What is procarbazine?
Procarbazine is a chemotherapy medicine commonly used in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma and brain cancers.
What preparations of procarbazine
are available?
Procarbazine is available as 50mg capsules. At some hospitals, a liquid can be made in pharmacies which contains 10mg/ml. Apart from this, the procarbazine tablet form is not available.
How does Procarbazine work?
Procarbazine specifically kills cancer cells in the different phases of cell life.
How is Procarbazine given?
Procarbazine is given by mouth. The procarbazine 50mg comes as capsules, and consumed with food in order to reduce the risk of nausea as well as vomiting.
Are there any precautions regarding food or other drugs?
There are certain foods that should be avoided while taking procarbazine and also for at least 4 weeks following stop taking procarbazine.
- Avoid Marmite, Bovril, Vegemite and vitamin products.
- Fermented or ‘aged’ food, e.g. salami should be avoided.
- Eat certain foods in small amounts, e.g. bananas (but not overripe) and avocado.
- Avoid eating any leftover food. Prefer food as fresh as possible.
- Do not take cough/cold medication containing pseudoephedrine, dextromethorphan and ephedrine.
- Do not use any nasal sprays/drops containing phenylephrine/ephedrine.
- Must take procarbazine at the same time every day.
- Check with the healthcare practitioner prior to giving any other prescription or non-prescription drugs, herbs, or vitamins.
What should I do in case of missed dose?
If a procarbazine dose is missed, give it as quickly as you remember that particular day. Avoid giving a double dose.
If your child pukes within 30 minutes following a dose, give it again. If your child pukes following 30 minutes, avoid repeating the dose. Contact your healthcare practitioner if more than 1 dose is missed/vomited.
What are the side effects of Procarbazine?
The commonly observed procarbazine side effects may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations
- Diarrhoea
- Low blood counts
- Sleep disturbances
Occasional side effects due to procarbazine hydrochloride capsules may include:
- Mouth sores
- Skin rash
- Emotional changes
When should I call the doctor?
Call your healthcare practitioner if your child experiences:
- Skin rash
- Tight chest
- Skin rash
- Wheezing
- Dizziness
- Fever or chills
- Mouth sores
- Hallucinations
- Bleeding or unusual bruising
- Continued vomiting or diarrhoea
What other information do I need to know?
- Gloves should be weared when handling urine, stool, and vomit while on chemotherapy and for 48 hours afterward. Urine, stool, and vomit should be safely disposed of in the toilet.
- Contaminated bed linens and clothes with urine, stool, or vomit must be washed separately with hot water as well as detergent.
- Individuals handling the contaminated laundry must wear gloves.
- In order to watch the effects of the medicine, blood samples will be required.
- Extra mouth care is required, so that it will help prevent the mouth sores.
- Outdated or extra drugs should be returned to the pharmacy for disposal. Avoid flushing them down the toilet or throw them in the bin.
- In case excess or the inappropriate chemotherapy drug is taken, call your healthcare practitioner immediately.
How should the procarbazine be handled and stored?
- Always should be placed safe out of the reach and sight of children.
- Capsules should be stored at room temperature.
- Should be Kept out of direct sunlight.
- Procarbazine should always be handled with care. While handling this drug, always wear gloves.
- In case you are pregnant or think you could be conceiving a child, please talk about handling of procarbazine with your healthcare practitioner.
NOTE: The piece of information provided in this article is just for informational purposes and is not served as a substitute for the medical treatment, consultation, diagnosis, of a qualified healthcare practitioner.
FAQ's
What is procarbazine hydrochloride used for?
Together with other drugs, procarbazine uses are as follows:
- Hodgkin's disease
- Brain cancers
How does procarbazine work?
As an alkylating agent, procarbazine works in order to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.
What kind of drug procarbazine is?
The procarbazine hydrochloride specifically is a group of drugs named alkylating agents.
How long are most chemo treatments?
Maximum chemotherapy treatments are given in repeating cycles. The length of a cycle usually depends on the treatment being given. Most treatment cycles may range from 2-6 weeks.
What are the other medications for hodgkin's lymphoma?
There are some other medication for hodgkin's lymphoma, which are as follows:
- Adcetris (Brentuximab Vedotin)
- BiCNU (Carmustine)
- Bleomycin Sulfate
- Cyclophosphamide
- Dacarbazine
- Dexamethasone
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride
- Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
- Leukeran (Chlorambucil)
- Opdivo (Nivolumab)
- Prednisone
- Vinblastine Sulfate
- Vincristine Sulfate
Where can I best procarbazine 50mg price?
In India, procarbazine is available at the best price. Any pharmaceutical wholesaler firm which is certified by WHO-GDP and ISO can give the best procarbazine price.
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