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Introduction About IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION contains Irinotecan which belongs to the group of medicines called Anticancer agents. It is used to manage advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (cancers of colon and rectum). It can also be used to manage colorectal cancer among patients whose disease has recurred or progressed following initial chemotherapy with 5-Fluorouracil.
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is mostly used in combination with other anticancer medicines to achieve better results. Before receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION inform your doctor if you have hypertension or any other heart problems.
You must also inform your doctor if you have high blood cholesterol levels, elevated bilirubin levels in the blood or any inflammation in the gut as a precaution. IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is not recommended for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women as it may harm the growing baby.
Both men and women of childbearing potential must use a suitable contraceptive method to avoid pregnancy while undergoing therapy with this medicine. Men may seek advice on sperm preservation, if necessary, prior to the therapy with this medicine.
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION may cause severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To manage this, your doctor will prescribe a suitable anti-emetic and antidiarrheal medicines along with this medicine. However, inform your doctor immediately if these side effects worsen.
Other most common side effects of receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION are stomach pain mouth ulcers, hair loss, tiredness, weakness, increased infections, increased bleeding tendency and difficulty in passing stools. Consult your doctor if any of these side effects trouble you.
Uses Of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION
- Manage advanced or metastatic cancers of colon or rectum
How IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION Works
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is an anticancer medication. It works by blocking the actions of certain enzymes (DNA-Topoisomerase-1) within the cells which is required for the cells to grow and multiply. As a result, it manages abnormal cell division and slows down the growth and spread of cancer cells within the body.
How to use IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION will be given to you only by a doctor or a nurse into the vein (as an intravenous infusion).
Your doctor will decide the correct dose and duration of therapy for you depending upon your age, body weight and disease condition.
Side Effects Of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION
Common
- low RBC count causing anemia, tiredness and pale skin
- increased infections
- loss of appetite
- hair loss
- nausea, vomiting, stomach pain
- mouth ulcers
- tiredness, weakness
- increased bleeding tendency due to low blood platelet counts
- difficulty in passing stools
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following side effects after receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION:
- severe infections causing fever due to low WBC count in blood
- severe diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea
- signs of acute cholinergic syndrome (such as runny nose, increased saliva, excess tears in the eyes, sweating, flushing, stomach cramps and diarrhoea)
- signs of lung problems (such as new or worsening cough, trouble breathing, and fever)
- signs of blood clot formation in the body (such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or swelling, pain, redness, or warmth in an arm or leg)
- severe stomach pain with bloating and difficulty in passing stools
- severe pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
How To Manage Side Effects
Mouth Ulcers
Avoid eating spicy foods. Drink plenty of water. Apply a pain-relieving gel on the affected areas of the mouth if required. Consult your doctor if the symptom did not improve.
Nausea And Vomiting
Stick to simple meals. Avoid eating oily or spicy foods. Consult your doctor if the symptoms are worsening.
Warning & Precautions
Pregnancy
ContraindicatedIRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is not recommended for use in pregnant women as it may cause harm to the growing baby. Therefore, inform your doctor before receiving it. Women of childbearing potential must use a suitable contraceptive method to avoid pregnancy during the management and for at least 6 months after the last dose.
Breastfeeding
ContraindicatedIRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is not recommended for use in women who are breastfeeding. Therefore, consult your doctor before receiving it.
Driving and Using Machines
Use with CautionIRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION may cause dizziness and vision problem during the first 24 hours after receiving it. Therefore, do not drive or handle any heavy tools or machines if your ability is affected by this medicine.
Allergy
ContraindicatedTalk to your doctor before receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION if you are allergic to Irinotecan.
Heart Disease
Use with CautionIRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION should be used with caution in patients with hypertension or any other heart diseases. Therefore, inform your doctor before receiving it.
Use In Pediatrics
Consult your doctorThe safety and efficacy of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION have not been established in children and adolescents (aged below 18 years). Therefore, consult your doctor before receiving it.
Use In Geriatrics
Use with CautionIRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION should be used with caution in elderly patients (aged 65 years or above). Therefore, consult your doctor before receiving it.
Others
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is not recommended for use if you:
- have any inflammation in the bowel for a prolonged period
- have any obstructions or block in the gut
- have elevated bilirubin levels in the blood
- have severe bone marrow failure
- are in a poor general condition
- are taking an herbal medicine called St. John’s Wort for mental illnesses
- recently got vaccinated with a live attenuated vaccine (Ex. vaccine for chicken pox, shingles, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, rotavirus, influenza)
Inform your doctor, before receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION, if you:
- have Gilbert’s syndrome (an inherited condition that causes elevated bilirubin levels and jaundice)
- have a habit of smoking
- have high blood cholesterol levels
- are scheduled for any surgeries (including minor dental surgeries)
Interactions
A. Drug-Drug interactions:
Inform your physician, before receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION, if you are taking any of the following medicines such as:
- medicines used for blood thinning (such as aspirin, warfarin)
- medicines used to manage epilepsy (such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin and fosphenytoin)
- medicines used to manage fungal infections (such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and Posaconazole)
- medicines used to manage bacterial infection (such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, and telithromycine)
- medicines used to manage tuberculosis (Ex. rifampicin and rifabutin)
- St. John's Wort (a herbal dietary supplement used to manage mental illnesses)
- live attenuated vaccines (such as vaccine for chicken pox, shingles, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, rotavirus, influenza)
- medicines used to manage HIV infection (such as ritonavir, amprenavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, atazanavir, and others)
- medicines used to suppress your body’s immune system and to manage transplant rejection (such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus)
- other medicines used to manage cancer (such as regorafenib, crizotinib, idelalisib, apalutamide, 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid, bevacizumab and cetuximab)
- medicines used for relaxing muscles during surgeries (Ex. suxamethonium)
- laxatives (used to soften stools) such as lactulose
Overdosage:
IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION will be administered to you only by a doctor or a nurse in a hospital, and so it is unlikely to receive an overdose. However, consult your doctor if you experience any unusual symptoms.
