All you should know about Tacrolimus (tablets, cream, ointment) including cost, Tacrolimus ointment/cream price in Nigeria.
A drug popularized by increased organ transplantation (kidney, heart, liver, pancreas) and rise in autoimmune diseases.👇
Tacrolimus is a drug used to lower the risk of organ transplant rejection. Can also be used to reverse vitiligo patches. It works as a calcineurin inhibitor.
TRADE NAME: sold under the brand names Protopic Prograf, and Advagraf among others.
Medical Uses
Tacrolimus is used with other medications to prevent rejection of a kidney, heart, or liver transplant. This medication belongs to a class of drugs known as immunosuppressants.
It also used for severe refractory uveitis after bone marrow transplants, exacerbations of minimal change disease (neprotic syndrome), Kimura’s disease, and the skin condition vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, lupus nephritis and it is used to treat dry eye syndrome in cats and dogs. It is also used for occlusive skin dressing.
How does it work?
It works by weakening your body’s defense system (immune system) to help your body accept the new organ as if it were your own.
Route of administration
Tacrolimus comes in injections, tablets, syrups, creams and ointments.
It can be given:
Intravenously (through the veins)
Orally (by mouth)
Topically (applied on the skin)
Interactions
Tacrolimus should not be taken with the following drugs:
Grapefruits
Erythromycin
Vancomycin
Clarithromycin
Antifungals especially of the azole class such as fluconazole, voriconazole.
They delay the excretion by the liver, increases the risk of tacrolimus toxicity, and amplifies its side effects.
These category of persons should not use tacrolimus:
Breast-feeding mothers
Hepatic disease
Immunosuppression (HIV patients)
Infants
Infection
People with Neoplastic diseases, such as: Skin cancer, Lung cancer
Kidney problems (passing out small volume urine)
Pregnant women
Heart disease (QT interval prolongation)
Tacrolimus creams and ointments.
Tacrolimus creams and ointments are used to treat a selected group of skin diseases such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, lamellar ichthyosis, Netherton’s syndrome.
How should the creams or ointments be used?
It comes as an ointment to apply to the skin. It is usually applied twice a day to the affected area. To help you remember to apply tacrolimus ointment, apply it at around the same times every day as prescribed.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and make sure you ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use Protopic exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
To use the ointment, follow these steps:
➡️Wash your hands with soap and water.
➡️Be sure that the skin in the affected area is dry.
➡️Apply a thin layer of the ointment to all affected areas of your skin.
➡️Rub the ointment into your skin gently and completely.
➡️Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any leftover protopic ointment. Do not wash your hands if you are treating them with tacrolimus.
➡️You may cover the treated areas with normal clothing, but do not use any bandages, dressings, or wraps.
➡️Be careful not to wash the ointment off of affected areas of your skin.
➡️Do not swim, shower, or bathe immediately after applying protopic ointment.
For how long can you use tacrolimus
Do not use this drug for more than 6 weeks. If symptoms persist, talk to your doctor.
Tacrolimus Cream Side effects: Burning sensation, pain, itchiness, increased skin sensitivity to sunlight…..others are flu-like symptoms like cold, catarrh, cough, headache and fever.
What are side effects of tacrolimus?
Side effects include:
– nephrotoxicity
– cardiotoxicity
– hypertension
– blurred vision
– hyperkalemia
– hyperglycemia (diabetes(
– lung damage
– neuropsychiatric effects
– insomnia
– nightmares
– tremors
– seizure
– carries a potential cancer risk (skin cancer and lymphoma has been reported in a small group)
PLEASE NOTE
A post kidney transplant patient who consistently complains of severe heartburn unresponsive to Proton pump inhibitors might be have having Tacrolimus toxicity . check the tacrolimus levels and reduce the dose of tacrolimus. The pain and symptoms will disappear.
PRICE OF TACROLIMUS
OINTMENT/CREAM: $100 (N40,000 naira) per tube
TABLETS: N50,000 naira per pack
INJECTIONS: N53,000 Naira per pack.
Your doctor can helo you order the drug online if it is not available in big pharmacies.
The End
Sources:
Wikipedia
Medlineplus
©NIMEDHEALTH
