PENICILLAMINE

Pregnancy Risk: Category D (Positive evidence for risk)

If any of the following side effects occur while taking penicillamine, check with your doctor or nurse as soon as possible:

More common

• Fever
• joint pain
• lesions on the face, neck, scalp, and/or trunk
• skin rash, hives, or itching
• swollen and/or painful glands
• ulcers, sores, or white spots on lips or in mouth

Less common

• Bloody or cloudy urine
• shortness of breath, troubled breathing, tightness in chest, or wheezing
• sore throat and fever with or without chills
• swelling of face, feet, or lower legs
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• weight gain

Rare

• Abdominal or stomach pain (severe)
• blisters on skin
• bloody or black, tarry stools
• chest pain
• coughing or hoarseness
• dark urine
• difficulty in breathing, chewing, talking, or swallowing
• eye pain, blurred or double vision, or any change in vision
• general feeling of discomfort or illness or weakness
• lower back or side pain
• muscle weakness
• painful or difficult urination
• pale stools
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• redness, tenderness, itching, burning, or peeling of skin
• red or irritated eyes
• red, thick, or scaly skin
• ringing or buzzing in the ears
• spitting blood
• yellow eyes or skin

Some penicillamine side effects may not need any medical attention:

More common

• Diarrhea
• lessening or loss of sense of taste
• loss of appetite
• nausea or vomiting

stomach pain (mild)

Precautions:

Before taking penicillamine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to penicillins; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: a previous severe reaction to penicillamine (such as aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis), kidney disease, blood/bone marrow disorders (such as thrombocytopenia).

Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).

Penicillamine is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm an unborn baby. However, it may sometimes be used during pregnancy in certain situations (such as treating Wilson’s disease). Consult your doctor for more details.

It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Because of the possible risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Interactions:

See also How to Use section.

The effects of some drugs can change if you take other drugs or herbal products at the same time. This can increase your risk for serious side effects or may cause your medications not to work correctly. These drug interactions are possible, but do not always occur. Your doctor or pharmacist can often prevent or manage interactions by changing how you use your medications or by close monitoring.

To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor’s approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: digoxin, gold salts (such as auranofin), drugs to treat malaria (such as chloroquine), phenylbutazone, other drugs that decrease bone marrow function (such as azathioprine, cancer chemotherapy, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole).

This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use. Share this list with your doctor and pharmacist to lessen your risk for serious medication problems.

Overdose:

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

Notes

Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as complete blood count, hematocrit/hemoglobin, liver function, urine test, physical exam) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Storage

Store at room temperature between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. 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. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Brands:

Available Brands:

Cuprimine

Depen