Zorbtive

Generic Name: somatropin (soe ma TROE pin)
Brand Names: Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Nutropin, Saizen, Serostim, Zorbtive

What is Zorbtive?

Zorbtive is a form of human growth hormone. Zorbtive produces effects that are identical to the body's naturally occurring growth hormone. Human growth hormone is important in the body for the growth of bones and muscles.

Zorbtive is used to treat Short Bowel Syndrome in patients who are on a specialized diet. Zorbtive will not cure Short Bowel Syndrome. Somatropin is also used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone, and in those with chronic kidney failure, Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, and other causes. It is also used to prevent severe weight loss in AIDS patients.

Zorbtive may also be used for other purposes not listed here.

Important information about Zorbtive

If you use a steroid or any medicine to treat diabetes, your doses may need to be changed when you start using Zorbtive. Do not stop using or change the dose of your steroid or diabetes medication without your doctor's advice.

When taking Zorbtive to treat short bowel syndrome, it is very important to follow the diet plan created for you by your doctor or nutrition counselor. Zorbtive is not a cure for short bowel syndrome.

If you have Prader-Willi syndrome and are using somatropin, call your doctor promptly if you develop signs of lung or breathing problems such as shortness of breath, coughing, or new or increased snoring.

Call your doctor at once if you have sudden and severe pain or tenderness in your upper stomach, with nausea, vomiting, sweating, fever, fast heartbeat, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. You should also call your doctor promptly if you have vision changes and sudden, severe pain behind your eyes.

Read and carefully follow the instructions provided with Zorbtive about proper storage before and after it has been mixed.

Before using Zorbtive

Before you receive Zorbtive, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a growth hormone medicine, or to drug preservatives such as benzyl alcohol, metacresol or glycerin.

Do not use Zorbtive if you are allergic to somatropin, or if you have:

• diabetic retinopathy (a serious eye condition caused by diabetes);

• cancer; or

• Prader-Willi syndrome and are also overweight or have sleep apnea or severe respiratory (lung) problems.

You should also not use Zorbtive if you have a serious medical condition after having:

• open heart surgery or stomach surgery;

• trauma or other medical emergency; or

• breathing problems (such as lung failure).

Before using Zorbtive, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver disease;
• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);

• diabetes;

• scoliosis;

• high blood pressure (hypertension);

• a pancreas disorder;

• cancer (past or present);

• carpal tunnel syndrome;

• underactive thyroid; or

• a brain tumor or lesion.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use Zorbtive.

FDA pregnancy category C. Zorbtive may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Zorbtive passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Zorbtive without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I use Zorbtive?

Use Zorbtive exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your dose of this medicine and how often you give it will depend on what you are being treated for.

Zorbtive is given as an injection under the skin or into a muscle. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be given instructions on how to inject your medicine at home. Do not use this medicine at home if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of needles and syringes used in giving the medicine.

Your doctor or nurse will show you several areas on your body where you can inject Zorbtive. Use a different injection place each time you give yourself the shot. Do not inject this medicine into skin or muscle that is red, sore, infected, or injured.

Do not shake the medication vial (bottle). Vigorous shaking can ruin the medicine. When mixing Zorbtive with a diluent (liquid), use a gentle swirling motion. Do not use the medication if it has changed colors or is cloudy. Call your doctor for a new prescription.

Use each disposable needle only one time. Throw away used needles in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.

To be sure Zorbtive is helping your condition and not causing harm, your blood and growth progress will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your eyes may also need to be checked. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you are being treated for short bowel syndrome, follow the diet plan created for you by your doctor or nutrition counselor to help control your condition. Zorbtive is not a cure for short bowel syndrome.

After mixing Zorbtive, use it right away. You can save any unused portion of Zorbtive solution remaining in the vial and store in a refrigerator until your next dose. On the next dose, mix a new vial of Zorbtive. Then, draw up the remaining medication from the refrigerated vial, emptying the vial. Draw up the balance of prescribed dose from the new vial, until the dose amount is reached. Read and carefully follow the instructions provided with your medicine about proper storage of Zorbtive before and after it has been mixed. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about proper storage of your medication.

Throw away any Zorbtive left over after the expiration date on the label has passed.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Call your doctor if you miss more than 3 doses in a row.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include tremors or shaking, cold sweats, increased hunger, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and nausea. Symptoms of long-term overdose may include excessive growth.

What should I avoid while using Zorbtive?

If you use Zorbtive to treat short bowel syndrome, avoid drinking fruit juices or soda beverages. Follow the instructions of your doctor or nutrition counselor about what types of liquids you should drink while using Zorbtive.

Avoid drinking alcohol if you have short bowel syndrome. Alcohol can irritate your stomach and could make your condition worse.

Zorbtive side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• sudden and severe pain or tenderness in your upper stomach;

• nausea, vomiting, sweating, fever, fast heartbeat, yellowing of the skin or eyes;

• increased thirst and urination;

• sudden and severe pain behind your eyes, vision changes;

• swelling in your head, face, hands, or feet; or

• numbness or tingling in your wrist, hand, or fingers.

Less serious side effects may include:

• headache;

• redness, soreness, swelling, skin rash, itching, pain, or bruising where the medicine was injected;

• breast swelling;

• joint pain, swelling, or stiffness; or

• mild nausea, stomach pain, gas.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect Zorbtive?

Before using Zorbtive, tell your doctor if you use insulin or take oral (by mouth) medicine to treat diabetes. Zorbtive may affect blood sugar levels and you may need to adjust your dose of the diabetes medication. Oral diabetes medicines include acetohexamide (Dymelor), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase), tolazamide (Tolinase), and tolbutamide (Orinase). Do not change the dose of your diabetes medication without your doctor's advice.

Tell your doctor if you use any type of steroid medicine such as cortisone (Cortef, Cortone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), prednisolone (Prelone, Pediapred), and dexamethasone (Decadron). Steroids can make Zorbtive less effective and your doses may need to be adjusted. Do not stop using a steroid suddenly. Follow your doctor's instructions.

This is not a complete list and there may be other drugs that can interact with Zorbtive. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about Zorbtive.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Zorbtive 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 1996-2008 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 6.06. Revision Date: 03/17/2008 12:55:38 PM.

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