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Alvimopan is available only for short-term (15 doses) use in hospitalized patients. Only hospitals that have registered in and met all of the requirements for the ENTEREG(R) Access Support and Education (E.A.S.E.(TM)) program may use alvimopan .
Commonly used brand name(s):
In the U.S.
Available Dosage Forms:
Therapeutic Class: Gastrointestinal Agent
Pharmacologic Class: Opioid Antagonist
Alvimopan is used to help restore normal bowel function in patients who have just had bowel resection surgery. alvimopan works by blocking the effects of certain substances (e.g., hormones, opioids) on bowel movement and secretion, thus, helping prevent a condition called post-operative ileus .
alvimopan is available only with your doctor's prescription .
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 alvimopan, the following should be considered:
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to alvimopan or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of alvimopan in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established .
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatrics-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of alvimopan in the elderly .
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | B | Animal studies have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus, however, there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR animal studies have shown an adverse effect, but adequate studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus. |
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
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. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of alvimopan. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
alvimopan is used only as part of a special program called Entereg® Access Support and Education (E.A.S.E.) in hospitalized patients. It is intended for short-term use only. Patients should not receive more than 15 doses of alvimopan .
The dose of alvimopan will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of alvimopan. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
If you miss a dose of alvimopan, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to check for any problems or unwanted effects that may be caused by alvimopan .
Make sure your doctor knows if you have been using narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine, morphine, or Dolophine®) for more than a week before you start taking alvimopan. Using alvimopan together with narcotic pain relievers may increase the chance of unwanted effects .
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More commonSome side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less commonOther side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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