Precautions
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
It is very important that your doctor check you closely while you are receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to receive it. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
You will also need to have your blood pressure measured before starting this medicine and while you are using it. If you notice any change to your recommended blood pressure, call your doctor right away. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.
This medicine may cause a serious allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Check with your doctor right away if you have chest tightness, cough, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, fast heartbeat, hives, itching, skin rash, puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue, trouble breathing, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
Check with your doctor right away if you have blood in the urine, change in the frequency of urination or amount of urine, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, increased thirst, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, or swelling of the feet or lower legs, or weakness. These may be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.
Hyperkalemia (high potassium in the blood) may occur while you are receiving this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have confusion, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or lips, stomach pain, trouble breathing, or weakness or heaviness of the legs. Do not use supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium without first checking with your doctor.
Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
This medicine may cause thrombotic microangiopathy (damage in the smallest blood vessels) and hemolytic anemia. Tell your doctor right away if you have back, leg, or stomach pains, bleeding gums, chills, dark urine, difficulty breathing, fever, general body swelling, headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, nosebleeds, pale skin, sore throat, sudden, severe chest pain, sudden weakness in arms or legs, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
Do not take cyclosporine if you are receiving treatment for psoriasis, including PUVA or UVB therapy, methotrexate (Rheumatrex®), or radiation therapy.
This medicine may increase your risk of getting skin cancer or lymphoma. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.
This medicine may increase your risk of developing infections. Avoid being near people who are sick while you are receiving this medicine. Wash your hands often. Tell your doctor if you have any kind of infection before you start using this medicine. Tell your doctor if you have ever had an infection that would not go away or an infection that kept coming back.
If you are taking this medicine after a kidney transplant, it may increase your risk for developing rare and serious virus infections, including polyoma virus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), progressive multiple leukoencephalopathy (PML), and BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN). The BK virus may affect how your kidneys work and cause a transplanted kidney to fail. Check with your doctor right away if you have bloody urine, a decreased frequency or amount of urine, increased thirst, loss of appetite, lower back or side pain, nausea, swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs, trouble breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain.
Tell your doctor right away if you have seizures, headaches, confusion, vision problems, unusual drowsiness, tiredness, or weakness. These could be symptoms of a serious nervous system problem called posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).
While you are being treated with cyclosporine, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Cyclosporine lowers your body's resistance and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization is meant to prevent. However, it may be especially important to receive certain immunizations to prevent a disease. In addition, other persons living in your house should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have recently taken oral polio vaccine. Do not get close to them, and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and mouth.
In some patients (usually younger patients), tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums may appear soon after treatment with cyclosporine is started. Brushing and flossing your teeth, carefully and regularly, and massaging your gums may help prevent this. See your dentist regularly to have your teeth cleaned. Check with your medical doctor or dentist if you have any questions about how to take care of your teeth and gums, or if you notice any tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of your gums.
This medicine may cause dizziness, confusion, or sleepiness. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.
Portions of this document last updated: May 01, 2024
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