Abelcet

Drugs

Generic Name: Amphotericin
Product Name: Abelcet

Indication of Abelcet
Action of Abelcet
Dose Advice of Abelcet
Schedule of Abelcet
Common side effects of Abelcet
Uncommon side effects of Abelcet
Reference

Indication of Abelcet:

Abelcet is a drug for infusion into the vein. It contains amphotericin B as the active compound.

Other inactive ingredients are:

Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine
Dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol
Sodium chloride
Water for injections

Abelcet is a drug which is used to counter fungal infection, particularly fungal infections caused by Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus species.

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Action of Abelcet:

Abelcet helps the body overcome serious fungal infections by either killing the fungus or by stopping it spreading. It is not used to treat bacterial or viral infections.

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Dose Advice of Abelcet:

The doctor will calculate the recommended daily dose based on the body weight, which is is 5.0mg per kg of weight per day. The drug is given via an infusion into the vein for approximately 2 hours. It is used for at least 14 days for severe systemic infections.

Inform the doctor if any of the following is present:

Previous allergic reaction to amphotericin or other inactive ingredients listed above: unless the doctor believes that the benefits from taking the drug is greater than the potential risks of allergic reactions. Allergic reactions occur in the form of hives, itchy skin rash, swelling, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, faintness. Tell your doctor if any of these occured in the past while taking amphotericin or any other ingredients contained in Abelcet.
Pregnancy or intention of getting pregnant.
Breastfeeding or intention of breastfeeding.
Kidney or liver problems or other serious illness.
Use of drugs affecting the kidneys (anticancer drugs, digoxin, corticosteroids, zidovudine, cyclosporin).

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Schedule of Abelcet:

Schedule 4

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Common side effects of Abelcet:

As with any other medications, Abelcet causes some side effects:

Chills and fever (paracetamol may be given to help stop these).
Allergic reactions as mentioned above (hives, itchy rash, swelling, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, faintness).
Infection.
Low blood pressure, fast heart rate.
Diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Blood tests will be done during treatment to check the liver, blood and kidney functions.

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Uncommon side effects of Abelcet:

Tummy pain.
Chest pain.
Headache.
Heart failure, irregular heart beats.
Constipation.
Urinary tract infection.

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Reference:

1. Mims online - Prescribing information for Abelcet [online]. 2003 [cited 2005 September 26th]. Available from: URL: http://mims.hcn.net.au.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ifmx-nsapi/mims-data/?MIval=2MIMS_abbr_pi&product_code=4140&product_name=Abelcet 2. Consumer Medicine Information on Abelcet. 2004. [cited 2005 September 26th]. 3. Prescribing Information on Abelcet. 2004. [cited 2005 September 26th].

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