Plicamycin (Systemic)

Brand Names : Mithracin, mithramycin

Before Receiving This Medicine

Plicamycin is a very strong medicine. In addition to its helpful effects in treating your medical problem, it has side effects that could be very serious. Before you receive this medicine, be sure that you have discussed its use with your doctor.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For plicamycin, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to plicamycin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Plicamycin is not recommended for use during pregnancy. There is a possibility that it may be harmful to the fetus.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether plicamycin passes into the breast milk.

Children - Studies on this medicine have not been done in children; however, plicamycin can cause serious side effects in any patient. Therefore, it is especially important that you discuss with the child's doctor the good that this medicine may do as well as the risks of using it.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of plicamycin in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other medicines or are having x-ray treatments.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of plicamycin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding problems - Use of plicamycin may increase the risk of bleeding

• Blood disease or
• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Use of plicamycin may make these conditions worse

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Use of plicamycin may make your reaction to either of these conditions worse