Cyclosporin
This is a GRAPEFRUIT JUICE SENSITIVE DRUG
Cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressive drug routinely used in organ
transplantation. Since the mid-1980s, this drug has also been used to treat
patients with inflammatory bowel disease. At this time, cyclosporine is most
useful in severely ill patients with ulcerative colitis who have not responded
to corticosteroid therapy. In such patients, intravenously administered
cyclosporine is highly effective for rapid disease control, and it may allow
patients to avoid surgery. However, by one year, 70 to 80 percent of these
patients may still require surgery. Thus, in many patients, the role of
cyclosporine is to change a risky emergency operation into a less urgent
procedure.
Cyclosporine is lipid-bound and thus is associated with an increased risk of
seizures when it is administered to acutely ill, severely malnourished
patients who have low serum cholesterol/lipid levels. Oral maintenance with
cyclosporine has, at best, limited benefit, and the relapse rate is high.
The drug has a significant side effect profile.
CARCINOGENICITY
Cyclosporin A is known to be a human carcinogen based on studies in humans
indicating a causal relationship between exposure to cyclosporin A and human
cancer
(IARC 1990).
Read entire abstract....
Common Side Effects:
Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are
bothersome:
increase in hair growth
trembling and shaking of hands
Less common:
Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are
bothersome:
Acne or oily skin
headache
leg cramps
nausea
Effects Monitored by Doctor:
More common
high blood pressure
kidney problems
Less common
liver problems
changes in blood chemistry
Always Notify Doctor of any of the following:
More common
bleeding, tender, or enlarged gums
Less Common
convulsions (seizures)
fever or chills
frequent urge to urinate
vomiting
Rare
confusion
general feeling of discomfort and illness
irregular heartbeat
numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips
shortness of breath or difficult breathing
stomach pain (severe) with nausea and vomiting
unexplained nervousness
unusual tiredness or weakness
weakness or heaviness of legs
weight loss
Notify Doctor Immediately if you experience any of the following:
Rare
blood in urine
flushing of face and neck (for injection only)
wheezing or shortness of breath (for injection only)
Other Notes:
Because of the way that cyclosporine acts on the body, there is a chance that
it may cause effects years after the medicine is used. These delayed effects
may include certain types of cancer, such as lymphomas or skin cancers.
You and your doctor should discuss the good this medicine will do as well as
the risks of using it.
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
|
- Achieve health, fitness, relaxation, and balance with
Wai Lana Yoga
|
My Story 
