Leucovorin (Systemic)
Brand Names : Wellcovorin, citrovorum factor, folinic acid
Before Using This MedicineIn 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 leucovorin, the
following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to leucovorin. Also tell your health care professional if
you are allergic to any other substance, such as foods, sulfites or other
preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy - Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done
in either humans or animals.
Breast-feeding - It is not known whether leucovorin passes into
the breast milk. However, it has not been reported to cause problems in nursing
babies.
Children - In children with seizures, leucovorin may increase
the number of seizures that occur.
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 leucovorin 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 prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter
[OTC]) medicine.
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of leucovorin. If you are taking leucovorin as
an antidote to methotrexate, make sure you tell your doctor if you have any
other medical problems, especially:
-
Kidney disease - Levels of methotrexate may be increased because
of its slower removal from the body, so the dose of leucovorin may not be
enough to block the unwanted effects of methotrexate
-
Nausea and vomiting - Not enough leucovorin may be absorbed into
the body to block the unwanted effects of methotrexate
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