Synopsis
| Drug | : | Irinotecan |
| Pharmacological Category | : | Topoisomerase-1 Inhibitors |
| Therapeutic Indication | : | Colorectal cancer |
| Dosage Forms | : | Injection |
More Information
- Keep IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION out of reach of children
- Store IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION at room temperature
FAQs About IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION
Q: What is the use of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION?
A: IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION It is used to manage advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (cancers of colon and rectum).
Q: Will men managed with IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION be able to father a child?
A: No studies have shown that IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION may affect fertility. However, talk to your doctor about the possible risk with this medicine and the options for preserving sperms before undergoing therapy with IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION.
Q: How IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION works?
A: IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is an anticancer medication. It works by blocking the actions of certain enzymes (DNA-Topoisomerase-1) within the cells which is required for cells to grow and multiply. As a result, it manages abnormal cell division and slows down the growth and spread of cancer cells within the body.
Q: How IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is administered?
A: IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION will be given to you only by a doctor or a nurse into the vein (as an intravenous infusion).
Q: What are the most common side effects of receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION?
A: The most common side effects of receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain mouth ulcers, hair loss, tiredness, weakness, increased infections, increased bleeding tendency and difficulty in passing stools. Consult your doctor if any of these side effects trouble you.
Q: Will the use of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION cause infertility?
A: No studies have shown that IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION may affect fertility. However, consult your doctor for advice.
Q: Can IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION manage cancer?
A: The manage rate of cancer depends upon the severity of the disease. However, IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION acts by managing the abnormal growth and multiplication of cancer cells in the body, which may help in managing cancer completely.
Q: Can the use of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION cause hair loss?
A: Hair loss is one of the common side effects of receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION. If it bothers you, consult your doctor for advice. This side effect usually disappears, and new hair starts regrowing once the therapy with this medicine stops completely.
Q: Can the use of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION cause mouth ulcers?
A: Mouth ulcers are one of the common side effects of receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION. Avoid eating spicy foods. Drink plenty of water. Apply a pain-relieving gel on the affected areas of the mouth if required. Consult your doctor if the symptom did not improve.
Q: Is IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION a chemo drug?
A: Yes. IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION contains a medicine called irinotecan which is a chemotherapeutic agent. It stops abnormal growth and multiplication of cancer cells in the body.
Q: What happens if I stop receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION?
A: No. Do not stop receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION without consulting your doctor as it may make your symptoms reappear. Therefore, take IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION as advised by your doctor for the stipulated duration.
Q: Can IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION be used during pregnancy?
A: IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION is not recommended for use in pregnant women as it may cause harm to the growing baby. Therefore, inform your doctor before receiving it.
Q: Can the use of IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION make me feel tired?
A: Yes. IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION may make you feel tired easily. This is because, it reduces the levels of red blood cells in your blood and may make you anaemic. Consult your doctor if you experience tiredness after receiving IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION. Tiredness can also occur if you have any pre-existing disease conditions such as liver or kidney impairment while taking this medicine.
Q: How to control nausea caused due to IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION?
A: Generally, anticancer medicines are associated with uncontrollable nausea and vomiting. To avoid this, your doctor would prescribe a suitable medicine to control them along with IRINOTEL 100MG INJECTION. If not, consult your doctor for a suitable anti-emetic medicine. Do not self-manage nausea.
References
1. KD. Tripathi. Anticancer Drugs. Essentials of Medical Pharmacology. 7th Edition. 2013. Page – 866.
2. Gizem Reyhanoglu, Travis Smith. Irinotecan. NIH. National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PMC. PubMed Central. January 2023. [Accessed on 22nd March 2023] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554441/
3. Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. Irinotecan hydrochloride Injection. Dailymed. [Revised in June 2020]. [Accessed on 22nd March 2023] https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9c6aa884-750e-4b11-9955-bc7ab6e9c2ad
4. Hospira UK Limited. Irinotecan Hydrochloride 20 mg/mL concentrate for solution for infusion. European Medicines Compendium. [Revised in December 2022]. [Accessed on 22nd March 2023] https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.6506.pdf
5. Generics UK Limited. Epirubicin Hydrochloride 2mg/ml solution for Injection. European Medicines Compendium. [Revised in October 2015]. [Accessed on 22nd March 2023] http://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/2169453.PA0405_081_001.a3bdab0d-7fe8-4e0f-a5af-f9ec9d3126af.000001Epirubicin%20PIL.151222.pdf
6. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. Irinotecan HCl Trihydrate Injection 20 mg/ml (Pack Size 25ml). August 2010. Irinotecan HCl Trihydrate Injection 20 mg/ml (Pack Size 25ml). [Accessed on 22nd March 2023] https://cdscoonline.gov.in/CDSCO/Drugs
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