Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension
Generic name: Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension [ mye-koe-FEN-oh-late-MOE-fe-til ]
Brand name: CellCept
Drug class: Selective immunosuppressants
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 1, 2024.
Warning
- Use of mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension during pregnancy may cause birth defects or death of the unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, you must use birth control that you can trust to prevent pregnancy while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. Your doctor must talk with you about how to avoid getting pregnant while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. A pregnancy test will be done right before starting mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension and repeated 8 to 10 days later to show that you are NOT pregnant. If you get pregnant or plan on getting pregnant while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension, call your doctor right away.
- This medicine may raise the chance of getting cancer like lymphoma or skin cancer. Call your doctor right away if you have a change in color or size of a mole, a skin lump or growth, a big weight loss, night sweats, or swollen glands.
- You may have more of a chance of getting an infection. Wash hands often. Stay away from people with infections, colds, or flu. Some infections have been very bad and even deadly.
- Call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection like fever, chills, flu-like signs, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or a wound that will not heal.
Uses of Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension:
- It is used to keep the body from harming the organ after an organ transplant.
- It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.
What do I need to tell my doctor BEFORE I take Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension?
- If you have an allergy to mycophenolate or any other part of mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
- If you are allergic to mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension; any part of mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension; or any other drugs, foods, or substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had.
- If you have Lesch-Nyhan or Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome or a rare inherited deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT).
- If you are taking any of these drugs: Azathioprine, cholestyramine, colesevelam, colestipol, norfloxacin with metronidazole, or sevelamer.
- If you are taking another drug that has the same drug in it.
- If you are able to get pregnant and are not using 2 kinds of birth control.
- If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.
This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.
What are some things I need to know or do while I take Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension?
- Tell all of your health care providers that you take mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
- Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension affects you.
- If you have high blood sugar (diabetes), you will need to watch your blood sugar closely.
- Have blood work checked as you have been told by the doctor. Talk with the doctor.
- You may bleed more easily. Be careful and avoid injury. Use a soft toothbrush and an electric razor.
- The chance of skin cancer may be raised. Avoid lots of sun, sunlamps, and tanning beds. Use sunscreen and wear clothing and eyewear that protects you from the sun.
- A very bad brain problem called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) has happened with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. It may cause disability or can be deadly. Tell your doctor right away if you have signs like confusion, memory problems, low mood (depression), change in the way you act, change in strength on 1 side is greater than the other, trouble speaking or thinking, change in balance, or change in eyesight.
- Some people treated with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension have had very bad kidney problems caused by a certain viral infection (BK virus). In people who have had a kidney transplant, BK virus infection may cause loss of the kidney. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of kidney problems like change in the amount of urine passed, difficulty or pain when passing urine, or blood in the urine.
- Hepatitis B or C testing may be done. A hepatitis B or C infection may get worse while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
- Bleeding, holes, and ulcers in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract have happened with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. Sometimes, people have had to go to the hospital. Talk with the doctor.
- This medicine may cause diarrhea. If you get diarrhea, talk with your doctor about ways to lower this effect. Do not stop taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension without talking with your doctor.
- If you are 65 or older, use mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension with care. You could have more side effects.
- Use with care in children. Talk with the doctor.
- If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), talk with your doctor. Some products have phenylalanine.
- If you are a man and have sex with a female who could get pregnant, you may need to protect her from pregnancy during treatment and for some time after your last dose. Talk with your doctor to see if you need to use birth control after your last dose.
- Birth control pills and other hormone-based birth control may not work as well to prevent pregnancy. Use 2 kinds of birth control while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
- Use 2 kinds of birth control during treatment and for 6 weeks after your last dose.
- If you get pregnant while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension or within 6 weeks after your last dose, call your doctor right away.
How is this medicine (Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension) best taken?
Use mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.
- Take on an empty stomach at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
- Keep taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension as you have been told by your doctor or other health care provider, even if you feel well.
- Take mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension at the same time of day.
- This medicine interacts with many other drugs. The chance of side effects may be raised or how well mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension works may be lowered. Check with your doctor and pharmacist to make sure that it is safe for you to take mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension with all of your other drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins).
- Take antacids that have aluminum or magnesium in them at least 2 hours after taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
- Shake well before use.
- Measure liquid doses carefully. Use the measuring device that comes with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension.
- Do not mix with any other liquid drugs.
- If you get mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension on the skin, wash it off right away with soap and water.
- If mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension gets in the eyes, rinse with cool water.
- Those who have feeding tubes may use mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. Use as you have been told. Flush the feeding tube after mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension is given.
- Talk with your doctor before getting any vaccines. Use of some vaccines with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension may either raise the chance of an infection or make the vaccine not work as well.
- You may need to avoid donating blood while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension and for some time after. Talk with your doctor.
- If you are a man, you may need to avoid donating sperm while taking mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension and for some time after. Talk with your doctor.
What do I do if I miss a dose?
- Take a missed dose as soon as you think about it.
- If it is less than 2 hours until your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time.
- Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.
Related/similar drugs
tacrolimus, azathioprine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, CellCept, Imuran
What are some side effects that I need to call my doctor about right away?
WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:
- Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Signs of high blood sugar like confusion, feeling sleepy, more thirst, more hungry, passing urine more often, flushing, fast breathing, or breath that smells like fruit.
- Signs of electrolyte problems like mood changes, confusion, muscle pain or weakness, a heartbeat that does not feel normal, seizures, not hungry, or very bad upset stomach or throwing up.
- Signs of high or low blood pressure like very bad headache or dizziness, passing out, or change in eyesight.
- Signs of kidney problems like unable to pass urine, change in how much urine is passed, blood in the urine, or a big weight gain.
- Signs of skin infection like oozing, heat, swelling, redness, or pain.
- Chest pain or pressure.
- Fast or slow heartbeat.
- A heartbeat that does not feel normal.
- Feeling very tired or weak.
- Any unexplained bruising or bleeding.
- Throwing up blood or throw up that looks like coffee grounds.
- Black, tarry, or bloody stools.
- A burning, numbness, or tingling feeling that is not normal.
- Muscle cramps.
- Very bad belly pain.
- Swelling.
- Pale skin.
- White patches in mouth.
- Vaginal itching or discharge.
- Yellow skin or eyes.
- Some people have had lung problems with mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension. Sometimes, this has been deadly. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of lung problems like shortness of breath or other trouble breathing, cough that is new or worse, or fever.
What are some other side effects of Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension?
All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:
- Back pain.
- Constipation.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Not hungry.
- Stomach pain or diarrhea.
- Gas.
- Feeling tired or weak.
- Shakiness.
- Upset stomach or throwing up.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Joint pain.
These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088. You may also report side effects at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
If OVERDOSE is suspected:
If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.
How do I store and/or throw out Mycophenolate Mofetil Oral Suspension?
- Store at room temperature or in a refrigerator. Do not freeze.
- Throw away any unused part 60 days after mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension was mixed. Talk with your pharmacist if you are not sure when this is.
- Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
- Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area.
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
- If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
- Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
- This medicine comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension is refilled. If you have any questions about mycophenolate mofetil oral suspension, please talk with the doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
- If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.
More about mycophenolate mofetil
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