What is the most important information I should know about eltrombopag?
Call your doctor at once if you have signs of liver problems: nausea, upper stomach pain, confusion, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
What is eltrombopag?
Eltrombopag is used to prevent bleeding episodes in adults and children age 1 year and older, who have chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). ITP is a bleeding condition caused by a lack of platelets in the blood.
Eltrombopag is not a cure for ITP and it will not make your platelet counts normal if you have this condition.
Eltrombopag is also used to prevent bleeding in adults with chronic hepatitis C who are treated with an interferon (such as Intron A, Infergen, Pegasys, PegIntron, Rebetron, Redipen, or Sylatron).
Eltrombopag is also used together with other medications to treat severe aplastic anemia in adults and children who are at least 2 years old.
Eltrombopag is sometimes given after other treatments have failed.
Eltrombopag is not for use in treating myelodysplastic syndrome (also called "preleukemia").
Eltrombopag may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking eltrombopag?
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- a blood clot;
- liver disease (unless you are being treated for hepatitis C);
- cataracts;
- surgery to remove your spleen; or
- if you are of East Asian descent (Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, or Korean).
Eltrombopag may harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine, and for at least 7 days after your last dose. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant.
You should not breastfeed while using this medicine.
How should I take eltrombopag?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
You may take eltrombopag in any of the following ways:
- on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating;
- with a meal containing fewer than 50 milligrams of calcium; or
- at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after eating foods high in calcium (dairy products, calcium-fortified juices, certain fruits and vegetables).
Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.
Mix the oral suspension powder only with water. Use a new dosing syringe each time you mix the medicine, to measure the water and to give the correct dose.
You may need frequent medical tests to check your bone marrow cells or liver function. Your eyes may also need to be checked for signs of cataracts.
Eltrombopag doses are based on weight in children younger than 6 years old. Your child's dose needs may change if the child gains or loses weight.
Eltrombopag is usually taken for 6 months. It may take up to 4 weeks before the medicine prevents major bleeding episodes. Keep taking eltrombopag as directed and tell your doctor if you have any bruising or bleeding episodes after 4 weeks of taking eltrombopag.
If you take eltrombopag with medication to treat chronic hepatitis C, tell your doctor if you stop using any of your hepatitis medications.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tablets in their original container. After mixing eltrombopag oral suspension, store the liquid at room temperature and use it within 30 minutes.
After you stop taking eltrombopag, your risk of bleeding or bruising may be even higher than it was before you started treatment. Be extra careful to avoid cuts or injury for at least 4 weeks after you stop taking eltrombopag. Your blood will need to be tested weekly during this time.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses in one day.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Taking too much eltrombopag may cause a life-threatening blood clot.
What should I avoid while taking eltrombopag?
Ask your doctor before using an antacid, and use only the type your doctor recommends. Some antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb eltrombopag and should not be taken at the same time.
Avoid foods high in calcium (including calcium-fortified fruit juice and certain fruits or vegetables) for at least 4 hours before or 2 hours after you take eltrombopag.
Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding or injury. Use extra care to prevent bleeding while shaving or brushing your teeth.
What are the possible side effects of eltrombopag?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
You could develop a blood clot if your platelet count gets too high while you are using eltrombopag. Call your doctor or get emergency medical help if you have:
-
signs of a stroke --sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
-
signs of a blood clot in the stomach --severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea;
-
signs of a blood clot in the lung --chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood; or
-
signs of a blood clot in your leg --pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- any bruising or bleeding episodes during or after treatment with eltrombopag;
- vision changes, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
- pain or burning when you urinate;
-
low red blood cells (anemia) --pale skin, unusual tiredness, feeling light-headed or short of breath, cold hands and feet; or
-
liver problems --confusion, tiredness, stomach pain (upper right side), stomach swelling, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Common side effects may include:
- nausea, diarrhea;
- fever;
- cough;
- headache, tiredness;
- anemia; or
- abnormal bone marrow or liver function tests.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect eltrombopag?
Some medicines can make eltrombopag much less effective when taken at the same time. If you take any of the following medicines, take your eltrombopag dose 2 hours before or 4 hours after you take the other medicine:
- an antacid; or
- vitamin or mineral supplements that contain aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, or zinc.
Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:
-
a blood thinner --warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven; or
-
cholesterol medication --atorvastatin, ezetimibe, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, or simvastatin.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect eltrombopag, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
Where can I get more information?
Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about eltrombopag.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2020 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 13.01. Revision date: 6/22/2020.
