EPTIFIBATIDE

Minor side effects (if these symptoms persist or worsen, inform your doctor)

• Dizziness or minor bleeding/irritation at the injection site.

Serious side effects (inform your doctor immediately)

• Serious bleeding
  • fainting, bleeding/bruising/swelling/oozing around the area where the procedure tube was placed, uncontrolled nosebleed, fast/irregular heartbeat, pale/gray/bluish skin, pink/red urine, bloody/black/tarry stool, coughing up blood, vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
• Very serious bleeding
  • chest pain, vision problems, confusion, slurred speech, weakness on one side of the body.This medication may cause a serious decrease in blood platelets (thrombocytopenia).

Severe allergic reactions are rare. Get immediate medical help if you notice the following:

• Rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

Precautions

• Inform your doctor.
  • Allergy to the medication or any allergies.
  • Medical History of:
    • current bleeding, bleeding from the gut or bladder in the last 30 days (e.g., bleeding peptic ulcer), any stroke in the last 30 days, history of hemorrhagic stroke, major surgery/injury in the last 6 weeks, severe bleeding in the last 30 days, brain tumor, kidney dialysis, blood vessel problem in the brain (e.g., aneurysm, AV malformation), very high uncontrolled blood pressure.
    • kidney disease, stomach/intestinal problems (e.g., peptic ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease), low blood platelets (thrombocytopenia), liver disease.
  • During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
  • It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Drug Interactions

Taking multiple drugs may affect how medications work and/or cause unwanted side effects. List down all the medications you are taking and inform your physician and pharmacist. Do not take, discontinue, or alter any dose of medications without prior approval of your physician.

• Products that may interact with this medication include:
  • other “blood thinners” (e.g., warfarin) used in the last 7 days, NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen), anti-platelet drugs (e.g., dipyridamole, ticlopidine), tipranavir.
• Check all prescription and nonprescription medicine labels carefully since many contain pain relievers/fever reducers (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin).
• Low-dose aspirin should be continued if prescribed by your doctor for heart attack or stroke prevention (usually at dosages of 81-325 milligrams a day.

Overdose

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., bleeding times, platelet count) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Missed Dose: If your dose is stopped or interrupted, contact the doctor immediately to establish a new dosing schedule/rate.

Storage:

• Refrigerate between 2-8 degrees C (36-46 degrees F). Do not freeze.
• May be stored for up to 2 months at room temperature away from light and moisture.
  • If the medication is stored at room temperature, cross out the manufacturer’s expiration date if it is longer than 2 months away, then write in a new discard date 2 months from the present date.
• Discard any unused liquid.
• Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
• Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so.
• Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed.

Brands

Also marketed as

Integrilin [ Schering-Plough ]