gallium nitrate

What is the most important information I should know about gallium nitrate?

Before receiving gallium nitrate, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, if you have heart disease, or if you take diuretics (water pills). If you have any of these conditions, you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

Many other drugs can damage the kidneys and should not be used together with gallium nitrate. Tell your doctor if you are receiving chemotherapy, taking an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pain medicine, or using medicines used to treat a bowel disorder, medications to prevent organ transplant rejection, antiviral medications, or any injected antibiotics.

Gallium nitrate must be given as an IV infusion around the clock for up to 5 days, or until blood calcium levels are lowered to a safe level.

During your treatment with gallium nitrate, you may also need to be put on IV fluids to keep you from getting dehydrated.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood and urine will need to be tested often. This will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with gallium nitrate.

What is gallium nitrate?

Gallium nitrate is a form of nitrate salt.

Gallium nitrate is used to lower blood levels of calcium when they have become dangerously high in cancer patients.

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

What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving gallium nitrate?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to gallium nitrate, or if you have severe kidney disease.

Before receiving gallium nitrate, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, if you have heart disease, or if you take diuretics (water pills). If you have any of these conditions, you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before you receive gallium nitrate.

It is not known whether gallium nitrate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not receive this medication before telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is gallium nitrate given?

Gallium nitrate is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein. You will receive this injection in a hospital or emergency setting.

Gallium nitrate must be given as an IV infusion around the clock for up to 5 days, or until blood calcium levels are lowered to a safe level.

During your treatment with gallium nitrate, you may also need to be put on IV fluids to keep you from getting dehydrated.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood and urine will need to be tested often. This will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with gallium nitrate.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since gallium nitrate is given by a healthcare provider, it is not likely that you will miss a dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Tell your caregivers right away if you think you have received too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, or urinating less than usual.

What should I avoid while receiving gallium nitrate?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity after you receive gallium nitrate.

What are the possible side effects of gallium nitrate?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregivers right away if you have any of these serious side effects:

• increased thirst, swelling in your lower legs;
• urinating less than usual or not at all;
• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• blurred vision, headache or pain behind your eyes;
• confusion, hallucinations;
• noisy breathing, feeling short of breath;

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation;
• tired feeling;
• feeling hot or cold;
• numbness or tingling; or
• fast heart rate.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect gallium nitrate?

Before receiving gallium nitrate, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
• a steroid such as prednisone;
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexal);
• pain or arthritis medicines such as aspirin (Anacin, Excedrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others;
• medicines used to treat a ulcerative colitis, such as mesalamine (Pentasa) or sulfasalazine (Azulfidine);
• medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such as tacrolimus (Prograf);
• IV antibiotics such as amphotericin B (Fungizone, AmBisome, Amphotec, Abelcet), amikacin (Amikin), bacitracin (Baci-IM), capreomycin (Capastat), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), streptomycin, or vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled);
• antiviral medicines such as adefovir (Hepsera), cidofovir (Vistide), or foscarnet (Foscavir); or
• cancer medicine such as aldesleukin (Proleukin), carmustine (BiCNU, Gliadel), cisplatin (Platinol), ifosfamide (Ifex), oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), plicamycin (Mithracin), streptozocin (Zanosar), or tretinoin (Vesanoid).

Many of these other drugs can damage the kidneys If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to receive gallium nitrate, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with gallium nitrate. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about gallium nitrate.