| Information for
patients
|
| Drug Information |
Filgrastim is a white blood cell growth factor (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) and belongs to a group of medicines called cytokines. Growth factors are proteins that are produced naturally in the body but they can also be made using biotechnology for use as a medicine. Filgrastim works by encouraging the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. A reduction in the number of white blood cells (neutropenia) can occur for several reasons and makes your body less able to fight infection. Filgrastim stimulates the bone marrow to produce new white cells quickly.
Filgrastim can be used:
•to increase the number of white blood cells after treatment with chemotherapy to help prevent infections;
•to increase the number of white blood cells after a bone marrow transplant to help prevent infections;
•before high-dose chemotherapy to make the bone marrow produce more stem cells which can be collected and given back to you after your treatment. These can be taken from you or from a donor. The stem cells will then go back into the bone marrow and produce blood cells;
•to increase the number of white blood cells if you suffer from severe chronic neutropenia to help prevent infections;
•in patients with advanced HIV infection which will help reduce the risk of infections. |
| Drug Alert |
| Alert |
•if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to filgrastim or any of the other ingredients of Filgrastim . |
| Before Consuming
the Medicine
|
| Avoid Drug |
•if you have sickle cell anaemia, as Filgrastim may cause sickle cell crisis;
•if you have an allergy to natural rubber (latex). The needle cover on the syringe is made from a type of natural rubber and may cause severe allergic reactions;
•if you have osteoporosis (bone disease).
If you are a patient with severe congenital neutropenia and you develop leukaemia (cancer of the blood) or are likely to develop leukaemia, you should not use Filgrastim . If you are a stem cell donor, you must be aged between 16 and 60 years. |
| Drug Special Care |
Filgrastim is one of a group of products that stimulate the production of white blood cells. Your healthcare professional should always record the exact product you are using. |
| Drug Drug Interactions |
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription as they may affect the way Filgrastim works. |
| Drug Pregnancy Interaction |
Filgrastim has not been tested in pregnant women. It is important to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or plan to get pregnant, as the doctor may decide that you should not use this medicine. Filgrastim could affect your ability to become pregnant or stay pregnant |
| Drug Breast feeding Interaction |
You must not use this medicine if you are breast feeding. |
| Drug Machinery Interaction |
Filgrastim should not affect your ability to drive and use machines. However, it is advisable to wait and see how you feel after taking Filgrastim and before driving or operating machinery. |
| Drug More Information |
no data available |
| How to take the
Medicine
|
| Consumption Info |
no data available |
| Drug quanitty |
Filgrastim is used to treat children who are receiving chemotherapy or who suffer from severe low white blood cell count (neutropenia). The dosing in children is the same as for adults. |
| Drug Dose |
Filgrastim is usually given as a daily injection into the tissue just under the skin (known as a subcutaneous injection). It can also be given as a daily slow injection into the vein (known as an intravenous infusion). The usual dose varies depending on your illness and weight. Your doctor will tell you how much Filgrastim you should take. You, or people caring for you, can be taught how to give subcutaneous injections so that you can continue your treatment at home. However, you should not attempt this unless you have been properly trained first. |
| Excess Drug Consumption |
Do not increase the dose your doctor has given you. If you think you have injected more than you should, contact your doctor as soon as possible. |
| Forgot Drug Consumption |
If you have missed an injection, or injected too little, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Do not take a double dose to make up for any missed doses. If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist |
| Stop Drug Consumption |
You will need to take Filgrastim until your white blood cell count is normal. Regular blood tests will be taken to monitor the number of white blood cells in your body. Your doctor will tell you how long you will need to take Filgrastim . |
| Possible Side
Effects
|
| General Information |
in cancer patients
•nausea and vomiting
•pain in your bones (musculoskeletal pain), which can be helped by taking standard pain relief medicines (analgesics)
•changes in blood chemistry
in normal stem cell donors
•headache
•increase in white blood cells (leukocytosis), decrease of platelets which reduces the bloods ability to clot (thrombocytopenia)
•pain in your bones (musculoskeletal pain), which can be treated with standard pain relief tablets
in severe chronic neutropenia patients
•low red blood cell count (anaemia), enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly)
•changes in blood chemistry
•pain in your bones (musculoskeletal pain)
•nose bleeds (epistaxis)
in HIV patients
•pain in your bones (musculoskeletal) |
| Common Drug Side Effects |
in cancer patients
•tiredness (fatigue), generalised weakness
•headache
•constipation, anorexia, diarrhoea, soreness and swelling of the digestive tract lining which runs from the mouth to the anus (mucositis)
•chest pain, pain in your bones (musculoskeletal pain)
•cough, sore throat
•unusual hair loss or thinning (alopecia), skin rash
in normal stem cell donors
•changes in blood chemistry
in severe chronic neutropenia patients
•headache
•diarrhoea
•decrease of platelets which reduces the bloods ability to clot (thrombocytopenia)
•enlargement of the liver (hepatomegaly)
•disease which causes bones to become less dense, making them weaker, more brittle and likely to break (osteoporosis)
•unusual hair loss or thinning (alopecia), injection site pain, rash
in HIV patients
•enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) |
| Rare Drug Side Effects |
•problems with your blood vessels (vascular disorders)
in cancer patients
•unspecified pain
in normal stem cell donors
•changes in blood chemistry
•enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly)
in severe chronic neutropenia patients
•enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly)
•blood in the urine (haematuria)
•excess protein in the urine (proteinuria) |
| Very Rare Drug Side Effects |
•pain when passing urine (dysuria) |
| Drug Side Effects Symptoms |
in cancer patients
•inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin (cutaneous vasculitis)
•plum-coloured, raised, painful sores on the limbs and sometimes the face and neck with a fever (Sweet’s syndrome)
•worsening of rheumatoid arthritis
•a cough, fever and difficulty breathing (dyspnoea)
•problems with your lungs (pulmonary) including serious lung infection (interstitial pneumonia), swelling and/or fluid in the lungs (pulmonary oedema)
•pain and swelling of the joints, similar to gout (pseudogout)
in normal stem cell donors
•cough, fever and difficulty breathing or coughing up blood. Some changes may occur in your blood, but these will be detected by routine blood tests.
•if you experience an allergic reaction including weakness, drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face (anaphylaxis), skin rash, itchy rash (urticaria), swelling of the face lips, mouth, tongue or throat (angioedema) and shortness of breath (dyspnoea);
•if you experience a cough, fever and difficulty breathing (dyspnoea) as this can be a sign of
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS);
•if you get left upper belly (abdominal) pain or pain at the tip of your shoulder, as there may be a problem with your spleen.
Like all medicines, Filgrastim can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. |
| How to Store the
Medicine
|
| How to Store the Medicine |
Keep out of the reach and sight of children. Store in a refrigerator (2°C – 8°C). Accidental freezing will not harm Filgrastim . Do not use Filgrastim after the expiry date which is stated on the syringe label and carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Do not use Filgrastim if you notice discolouration, cloudiness or particles, it should be a clear, colourless liquid.Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment. |
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