Acetylcysteine Injection (Teligent Ou): Uses, Side Effects and Dosage

What is Acetylcysteine Injection used for?

Acetylcysteine Injection is used to:

• Treat patients with unusual, sticky or thick mucous secretions. It is used:

  • along with your main or initial therapy in conditions that affect your lungs.

    You can have some of these lung conditions that last for a long time such as:

    • emphysema
    • emphysema with bronchitis
    • asthmatic bronchitis
    • tuberculosis
    • bronchiectasis
    • primary amyloidosis of the lungs

You can have some of these lung conditions that start all of a sudden and last for a short period of time such as:

• pneumonia
• bronchitis
• tracheobronchitis
• when there are problems with your lungs caused by cystic fibrosis
• after you have had a tracheotomy
• have problems with your lungs after you have had a surgery
• during surgery when you are given a drug to ease the pain and relax your muscles (an anesthetic)
• for chest conditions that occur after or as a result of a trauma
• for a condition in which one or more areas of your lungs collapse or do not fill with air properly. This is due to a blockage caused by mucous.
• for diagnostic procedures such as:
• bronchograms
• brochospirometry
• wedge catheterization
• Treat or prevent damage to your liver which may occur after you have taken too much acetaminophen (overdose).

How does Acetylcysteine Injection work?

Acetylcysteine Injection works:

• to break down the mucous in the respiratory tract

• by protecting your liver after you have taken too much acetaminophen. It may do this

  • by:
  • restoring and keeping the right levels of a naturally occurring substance in your liver or
  • lowering the amount of harmful substances in your liver

What are the ingredients in Acetylcysteine Injection?

Medicinal ingredient: Acetylcysteine

Non-medicinal ingredients: Disodium edetate, sodium hydroxide (to adjust pH) and water for Injection.

Acetylcysteine Injection comes in the following dosage forms:

Solution: 200 mg/mL.

Do not use Acetylcysteine Injection if:

• You are allergic to acetylcysteine or to any of the other ingredients in Acetylcysteine Injection.

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take Acetylcysteine Injection. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

• have had a serious allergic reaction in the past such as a rash, low blood pressure, wheezing and/ or shortness of breath.

• are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant

• breastfeeding or planning on breastfeeding
• suffer from asthma or have other breathing problems and are taking this drug by inhaling it (inhalation)
• have a history of bleeding in your esophagus or stomach ulcers and are taking this drug by mouth (orally)
• have brain damage caused by liver failure and are taking this drug as intravenously (I.V).

Other warnings you should know about:

For treatment of mucous secretions:

General:

• Acetylcysteine Injection is not compatible with rubber and metals, particularly iron, copper and nickel.
• If the vial is left open, the solution may change to a light purple colour. If this happens, the solution is still safe to use.

Inhalation

• When you inhale Acetylcysteine Injection you may notice a slight unpleasant smell. This should become less noticeable with time.
• After you have taken Acetylcysteine Injection you may have an increase of mucous secretions. If you cannot get rid of the excess secretions by coughing, you might need to have your airway cleared by manual suction or surgery.

Use with a nebulizer:

• If you use a nebulizer to inhale the medication and you use a face mask there may be stickiness on the face after you have inhaled it. This can be easily removed by washing your face with water.
• If you use a dry gas along with the medication in a nebulizer for a long period of time it may cause build-up of the medication in the nebulizer. This may prevent the nebulizer from working properly. If this happens, you should dilute the nebulizing solution with sterile water for injection. This should help prevent this from happening.

To treat an acetaminophen overdose:

General:

• Acetylcysteine Injection is not compatible with rubber and metals, particularly iron, copper and nickel.
• Your doctor will take samples of your blood after an overdose. This is to monitor the levels of acetaminophen in your body. Your doctor will also monitor your liver and kidney function, the levels of electrolytes and fluid in your body.

When taken by mouth (orally):

• If the vial is left open, the solution may change to a light purple colour. If this happens, the solution is still safe to use.
• One of the signs of an acetaminophen overdose is vomiting a lot. Treatment with Acetylcysteine Injection may make it worse. If you mix Acetylcysteine Injection with a soft drink, it can help you not vomit as often.
• You may notice a rash after taking this drug. This happens rarely. If this occurs and other allergic symptoms also appear, you should stop taking the drug and talk to your doctor right away.

When taken as an Intravenous Injection:

• The contents of the vial are to be used only once. Throw away the rest. Do not use the contents in a vial if it has been previously opened.
• Taking Acetylcysteine Injection as an injection can cause your body to hold on to excess fluid. This may cause hyponatremia. This is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood becomes too low. It may also cause seizures and can lead to death. You should be careful if you are taking this drug and you weigh less than 40 kilograms or you giving this drug as an injection to a child.
• You may notice that your face or skin becomes hot and red (flush). This usually happens 30 to 60 minutes after you start taking the drug. It usually goes away on its own. If it gets worse or does not go away, tell your doctor.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.

The following may interact with Acetylcysteine Injection:

Acetylcysteine Injection is not compatible with rubber and metals, particularly iron, copper and nickel.

How to take Acetylcysteine Injection:

Acetylcysteine Injection can be taken either intravenously (I.V.), by mouth (orally) or by inhaling it (inhalation). Your doctor will determine the amount of Acetylcysteine Injection you will receive based on your condition and your weight. They will tell you how to use this drug. Always take it exactly as they have told you to take it. Check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Overdose:

Signs of an overdose include those that are similar to an allergic reaction but may be more severe such as:

• rash
• difficulty breathing
• shortness of breath
• swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue or throat

What are possible side effects from using Acetylcysteine Injection?

These are not all the possible side effects you may feel when taking Acetylcysteine Injection. If you experience any side effects not listed here, contact your healthcare professional.

Side effects include:

• swelling in the mouth or a sore mouth
• nausea
• vomiting
• runny nose
• cough
• a feeling of tightness in the chest or chest pain
• puffy eyes and/or blurred vision
• sweating
• generally feeling unwell
• fever
• a slow heart rate
• pain in your eyes or your face
• a condition called acidosis which may cause weariness, vomiting, thirst or feeling restless
• feeling anxious
• pain, stiffness, swelling and redness in your joints.
• bluish skin

Serious side effects and what to do about them

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, talk to your healthcare professional.

Reporting Side Effects

Storage:

Unopened vials: store at room temperature (15-30˚C). Protect the vials from light.

Opened vials:

For oral and inhalation use: store the opened vial in the fridge (between 2 and 8°C). Use the contents of the vial within 96 hours.

For intravenous (I.V.) use: use the contents of the vial only once (single use). Throw away the rest. Do not use the contents of the vial if it has been previously opened.

For Solutions that have been diluted for oral and inhalation use: Solutions should be prepared as needed and used within 1 hour.

For Solutions that have been diluted for intravenous (IV) use: Solutions should be prepared as needed and used over specific times.

Keep out of reach and sight of children.

If you want more information about Acetylcysteine Injection:

• Talk to your healthcare professional
• Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website; the manufacturer’s contact no. 1-800-656-0793.