Probenecid (Systemic)

Brand Names : Benemid, Probalan, Benuryl

Before Using This Medicine

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 probenecid, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Probenecid has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Breast-feeding - Probenecid has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Probenecid has been tested in children 2 to 14 years of age for use together with antibiotics. It has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults. Studies on the effects of probenecid in patients with gout have been done only in adults. Gout is very rare in children.

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. There is no specific information comparing use of probenecid 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. When you are taking probenecid, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Antineoplastics (cancer medicine) - The chance of serious side effects may be increased

• Aspirin or other salicylates - These medicines may keep probenecid from working properly for treating gout, depending on the amount of aspirin or other salicylate that you take and how often you take it

• Heparin - Probenecid may increase the effects of heparin, which increases the chance of side effects

• Indomethacin (e.g., Indocin) or
• Ketoprofen (e.g., Orudis) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) - Probenecid may increase the blood levels of these medicines, which increases the chance of side effects

• Medicine for infection, including tuberculosis or virus infection - Probenecid may increase the blood levels of many of these medicines. In some cases, this is a desired effect and probenecid may be used to help the other medicine work better. However, the chance of side effects is sometimes also increased

• Nitrofurantoin (e.g., Furadantin) - Probenecid may keep nitrofurantoin from working properly

• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) - Probenecid increases the blood level of zidovudine and may allow lower doses of zidovudine to be used. However, the chance of side effects is also increased

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

• Blood disease or
• Cancer being treated by antineoplastics (cancer medicine) or radiation (x-rays) or
• Kidney disease or stones (or history of) or
• Stomach ulcer (history of) - The chance of side effects may be increased