.
• Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• Most medicines can be thrown away in household trash after mixing with coffee grounds or kitty litter and sealing in a plastic bag.
• Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, natural products, supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, physician assistant).
• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or in Canada to Health Canada's Canada Vigilance Program at 1-866-234-2345.
• Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine, including over-the-counter, natural products, or vitamins.
• If you are 65 or older, use this medicine with caution. You could have more side effects.
• If you have kidney disease, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have liver disease, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have a thiopurine methyltransferase deficiency, talk with healthcare provider.
• Talk with healthcare provider before receiving any vaccinations. Use with this medicine may either increase the risk of serious infection or make the vaccination less effective.
• Tell dentists, surgeons, and other healthcare providers that you use this medicine.
• You may bleed more easily. Be careful. Avoid injury. Use soft toothbrush, electric razor.
• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.
• Talk with healthcare provider before using over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, natural products or herbals.
• Talk with healthcare provider before using aspirin, aspirin-containing products, other pain medicines, blood thinners, garlic, ginseng, ginkgo, or vitamin E.
• Use birth control that you can trust to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine.
• Risk of infection. Avoid people with infections, colds, or flu.
• Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking hard, sugar-free candy, or chewing sugar-free gum may help.
• Diarrhea.
• Not hungry.
• Anemia, low white blood cell count, and low platelet count.
• Change in color of skin.
• Mouth irritation. Frequent mouth care with a soft toothbrush or cotton swabs and rinsing mouth may help.
• Liver damage can rarely occur.
• If you suspect an overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency department immediately.
• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Signs or symptoms of infection. These include a fever of 100.5 degrees or higher, chills, severe sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, increased sputum or change in color, painful urination, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, or anal itching or pain.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Severe diarrhea.
• Severe nausea or vomiting.
• Unusual bruising or bleeding.
• Feeling extremely tired or weak.
• Severe swelling or pain of hands or feet.
• Significant weight gain.
• Dark urine or yellow skin or eyes.
• Any rash.
• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
