cyclosporine

cyclosporine is available as a 25mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg oral capsule and a 100 mg/ml oral solution.

cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant and is used to treat the following:

• Prevent organ rejection of kidney, liver, or heart transplant
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriasis

cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant, which means it lowers (or suppresses) the activity of your immune system. When you receive an organ transplant, your body recognizes the new organ as a foreign object, and your immune system fights to reject the new organ. cyclosporine also works to treat conditions caused by an overactive immune system, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions are known as autoimmune diseases, where your immune system mistakes healthy tissue in your body as a foreign object and attacks it. cyclosporine works by weakening your immune system and preventing your body from rejecting the new organ or attacking healthy cells in your body.

cyclosporine is dosed based on the organ, your weight, your risk of rejection, how well you tolerate the medication, and the level of cyclosporine cyclosporine in your body based on lab work.

cyclosporine is a safe and effective treatment when used for FDA licensed indications. However, like all medications, they may give you unwanted side effects. You should always discuss potential side effects with your physician to ensure the medication is suitable and right for you. You should not use this medication if you have a hypersensitivity to cyclosporine or to any of the ingredients of the formulation. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis patients with abnormal renal function, uncontrolled hypertension, or malignancies
should not receive cyclosporine.

Common side effects of cyclosporine:

• Kidney problems
• Shaking
• Excessive hair growth on face, back, and chest
• Urinary tract infection
• Viral infections
• High blood pressure
• Skin and wound infections
• Overgrowth of gums
• Nausea/vomiting
• Headache
• Stomach pain
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Muscle cramps
• Numbness, tingling, or burning in arms or legs
• Pain
• Diarrhea
• High triglycerides

Serious side effects are rare with cyclosporine. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.

• High blood pressure: headache, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, blurred vision, fast heart beat, nose bleed, confusion
• Kidney damage: lower urine production, swelling in feet or legs, shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, confusion
• Liver damage: yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), stomach pain or swelling, loss of appetite, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness, confusion
• Serious viral infections (polyoma virus infections): muscle weakness, loss of interest or emotion, confusion, memory problems, loss of balance or coordination, paralysis
• Brain damage: vision problems, loss of vision, loss of muscle control, movement problems, mental conditions, seizures, loss of consciousness
• Swelling of optic nerve: blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision, headache, nausea, or vomiting

The following medications may interact with cyclosporine:

• Cyclosporine is extensively metabolized by CYP 3A isoenzymes, in particular CYP3A4, and is a substrate of the multidrug efflux transporter P-glycoprotein. Various agents are known to either increase of decrease plasma and whole blood cyclosporine concentrations usually by inhibition or induction of CYP3A4 or P-glycoprotein transporter or both. Compounds that decrease cyclosporine absorption such as orlistat should be avoided
• Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID): Clinical status and serum creatinine should be closely monitored when cyclosporine is used with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in rheumatoid arthritis patients
• Cyclosporine may reduce the clearance of digoxin, colchicine, prednisolone, HMG-CoA reductase
• inhibitors (statins) and etoposide
• Cyclosporine may increase the levels and effects of methotrexate

Various FDA-approved generic manufacturers

cyclosporine isn’t recommended in pregnancy. There aren’t enough studies that looked at the safety of cyclosporine in human pregnancy, but animal studies showed that it can serious harm and death to babies. If you’re pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant, discuss the risks and benefits of using the medication with your healthcare provider and only use it if absolutely necessary.

• NEORAL
• GENGRAF
• SANDIMMUNE
• RESTASIS