Carafate

INDI C A T I O N S A ND U S A G E CARAFATE ® (sucralfate) is indicated in: Short-term treatment (up to 8 weeks) of active duodenal ulcer. While healing with sucralfate may occur during the first week or two, treatment should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks unless healing has been demonstrated by x-ray or endoscopic examination. Maintenance therapy for duodenal ulcer patients at reduced dosage after healing of acute ulcers.

D O S A G E A N D A D M INI S T R A T I O N A cti v e D u oden a l Ulc e r : The recommended adult oral dosage for duodenal ulcer is 1 g four times per day on an empty stomach. Antacids may be prescribed as needed for relief of pain but should not be taken within one-half hour before or after sucralfate. While healing with sucralfate may occur during the first week or two, treatment should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks unless healing has been demonstrated by x-ray or endoscopic examination.

M ain t enance T he r ap y : The recommended adult oral dosage is 1 g twice a day. Elderly: In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy . Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to AbbVie, Inc. at 1-800-678-1605 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Carafate is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity reactions to the active substance or to any of the excipients.

Pr eg n an c y T e r at o genic e ff e c t s Teratogenicity studies have been performed in mice, rats, and rabbits at doses up to 50 times the human dose and have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus due to sucralfate. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

N u r sing M o t he r s It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when sucralfate is administered to a nursing woman.

Adverse reactions to sucralfate in clinical trials were minor and only rarely led to discontinuation of the drug. In studies involving over 2700 patients treated with sucralfate tablets, adverse effects were reported in 129 (4.7%). Constipation was the most frequent complaint (2%).

Other adverse effects reported in less than 0.5% of the patients are listed below by body system: G a s t r oin t e s t inal: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gastric discomfort, indigestion, flatulence, dry mouth De r ma t olo g i c a l: pruritus, rash Ne r v ous S y s t em: dizziness, insomnia, sleepiness, vertigo Ot he r : back pain, headache P os t- ma r k e t in g : cases of hypersensitivity have been reported with the use of sucralfate tablets, including dyspnea, lip swelling, pruritus, rash, and urticaria. Cases of anaphylactic reactions, bronchospasm, laryngeal edema, edema of the mouth, Pharyngeal edema, respiratory tract edema and swelling of the face have been reported with an unknown oral formulation of sucralfate. Bezoars have been reported in patients treated with sucralfate.

The majority of patients had underlying medical conditions that may predispose to bezoar formation (such as delayed gastric emptying) or were receiving concomitant enteral tube feedings. Inadvertent injection of insoluble sucralfate and its insoluble excipients has led to fatal complications, including pulmonary and cerebral emboli. Sucralfate is n ot intended for intravenous administration.