Precautions
Before using Abatacept, notify your doctor if:
- You are allergic to Abatacept or any other medications.
- You are taking or planning to take certain drugs like Anakinra (Kineret), Adalimumab (Humira), Etanercept (Enbrel),and Infliximab (Remicade). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
- You are using any prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products.
- You have an infection anywhere in the body, including infections that come and go, such as cold sores, and chronic infections that do not go away, or if you often get any type of infection such as bladder infections.
- You have any of the following medical condition:
- Have or have ever had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD; a Group of Lung Diseases that Includes Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema)
- Any Disease that Affects Your Nervous System, Such as Multiple Sclerosis
- Any Disease that Affects Your Immune System, Such as Cancer, Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), or Severe Combined immunodeficiency Syndrome (SCID).
- Have or have ever had Tuberculosis (TB) or If You Have Been around someone who has or has had Tuberculosis.
- You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while using Abatacept.
- You are having surgery, including dental surgery.
- You have recently received or are scheduled to receive any vaccines. You should not have any vaccinations while you are using abatacept or for 3 months after you stop using abatacept without talking to your doctor.
Interactions
Abatacept interacts with TNF antagonist (Enbrel, Humira and Remicade). It increases the occurrence of infections and provides no additional relief of symptoms.
Abatacept may reduce the effect of live vaccines. Live vaccines should not be given at the same time as abatacept or within three months of discontinuation of abatacept. Pediatric patients should receive all recommended immunizations prior to starting abatacept.