Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Octreotide Acetate Injection - 50mcg/mL
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What is Octreotide Acetate Injection used for?
Octreotide Acetate Injection (octreotide acetate) is used:
- to control symptoms in patients with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) endocrine tumors or with acromegaly.
- for the prevention of complications following pancreatic surgery.
- for the emergency treatment of bleeding varices (stretched veins) in the esophagus and stomach in patients with liver disease and as protection from rebleeding.
What is a Gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) Endocrine Tumor?
GEP endocrine tumors are growths that have developed from endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach, intestines, appendix) or the pancreas.
Some symptoms come about because GEP endocrine tumors produce and secrete chemical substances called peptides, i.e. small proteins in excess – overloading the system.
The over-secretion of peptides cause diarrhea and flushing.
Carcinoid tumors (generally occurring in the esophagus, stomach, intestines, appendix, and lungs) and VIPomas (almost always occurring in the pancreas) are the most common type of GEP endocrine tumor.
Diarrhea can cause dehydration, it is therefore very important to control it and replace the loss of water and electrolytes as quickly as possible.
What is Acromegaly?
Acromegaly is a life-time, uncommon, debilitating disease characterized by changes in facial bone structure and specific hormonal abnormalities.
Acromegaly is the result of an overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland (a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain). Uncontrolled disease may lead to arthritis, cardiac and neurologic problems. Approximately 20% to 30% of acromegalic patients also demonstrate high blood pressure.
What Octreotide Acetate Injection (octreotide acetate) does?
GEP Endocrine Tumors:
Octreotide Acetate Injection works to help slow down the release of the peptides that cause diarrhea and flushing. It also stimulates water absorption.
Acromegaly:
Octreotide Acetate Injection has been shown to lower the overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.
When it should not be used:
Octreotide Acetate Injection should not be used if you are allergic to the active ingredient octreotide or to any other ingredient of the formulation.
What the medicinal ingredient is:
octreotide acetate.
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
The ampoules contain: lactic acid, sodium hydrogen carbonate and water for injection.
The multidose vials contain: lactic acid, sodium hydrogen carbonate, mannitol and water for injection.
What dosage forms it comes in:
Octreotide Acetate Injection (octreotide acetate) is a solution supplied in:
- 1 mL ampoules, each containing 50 μg, 100 μg or 500 μg of octreotide as acetate. Octreotide Acetate Injection is available in boxes of 5 ampoules.
and
- 5 mL multidose vials. Each vial contains 1000 μg of octreotide as acetate (200 μg/mL).
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
BEFORE you use Octreotide Acetate Injection talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you:
- have high blood pressure (hypertension),
- have problems with your blood sugar levels, either too high or too low (hypoglycaemia),
- have gallstones or have had gallstones in the past, as prolonged use of Octreotide Acetate Injection may result in gallstone formation,
- have problems with your liver (e.g. liver cirrhosis),
- have problems with your kidneys and require dialysis,
are pregnant, suspect that you may be pregnant,
- are breast feeding,
- have heart problems.
If you receive long treatment with Octreotide Acetate Injection your doctor may wish to check your thyroid function periodically.
There is very little experience with the use of Octreotide Acetate Injection in children.
Women of child-bearing potential should use an effective contraceptive method during treatment.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
Drugs that may interact with Octreotide Acetate Injection include:
- drugs to control blood pressure (e.g. beta blockers, calcium channel blockers),
- drugs to control blood sugar (e.g. sulfonylureas, insulin, and diazoxide),
- cimetidine,
- cyclosporine,
- bromocriptine.
- anti-diarrheal agents (affect fluid and electrolytes)
Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other drugs or herbal products, even those without a prescription.
Octreotide Acetate Injection is best injected between meals or on retiring to bed. This may reduce the gastrointestinal side effects of Octreotide Acetate Injection.
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
Usual dose:
Your doctor will tell you how much Octreotide Acetate Injection to take each day. Octreotide Acetate Injection is to be injected under your skin (subcutaneous injection). The doctor will also tell you how to divide your dosage through the day.
How to Prepare Your Injection of Octreotide Acetate Injection?
You will receive your supply of Octreotide Acetate Injection either in ampoules or multidose vials. The ampoules or multidose vials should be visually inspected and not used in the presence of floating particles or discoloration.
- a) Ampoules
- 1. Before breaking open the ampoule, tap the neck portion so that any medication that may be trapped will flow down into the bottom portion of the ampoule.
- 2. Once the ampoule is opened, insert the needle and pull back the plunger to fill the syringe with the desired amount of drug. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you how to read the markings on your syringe so that you can fill it with the right amount of drug for your dose.) Discard any unused medication.
- 3. Check to see if there are any air bubbles in the syringe. If bubbles do appear, hold the syringe upright (with the needle pointed up) and lightly tap the barrel. This should make the bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Then gently press the plunger to push the bubbles out.
- b) Multidose Vials
- 1. Peel off the aluminum seal.
- 2. Wipe the top of the vial with an alcohol swab.
- 3. Remove the cap from the needle and insert the needle into the vial through the rubber stopper.
- 4. Leave the needle in the bottle.
- 5. Turn the vial and the syringe upside down. Keep the needle tip within the liquid. Pull the plunger and carefully withdraw the prescribed amount of Octreotide Acetate Injection (your doctor or nurse will tell you how to read the markings on the syringe so that you fill it with the correct amount of drug for your dose).
