What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- Bleeding disorder
- Cancer
- HIV or AIDs
- Immune system problems
- Infection
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Recent or upcoming vaccine
- Skin cancer or melanoma
- Thyroid disease
- An unusual or allergic reaction to alemtuzumab, hamster proteins, other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Breast-feeding
What may interact with this medication?
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Your condition will be monitored carefully while you are receiving this medication.
You may need blood work while taking this medication.
This medication can cause serious infusion reactions. To reduce the risk, your care team may give you other medications to take before receiving this one. Be sure to follow the directions from your care team.
Talk to your care team if you have not had chickenpox or the vaccine for chickenpox.
This medication may increase your risk of getting an infection. Call your care team for advice if you get a fever, chills, sore throat, or other symptoms of a cold or flu. Do not treat yourself. Try to avoid being around people who are sick.
This medication may increase your risk to bruise or bleed. Call your care team if you notice any unusual bleeding.
In some patients, this medication may cause a serious brain infection that may cause death. If you have any problems seeing, thinking, speaking, walking, or standing, tell your care team right away. If you cannot reach your care team, urgently seek another source of medical care.
This medication may increase your risk of melanoma or skin cancer. Check your skin for changes to moles or for new growths while taking this medication. Call your care team if you notice any of these skin changes.
This medication can cause a blood clotting problem called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). TTP is a rare but serious medical condition that can be deadly. Get medical help right away if you have purple spots on the skin or inside the mouth, pale skin, yellowing skin or eyes, unusual weakness or fatigue, fever, fast or irregular heartbeat, confusion, change in vision, trouble speaking, or trouble walking.
Talk to your care team if you wish to become pregnant or think you might be pregnant. This medication can cause serious birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Contraception is recommended while taking this medication and for 4 months after stopping it. Talk to your care team about effective forms of contraception.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medicine can increase the risk of having a stroke.
This medicine should be given to you in the hospital, a clinic, or in a healthcare treatment setting.
This medicine may cause a serious and life-threatening autoimmune disease, where the immune cells in your body attack your other cells or organs. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for this during treatment and for at least 4 years after treatment.
This medicine can cause a serious, life-threatening reaction during the infusion and for at least a day after the infusion. You will be monitored carefully during and after the infusion.
Taking this medicine can increase the risk of getting some types of cancer, like thyroid cancer, skin cancer, or blood cancer. Have your skin checked before you start taking this medicine and each year during treatment.