Hydrea
Hydroxyurea
Drug Class and Mechanism of Action of Hydrea
Hydrea is an anti cancer or anti neoplastic drug. It acts by preventing the cancer cells to grow and reproduce by preventing the necessary steps, thus cause death of cancer cells.
Therapeutic Uses of Hydrea
Hydrea is used in the treatment of skin cancer, recurrent chronic myelocytic leukemia (blood cancer) with metastasis where surgery is not helpful and in cancer of the ovary. Hydrea can be combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of skin cancer of head and neck. It can also be used in other conditions, other than cancer as determined by your doctor.
Direction of use of Hydrea
Hydrea should be used as your doctor tells you and if you have any question about the use of Hydrea, consult your doctor:
- Hydrea is taken orally with food or without food.
- If you have any problem in swallowing the capsule of Hydrea, empty the contents of the capsule into a glass of water and drink immediately. You should be careful while emptying the capsule into water so that the content of the capsule is not inhaled, or it does not come in contact with skin or mucous membrane. If the contents of the Hydrea capsule are spilled, wipe it with wet towel and dispose it and the empty capsule properly.
- You should take extra water or fluid while taking Hydrea and consult your doctor for instructions.
- You should wash your hands before and after handling the Hydrea capsule and the bottle where you are storing them. Wear gloves if you are handling Hydrea or its bottle. Dispose off the gloves as per doctor’s instruction.
- Do not take Hydrea capsules if they have expired and ask your doctor or pharmacist how to dispose off the expired medicine.
If You Miss a Dose of Hydrea
If you miss a dose of Hydrea, take it as soon as you can remember it. If you miss for long time and it is almost time for the next dose than you should skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at a time to compensate the missed dose.
How to Store Hydrea
Hydrea should be stored at room temperature. Keep Hydrea strictly out of reach of children and pets. Store it in a dry, cool and dark room away from heat and moisture.
More Information About Hydrea
If you do not get any result after using Hydrea for some time you should consult and discuss with your doctor about treatment. Hydrea should be taken by the patient only for whom it is prescribed and should not be shared with anyone.
Precautions to be Taken While Taking Hydrea
Do not take Hydrea if you have any problem using it because of some medical conditions and you should consult your doctor for that:
- Do not use Hydrea if you are allergic to it or any of the ingredients used in manufacturing Hydrea.
- Do not use Hydrea if you have severe anemia, bone marrow depression, low WBC (white blood cells) count, low platelet count etc.
Important notes to keep in mind during treatment with Hydrea:
- Pregnancy and breast feeding: do not take Hydrea if you are pregnant as it can cause harm to the growing fetus. If you become pregnant during treatment with Hydrea, consult your doctor about the risk to the fetus. Hydrea is secreted in the breast milk and you should not breast feed your baby if you are taking Hydrea.
- Hydrea is not recommended in children for use, because the safety of Hydrea and effectiveness of it is not proven.
- Hydrea should be given very cautiously in elderly patients as they may be more sensitive to it and have more side effects due to that.
- Hydrea can lower your body immunity and lower your capacity to fight infection. You should try to prevent infection by avoiding people who have any infection like common cold etc. Inform your doctor if you get any signs of infection in you like fever, sore throat, rash, chills etc.
- Avoid vaccination with live bacteria (BCG for tuberculosis, oral typhoid vaccine etc.) or virus (measles, mumps, oral polio). Vaccines may be less effective or due to lower body immunity these vaccines can cause the disease in you, instead of vaccinating you.
- If you are taking Hydrea you should inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking Hydrea before undergoing emergency medical procedure or surgery, any dental or medical treatment.
- Lab tests like complete blood cell count (white blood cells, red blood cell and platelet count and also hemoglobin level) should be done to monitor the progress of treatment and also to detect any side effects that may arise during treatment. Keep all the appointment of doctor and lab.
- Hydrea may reduce the platelet count in your blood which is responsible for blood clotting in an injury. To prevent bleeding you should avoid situations that may cause bleeding or bruising. You should report to your doctor if you have any unusual bleeding, bruising, blood in stools, or dark, tarry stools.
Possible Adverse Effects
- Consult your doctor if any of the common side effects of Hydrea and they become bothersome or persist for longer time. The common side effects are alopecia, nausea, loss of appetite, constipation, drowsiness, inflammation of mouth or face etc.
- Get immediate medical attention if you suffer from any of the serious side effects of Hydrea. The serious side effects of Hydrea are severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blood disorders, including low numbers of red or white blood cells and platelet count; diarrhea; fever; ; liver toxicity; persistent cough; secondary leukemia; skin cancer; persistent vomiting; unusual bruising or bleeding; painful urination, blood in the urine; inflammation of the pancreas lower back or abdominal pain etc.