- 6. Turn the bottle and syringe back upright.
- 7. Withdraw the needle from the vial.
- 8. Check to see if there are any air bubbles in the syringe. If bubbles do appear, hold the syringe upright (with the needle pointed up) and lightly tap the barrel. This should make the bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Then gently press the plunger to push the bubbles out.
How to Inject Your Dose of Octreotide Acetate Injection
- 1. Choose the area of your hip, thigh, or abdomen where you want to make your injection.
- 2. Clean the site with a fresh alcohol wipe, and keep it nearby.
- 3. Hold the syringe like a pencil, and remove the needle cap.
- 4. Use the thumb and forefinger of your other hand to gently pinch up a fold of skin at the place you want to inject. This will lift the subcutaneous tissue away from the muscle underneath.
- 5. Hold the syringe at a 45o angle, and insert the entire length of the needle into the fold of skin in one quick motion.
- 6. Once the needle is inserted, let go of the skin.
- 7. Using your free hand, pull back on the plunger slightly to check whether you have placed the needle in a blood vessel. (You don't want to.) If any blood appears in the syringe, this is not a proper site for your injection. You will have to remove and discard the syringe and needle and start over.
- 8. Once the needle is inserted properly, slowly inject all of the medication.
- 9. When you are finished injecting the medicine, place your alcohol wipe where the needle enters the skin. Press lightly.
- 10. Withdraw the needle at the same angle it is inserted.
- 11. Gently hold the wipe on your skin for about five seconds.
- 12. Put the cap back on the needle and dispose of the syringe and needle safely. Do not reuse the syringe and needle. Single-use syringes and needles are used to reduce the chance of infection. Collect your used needles and syringes in a metal container, such as a coffee can, and then dispose of them in a covered garbage can. This will keep others (especially children) from injuring themselves.
Important Points to Remember
Pay close attention to the amount of drug you are taking into the syringe for injection. Make sure it is the amount your doctor has prescribed for you.
Missed Dose:
If you forget to take a scheduled injection, check with your doctor. Do not double you dose at the next injection.
Overdose:
No life-threatening reactions have been reported after overdosage of Octreotide Acetate Injection.
If you think you have injected more Octreotide Acetate Injection than you should, contact your doctor or poison control center in your area.
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Like all medicines Octreotide Acetate Injection may cause some side effects. If you experience any of these, tell your doctor.
Some patients have experienced a burning sensation at the injection site. For most people, the burning lasts only a few moments. Injecting the drug at room temperature rather than cold from the refrigerator may alleviate the burning sensation.
Serious side effects
- Gallstones, leading to sudden back pain.
- Too much or too little sugar in the blood.
- Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) causing changes in heart rate, appetite or weight; tiredness, feeling cold, or swelling at the front of the neck.
- Changes in thyroid function tests.
- Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis).
- Impaired glucose tolerance.
- Irregular heart beat (slow or fast).
- Thirst, low urine output, dark urine, dry flushed skin.
- Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions including skin rash.
- A type of an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) which causes difficulty in swallowing or breathing, rash, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, tingling, possibly with a drop in blood pressure with dizziness or loss of consciousness.
- Acute inflammation of the pancreas gland causing severe stomach pain (pancreatitis).
- Liver inflammation (hepatitis); symptoms may include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, generally feeling unwell, itching, light-coloured urine.
- Low level of platelet in blood (thrombocytopenia); increased bleeding or bruising, fatigue, weakness.
Other side effects
The side effects listed below are usually mild and tend to disappear as treatment progresses.
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- diarrhea
- feeling of fullness in the stomach
- flatulence (wind)
- loss of appetite
- constipation
- headache
stomach discomfort after meal
- fatty stools
- loose stools
- discoloration of faeces
- dizziness
- change in liver function tests
- hair loss
- shortness of breath.
Since gallstones may occasionally form during prolonged use of Octreotide Acetate Injection, your doctor may wish to check your gallbladder periodically.
| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Symptom / effect | Talk with your doctor or pharmacist | Your medicati on should be withheld or stopped. Talk with your doctor. |
| Only if severe | In all cases | |
| Common | ||
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| Uncommon | ||
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| ) | ||
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| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM |
|---|
| Symptom / effect | Talk with your doctor or pharmacist | Your medicati on should be withheld or stopped. Talk with your doctor. |
|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| √ | ||||
| √ | ||||
| √ | ||||
| Unknown |
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This is not a complete list of side effects. For any unexpected effects while taking Octreotide Acetate
Injection, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
- Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medeffect-canada/adverse-reaction-reporting.html) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
- Calling toll free at 1-866-234-2345
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.
HOW TO STORE IT
- Octreotide Acetate Injection must be stored at 2° to 8°C (in a refrigerator). However, you may leave your daily dose of Octreotide Acetate Injection (ampoules or multidose vials) out at a room temperature of up to 30°C for up to 2 weeks. The ampoules should be opened just prior to administration and any unused portion discarded.
- Keep the container in the outer carton in order to protect from light. Do not freeze.
- Do not use Octreotide Acetate Injection (ampoules or multidose vials) after the expiry date.
- Keep in a safe place out of reach and sight of children and pets.
MORE INFORMATION
- 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 (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html); the Sponsor’s website www.sandoz.ca or by calling 1-800-361-3062.