EPO Injection

Epoetin injection is a man-made version of human erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is produced naturally in the body, mostly by the kidneys. It stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. If the body does not produce enough EPO, severe anemia can occur. This often occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease whose kidneys are not working properly. Epoetin is used to treat severe anemia in patients on kidney dialysis or for those not on dialysis.

Epoetin may also be used to prevent or treat anemia that is caused by surgery or medicines (eg, zidovudine) that are used for other conditions, such as HIV or cancer.

This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Solution

Before Using

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. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of epoetin injection in children 1 month of age and older. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 1 month of age with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, children younger than 5 years of age with cancer, children with chronic kidney disease not undergoing dialysis, or children with HIV infection.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of epoetin injection in the elderly.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shopping Cart
error: Content is protected !!