Mycophenolate Mofetil

Mycophenolate Mofetil or Mycophenolic acid should be taken orally at about the same time each day, either with or without food. Mycophenolate tablets should be swallowed whole with water. The tablets should not be opened, broken, or chewed.

Most common side effects of Mycophenolate or Cellcept include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, joint pain; infections, leukopenia, anemia, fatigue, headache, cough, breathing issues, esophagitis, gastritis, gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage, invasive cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, increased blood cholesterol levels, hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, and an increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and latent viral infections.

• Patients with Cellcept 500 mg are instructed to report immediately to their healthcare provider, if they experience unexpected bruising, bleeding, evidence of infection, Or any other manifestation of bone marrow depression.
• Monitoring should be considered with the complete blood counts weekly for the initial month, twice monthly for the second and third months.
• Mycophenolate 500 mg causes birth defects and miscarriage. If you are a woman who could become pregnant, you must provide a negative pregnancy test before starting treatment and must follow the contraception advice given to you by your doctor.
• If you experience any evidence of infection (e.g. fever, sore throat), unexpected bruising and/or bleeding or you have or ever have had any problems with your digestive system, e.g. stomach ulcers contact your healthcare provider.
• If you are having a rare hereditary deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) such as Lesch-Nyhan and Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome, discuss with your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before taking Cellcept Tablets.
• Mycophenolate Mofetil may reduce your body’s defences. So there is an increased risk of skin cancer. It should limit the amount of UV light and sunlight you get.
• You should not donate blood while on the treatment with Mycophenolate Mofetil and for at least 42 days after interrupting treatment. Men should not donate semen while on the treatment with Mycophenolate Mofetil and at least 90 days after stopping treatment.
• If you want to take a vaccine (a live vaccine) while on the Mycophenolate Mofetil, talk to your healthcare team first. Your healthcare team will have to advise you on what vaccines you can have.
• Do not take Cellcept 500 if you are breast-feeding. The reason is that small amounts of the drug may pass into the mother’s milk.
• Always take Cellcept (Mycophenolate Mofetil) exactly as your healthcare provider has told you.

Care should be exercised in the handling of CELLCEPT. CELLCEPT tablets should not be opened or crushed. Store permitted to 15°-30°C (59° to 86°F). Dispense in light-resistant containers.

• Make sure your health specialist knows in case you are also using azathioprine (Imuran®), acyclovir (Zovirax®), ganciclovir (Cytovene®), antibiotics, or drugs to treat high cholesterol (such as cholestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam, Colestid, Prevalite®, Questran®, Welchol).
• In case you are also using antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium (such as Maalox®), do not use them simultaneously with mycophenolate. Use them 1 hour prior to, or 2 hours after your dose of mycophenolate.
• Discuss with your health specialist prior to getting flu shots or other vaccines while on this medication. Vaccines may not work as well, or they could make you ill while on this medicine.