Vindesine (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Eldisine®

Before Using 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 vindesine, the following should be considered:

Allergies-Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to vindesine.

Pregnancy-Vindesine has not been studied in pregnant women.

Before receiving vindesine make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving vindesine. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving vindesine.

Breast-feeding-It is not known whether vindesine passes into the breast milk. However, vindesine is not recommended during breast-feeding, because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies.

Children-Although there is no specific information comparing use of vindesine in children with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

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 vindesine 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 taking vindesine, it is especially important that your doctor or pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Acyclovir (e.g., Zovirax) or
• Anticonvulsants (seizure medicine) or
• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine taken by mouth) or
• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Captopril (e.g., Capoten) or
• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol)
• Enalapril (e.g., Vasotec) or
• Flecainide (e.g., Tambocor) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Imipenem or
• Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics or
• Lisinopril (e.g., Prinivil, Zestril) or
• Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
• Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
• Pimozide (e.g., Orap) or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
• Ramipril (e.g., Altace) or
• Sulfasalazine (e.g., Azulfidine) or
• Tiopronin (e.g., Thiola) or
• Tocainide (e.g., Tonocard) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril)-Concurrent use of these agents with vindesine may cause blood disorders

• Alpha interferons (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antineoplastics, other (cancer medicine) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Cyclophosphamide (e.g., Cytoxan) or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancoban) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol)
• Methotrexate (e.g., Rheumatrex)
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin)
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir)-Concurrent use of these agents with vindesine increases the risk of infection

• Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection)
• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol)
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen)
• Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol)
• Cytarabine (e.g., Cytosar-U)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine (recent, within 30 days of vindesine therapy)
• Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse)
• Ethotoin (e.g., Peganone)
• Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil)
• Lindane, topical (e.g., Kwell)
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane)
• Mephenytoin (e.g., Mesantoin)
• Mexilitene (e.g., Mexitil)
• Pemoline (e.g., Cylert)
• Pyridoxine (e.g., Hexa-Betalin) (with long-term, high-dose use)
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm)-Concurrent use of these agents with vindesine increases the risk of neurotoxicity

• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin)-Concurrent use of this agent with vindesine increases the risk of seizures

• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines-Vindesine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

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

• Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, demyelinating form-May cause increased neuropathic effects

• Drug-induced blood disorders-May worsen

• Infection-There may be an increased risk of infections or worsening infections because of the body's reduced ability to fight them

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles)-Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Liver disease-Effects of vindesine may increase because of slower removal from the body

• Nerve or muscle disease-May worsen

Last Revised: 05/25/2000