aurothioglucose

Generic Name: aurothioglucose (or oh thye oh GLUE cose)Brand Names: Solganal

What is aurothioglucose?

Aurothioglucose is a form of gold. Gold suppresses the inflammatory process.

Aurothioglucose is used by injection to treat adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Although not approved by the FDA for these purposes, aurothioglucose has also been used with corticosteroids to treat pemphigus and to treat psoriatic arthritis in patients who have not responded to or cannot tolerate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Aurothioglucose may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about aurothioglucose?

Call your doctor immediately if you experience itching, a rash, a sore mouth, indigestion, a metallic taste in your mouth, severe or bloody diarrhea, easy bruising or a nosebleed. These could be early signs of a toxic effect.

In rare cases, exposure to sunlight may cause areas of the skin to turn a bluish-gray color. To lessen this effect, minimize exposure to sunlight and wear a sunscreen and protective clothing when exposure to the sun is unavoidable.

Who should not use aurothioglucose?

Before taking aurothioglucose, tell your doctor if you

• have ever had any type of reaction to a gold compound or to any other medication;

• have a history of bone marrow depression or blood problems;

• have kidney disease;
• have liver disease;

• have congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, or any other type of heart disease;

• have diabetes;

• have inflammatory bowel disease;

• have a rash; or

• have severe lung disease.

You may not be able to take aurothioglucose, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during your therapy if you have any of these conditions.

Aurothioglucose is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether aurothioglucose will harm an unborn baby. Aurothioglucose does cross the placenta, and it accumulates in the tissue of a baby. Do not take aurothioglucose without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant. Aurothioglucose passes into the breast milk and can affect a nursing infant. Aurothioglucose is not recommended for use during breast feeding. Do not take aurothioglucose without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take aurothioglucose?

Aurothioglucose is given by injection. Your doctor or nurse will administer your doses, usually on a weekly basis to begin with, then every other week to monthly, depending upon your response to the medication.

You may want to lie down after injections, and your doctor will want to monitor you for any type of adverse reaction for 10 to 15 minutes following each shot.

Do not stop using aurothioglucose unless your doctor approves. It may take up to 3 months for you to see any effects from this medication, and it may be 6 months or more before the full benefits are realized.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Doses are given on a weekly basis. You should receive the missed dose as soon as possible, but a double dose should not be injected to make up for a missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention.

Symptoms of an aurothioglucose overdose include blood in your urine, painful urination, fever, sores or ulcers in your mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and itching. An aurothioglucose overdose can result in death.

What should I avoid while using aurothioglucose?

In rare cases, exposure to sunlight may cause areas of the skin to turn a bluish-gray color. To lessen this effect, minimize exposure to sunlight and wear a sunscreen and protective clothing when exposure to the sun is unavoidable.

Aurothioglucose side effects

Stop taking aurothioglucose and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives).

Rarely, other serious side effects may also occur. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

• itching or a rash;

• a sore mouth, indigestion, or a metallic taste in your mouth;

• severe or bloody diarrhea;

• easy bruising or a nosebleed;

• yellow skin or eyes;

• abdominal pain;

• seizures;

• confusion or hallucinations;

• blood in your vomit or stools;

• blood in your urine or painful urination;

• shortness of breath; or

• weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, fainting and flushing shortly after an injection.

Arthritic symptoms may appear to worsen for 1 to 2 days following an injection and should decrease with subsequent injections.

In addition, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Talk to your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• diarrhea or loose stools;

• nausea, stomach upset, decreased appetite;

• changes in taste; or

• sores or ulcers in your mouth.

Aurothioglucose can cause serious side effects involving white and red blood cells. Your doctor will want to regularly test your blood and urine before each injection to monitor any changes before they become dangerous.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any that seem unusual or that are especially bothersome.

Aurothioglucose Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Rheumatoid Arthritis:

10 mg IM one time as a test dose.Observe for 15-30 minutes for adverse/allergic reaction.25 mg IM one week later and repeat in another week.50 mg IM once a week until a cumulative dose of 0.8 to 1 G has been reached. If a clinical response has been documented, the dosage may be reduced to a maintenance dosage of 50 mg intramuscularly every three to four weeks. This maintenance dosage may be continued indefinitely based on this patient's response to and tolerance of aurothioglucose.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Child 6-12 years:0.25 mg/kg one time as a test dose.Observe for 15-30 minutes for adverse/allergic reaction.Increase at 0.25 mg/kg/dose with each weekly dose.Maintenance dose: 0.75-1 mg/kg/dose (Max 25 mg) weekly to a total of 20 doses. Then give dose every 3-4 weeks.

What other drugs will affect aurothioglucose?

Before taking aurothioglucose, tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines that you take so that your therapy can be monitored for interactions.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist has more information about aurothioglucose written for health professionals that you may read.

What does my medication look like?

Aurothioglucose is available with a prescription under the brand name Solganal in a 50 mg per mL injectable suspension. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.05. Revision Date: 2/13/04 4:01:30 PM.