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Matulane, |procarbazine Procarbazine

procarbazine

Generic Name: procarbazine (pro CAR bah zeen)
Brand Names: Matulane

What is procarbazine?

Procarbazine is a cancer (antineoplastic) medication. Procarbazine interferes with the growth of cancer cells and slows their growth and spread in the body.

Procarbazine is used to treat Hodgkin"s Disease (a type of blood cancer).

Procarbazine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about procarbazine?

Procarbazine should only be administered under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider experienced in the use of cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

Serious side effects have been reported with the use of procarbazine including: allergic reactions (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); decreased bone marrow function and blood problems (extreme fatigue; easy bruising or bleeding; black, bloody or tarry stools; fever or chills; or signs of infection such as fever; chills, or sore throat); nervous system side effects (numbness, tingling, or confusion); sore in or around the mouth; and diarrhea. Talk to your doctor about the possible side effects from treatment with procarbazine.

Procarbazine may interact with many other medications, sometimes resulting in serious side effects. Do not take any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products, during treatment with procarbazine without first talking to your doctor.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking procarbazine?

Before taking procarbazine, tell your doctor if you have:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease;

• bone marrow problems; or

• glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency.

You may not be able to take procarbazine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

How should I take procarbazine?

Take procarbazine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, as your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to explain them to you.

Your doctor will probably want you to have regularly scheduled blood tests and other medical evaluations during treatment with procarbazine to monitor progress and side effects.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Contact your doctor if you miss a dose of procarbazine.

What happens if I overdose?

Symptoms of a procarbazine overdose tend to be similar to side effects caused by the medication, although often more severe.

What should I avoid while taking procarbazine?

Procarbazine can lower the activity of your immune system making you susceptible to infections. Avoid contact with people who have colds, the flu, or other contagious illnesses and do not receive vaccines that contain live strains of a virus (e.g., live oral polio vaccine) during treatment with procarbazine. In addition, avoid contact with individuals who have recently been vaccinated with a live vaccine. There is a chance that the virus can be passed on to you.

• cheeses, including american, blue, boursault, brick, brie, camembert, cheddar, emmenthaler, gruyere, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, roquefort, stilton, and swiss;

• sour cream and yogurt;

• beef or chicken liver, fish, meats prepared with tenderizer, bologna, pepperoni, salami, summer sausage, game meat, meat extracts, caviar, dried fish, herring, and shrimp paste;

• avocados, bananas, figs, raisins, and sauerkraut;

• soy sauce, miso soup, bean curd, fava beans;

• yeast extracts;

• ginseng;

• chocolate;

• caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc.); and

• beer (alcoholic and nonalcoholic), red wine (especially Chianti), sherry, vermouth, and other distilled spirits.

Procarbazine side effects

• an allergic reaction (shortness of breath; closing of your throat; difficulty breathing; swelling of your lips, face, or tongue; or hives);

• decreased bone marrow function and blood problems (extreme fatigue; easy bruising or bleeding; black, bloody or tarry stools; or fever, chills, or signs of infection);

• numbness, tingling, or confusion;

• any sore in or around the mouth; or

• diarrhea or watery stools.

Other less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Talk to your doctor if you experience:

• temporary hair loss;

• itching or rash;

• nausea, vomiting, or weight loss;

• dizziness;

• vision or eye problems;

• increased urination;

• muscle or joint pain;

• nervousness, depression, or nightmares;

• hearing problems;

• fatigue.

In some cases, second cancers have been reported to occur during and following treatment with procarbazine. Procarbazine may also affect egg production in women and sperm production in men. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medication.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect procarbazine?

Procarbazine may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, other antihistamines, pain relievers, anxiety medicines, seizure medicines, and muscle relaxants. Dangerous sedation, dizziness, or drowsiness may occur if procarbazine is taken with any of these medications.

Procarbazine may also interact with many other medications, sometimes resulting in serious side effects. Do not take any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products, during treatment with procarbazine without first talking to your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist has additional information about procarbazine written for health professionals that you may read.

What does my medication look like?

Procarbazine is available with a prescription under the brand name Matulane. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

• Matulane 50 mg-ivory capsules

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ("Multum") is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum"s drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum"s drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.