Sevelamer (Oral)

Brand Names : Renagel

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 sevelamer, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in humans. Studies in animals have found that sevelamer may affect development of bones, possibly by reducing the amount of vitamin D absorbed into the body. It is not known if sevelamer affects the absorption of vitamins in pregnant women; however, sevelamer did not affect the levels of vitamins in the blood in humans who were taking multivitamins. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

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

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of sevelamer in children with use in other age groups.

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. Although there is no specific information comparing use of sevelamer in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine has been used in elderly patients and is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

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 sevelamer, it is especially important that your health care professional know 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 sevelamer. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bowel obstruction (blockage) or other disorders affecting the gastrointestinal tract or
• Difficulty in swallowing or
• Major surgery on the gastrointestinal tract - Use of sevelamer may cause problems in these conditions

• Hypophosphatemia - Use of sevelamer may make this condition worse