Introduction
What DESIFER 400MG is used for?
- DESIFER 400MG is used to treat chronic iron overload caused by frequent blood transfusions in patients with beta thalassaemia major aged 6 years and older
Warning & Precautions
Talk to Doctor
- Have a kidney or liver problem
- Have a cardiac problem due to iron overload
- Notice a marked decrease in your urine output (sign of kidney problem)
- Have a low level of platelets or white blood cells in your blood test
- Have blurred vision
- Have diarrhoea or vomiting
Pregnancy & Breast Feeding
- If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine
- DESIFER 400MG is not recommended during pregnancy unless clearly necessary. Breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with DESIFER 400MG
Children & Adolescents
- DESIFER 400MG can be used in children and adolescents receiving regular blood transfusions aged 2 years and over and in children and adolescents not receiving regular blood transfusions aged 10 years and over
- DESIFER 400MG is not recommended for children aged under 2 years
Driving & Using Machines
- If you feel dizzy after taking DESIFER 400MG, do not drive or operate any tools or machines until you are feeling normal again
Interactions
Tell your doctor if you are taking,
This includes in particular:
- Other iron chelators, which must not be taken with DESIFER 400MG
- Antacids (medicines used to treat heartburn) containing aluminium
- Ciclosporin (used to prevent the body rejecting a transplanted organ or for other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or atopic dermatitis)
- Simvastatin (used to lower cholesterol)
- Certain painkillers or anti-inflammatory medicines (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, corticosteroids)
- Oral bisphosphonates (used to treat osteoporosis)
- Anticoagulant medicines (used to prevent or treat blood clotting)
- Hormonal contraceptive agents (birth control medicines)
- Bepridil, ergotamine (used for heart problems and migraines)
- Repaglinide (used to treat diabetes)
- Rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis)
- Phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine (used to treat epilepsy)
- Ritonavir (used in the treatment of HIV infection)
- Paclitaxel (used in cancer treatment)
- Theophylline (used to treat respiratory diseases such as asthma)
- Clozapine (used to treat psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia)
- Tizanidine (used as a muscle relaxant)
- Cholestyramine (used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood)
How to Use
- Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you
- Take DESIFER 400MG once a day, every day, at about the same time each day with some water
- Take DESIFER 400MG tablets either on an empty stomach or with a light meal
- The dose of DESIFER 400MG is related to body weight for all patients. Your doctor will calculate the dose you need and tell you how many tablets to take each day
- The usual daily dose for DESIFER 400MG film-coated tablets at the start of the treatment for patients receiving regular blood transfusions is 14 mg per kilogram body weight. A higher or lower starting dose may be recommended by your doctor based on your individual treatment needs
- This is a long-term treatment, possibly lasting for months or years. Your doctor will regularly monitor your condition to check that the treatment is having the desired effect
If you take more DESIFER 400MG
- If you have taken too much DESIFER 400MG, or if someone else accidentally takes your tablets, contact your doctor or hospital for advice straight away
If you forget to take DESIFER 400MG
- If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember on that day. Take your next dose as scheduled
- Do not take a double dose on the next day to make up for the forgotten tablet(s)
If you stop taking DESIFER 400MG
- Do not stop taking DESIFER 400MG unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking it, the excess iron will no longer be removed from your body
Side Effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them
Serious
- Get blurred or cloudy eyesight
- Get reduced hearing
- Difficulty breathing and dizziness or swelling mainly of the face and throat.
- Rash, red skin, blistering of the lips, eyes or mouth, skin peeling, high fever, flu-like symptoms, enlarged lymph nodes
- A combination of drowsiness, upper right abdominal pain, yellowing or increased yellowing of your skin or eyes and dark urine (signs of liver problems)
- Vomit blood and/or have black stools
- Partial loss of vision
- Severe upper stomach pain (pancreatitis)
Common
- Disturbance in kidney function tests
- Gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, pain in the abdomen, bloating, constipation, indigestion
- Headache
- Disturbance in liver function tests
- Itching
- Disturbance in urine test (protein in the urine)
Uncommon
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Swelling of arms or legs
- Change in the color of the skin
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorder
- Tiredness
More Information
Storage
- Keep this medicine out of reach of children
- Store between (15-25ºC)
- Do not use this medicine after the expiry date
- Do not use any pack that is damaged or shows signs of tampering
FAQs
Q. What is Desifer used for?
Desifer is used for removing excess iron from the body due to repeated blood transfusions in patients with beta thalassemia major (a blood disorder)
Q. How does Desifer work?
Desifer works by binding to excess iron in the blood and removing it from the body through stool....
Disclaimer:The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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