Mercaptopurine : [ 6-MP , Purinethol ]
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be
weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor
will make.
Mercaptopurine is an immunosuppressant used to treat cancer. It is also used to treat Crohn's Disease and other illnesses.
For mercaptopurine, the following should be considered:
Pregnancy and Mercaptopurine Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or
if you intend to have children. There is a high risk that this medicine may
cause birth defects if either the male or female is taking it at the time
of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. However, studies have not
been done in humans. Mercaptopurine has been shown to cause damage to the
fetus in rats and increases the risk of miscarriage or premature births in
humans. In addition, many cancer medicines may cause sterility which could be
permanent. Although this has not been reported with this medicine, the
possibility should be kept in mind.
Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before taking this
medicine. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are taking
mercaptopurine. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become
pregnant while taking mercaptopurine.
When you are taking mercaptopurine, it is especially important that your
health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
Anabolic steroids (nandrolone [e.g., Anabolin], oxandrolone [e.g., Anavar], oxymetholone [e.g., Anadrol], stanozolol [e.g., Winstrol]) or
Androgens (male hormones) or
Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
Dantrolene (e.g., Dantrium) or
Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse) or
Divalproex (e.g., Depakote) or
Estrogens (female hormones including birth control pills or patches) or
Etretinate (e.g., Tegison) or
Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
Methyldopa (e.g., Aldomet) or
Naltrexone (e.g., Trexan) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) containing estrogen or
Phenothiazines (acetophenazine [e.g., Tindal], chlorpromazine [e.g., Thorazine], fluphenazine [e.g., Prolixin], mesoridazine [e.g., Serentil], perphenazine [e.g., Trilafon], prochlorperazine [e.g., Compazine], promazine [e.g., Sparine], promethazine [e.g., Phenergan], thioridazine [e.g., Mellaril], trifluoperazine [e.g., Stelazine], triflupromazine [e.g., Vesprin], trimeprazine [e.g., Temaril]) or
Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
Valproic acid (e.g., Depakene)—Risk of unwanted effects on the liver may be increased
Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine like prednisone) or
Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
Muromonab-CD3 (monoclonal antibody) (e.g., Orthoclone OKT3)—There may be an increased risk of infection and development of cancer because mercaptopurine reduces the body's immunity
Allopurinol (e.g., Zyloprim)—Effects of mercaptopurine may be increased because allopurinol blocks its removal from the body
Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
Colchicine or
Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) or
If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines—Mercaptopurine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood
Probenecid (e.g., Benemid) or
Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane)—Mercaptopurine may raise the concentration of uric acid in the blood. Since these medicines are used to lower uric acid levels, they may not be as effective in patients taking mercaptopurine
Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of mercaptopurine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
Herpes zoster (shingles)—Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body
Gout (history of) or
Kidney stones (history of)—Mercaptopurine may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones
Infection—Mercaptopurine may decrease your body's ability to fight infection
Kidney disease or
Liver disease—Effects of mercaptopurine may be increased because of slower removal from the body
Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
darkening of skin
diarrhea
headache
loss of appetite
skin rash and itching
weakness
Always Notify Doctor:
More common
unusual tiredness or weakness
yellow eyes or skin
Less Common
joint pain
loss of appetite
nausea and vomiting
swelling of feet or lower legs
Rare
Sores in mouth and on lips
Notify Doctor Immediately:
Less common
Black, tarry stools
blood in urine or stools
cough or hoarseness
fever or chills
lower back or side pain
painful or difficult urination
pinpoint red spots on skin
unusual bleeding or bruising
Other Notes:
Because of the way cancer medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects months or years after the medicine is used. These delayed effects may include certain types of cancer which should be discussed with a doctor.
Mercaptopurine may still produce side effects after you stopped treatment. During this period of time, check with your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects:
black, tarry stools
blood in urine or stools
cough or hoarseness
fever or chills
lower back or side pain
painful or difficult urination
pinpoint red spots on skin
unusual bleeding or bruising
yellow eyes or skin
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you
notice any other effects, check with your doctor. This information is meant
only as a guideline - always consult a physician or pharmacist for complete
information about prescription medications.
On behalf of learning, and use as teaching tools for those of us who need to
know about our disease, I have tried to supply you with as much information as
I could find on all of the drugs, treatments and disorders associated with
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. I have tried to blend all facts supported by research
and also from personal experiences of other IBD sufferers into one readable webpage, and any and all information presented here is not entirely
from one source. Most information contained within these pages is found in the public domain.
At times you may find information used from another site, and as with all copyrighted materials you may find on these pages, I claim fair use under sections 107 through 118 of the Copyright Act (title 17, U.S. Code). Click here for more info
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