Brand Names

Category

• Antibacterial, antimycobacterial

Description

Capreomycin (kap-ree-oh-MYE-sin) is used to treat tuberculosis (TB). It is given with other medicines for TB.

To help clear up your tuberculosis (TB) completely, you must keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better. This is very important. It is also important that you do not miss any doses .

Capreomycin is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:

Parenteral
• Injection (U.S. and Canada)

Before Receiving 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 capreomycin, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy--Capreomycin has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in rats given 31/2 times the human dose have shown that capreomycin may cause birth defects.

Breast-feeding--It is not known whether capreomycin passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children--Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of capreomycin 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 or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of capreomycin 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 receiving capreomycin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Aminoglycosides by injection (amikacin [e.g., Amikin], gentamicin [e.g., Garamycin], kanamycin [e.g., Kantrex], neomycin [e.g., Mycifradin], netilmicin [e.g., Netromycin], streptomycin, tobramycin [e.g., Nebcin]) or
• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
• Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol) or
• Combination pain medicine containing acetaminophen and aspirin (e.g., Excedrin) or other salicylates (with large amounts taken regularly) or
• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
• Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) (with long-term use) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
• Inflammation or pain medicines, except narcotics, or
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm) or
• Streptozocin (e.g., Zanosar) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola)--Use of any of these medicines with capreomycin may increase the chance of hearing, balance, or kidney side effects

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

• Eighth-cranial-nerve disease (loss of hearing and/or balance)--Capreomycin may cause hearing and balance side effects

• Kidney disease--Capreomycin may cause serious side effects affecting the kidneys

• Myasthenia gravis or
• Parkinson's disease--Capreomycin may cause muscular weakness

Proper Use of This Medicine

To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment , even if you begin to feel better after a few weeks. You may have to use it every day for as long as 1 to 2 years or more. If you stop using this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return.

Dosing--The dose of capreomycin will be different for different patients. The following information includes only the average doses of capreomycin. Your dose may be different if you have kidney disease.

• For injection dosage form:
  • For treatment of tuberculosis (TB):
    • Adults and adolescents--1 gram of capreomycin injected into the muscle once a day for 60 to 120 days. After this time, 1 gram of capreomycin is injected into the muscle 2 or 3 times a week. This medicine must be given with other medicines to treat tuberculosis (TB).
    • Children--Dose has not been determined.

Side Effects of This Medicine

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Greatly increased or decreased frequency of urination or amount of urine; increased thirst; loss of appetite; nausea; vomiting

Less common

Any loss of hearing; clumsiness or unsteadiness; difficulty in breathing; dizziness; drowsiness; fever; irregular heartbeat; itching; muscle cramps or pain; pain, redness, hardness, unusual bleeding, or a sore at the place of injection; ringing or buzzing or a feeling of fullness in the ears; skin rash; swelling; unusual tiredness or weakness

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

Revised: 06/27/94
Interim revision: 10/20/98

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