Procarbazine

Procarbazine is a prescription medication used to treat certain types of Hodgkin's disease. Procarbazine belongs to a group of drugs called alkylating agents. These work by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Procarbazine comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken one or more times a day, with or without food.

Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and low blood counts.

Procarbazine is a prescription medication used in combination with other medications to treat certain types of Hodgkin's disease. Hodgkin's disease consists of different types of cancer that begin in a type of white blood cells that normally fights infection.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Adults

• Single or divided doses of 2 to 4 mg/kg/day for the first week are recommended.
• Daily dosage should then be at 4 to 6 mg/kg/day until the maximum response is obtained or until toxicity occurs.
• When maximum response is obtained, the dose may be kept at 1 to 2 mg/kg/day.

Pediatric Patients:

• Very close clinical monitoring is mandatory.
• Undue toxicity, evidenced by tremors, coma and convulsions, has occurred in a few cases. Dosage, therefore, should be individualized.
• The following dosage schedule is provided as a guideline only:
  • 50 mg/m² of body surface area (BSA) per day is recommended for the first week.
  • Dosage should then be kept at 100 mg/m² of body surface area (BSA) per day until the maximum response is obtained or until toxicity occurs.
  • When maximum response is reached, the dose may be kept at 50 mg/m² of body surface area (BSA) per day

It is recommended that procarbazine be given only by or under the supervision of a physician experienced in the use of potent antineoplastic drugs. Adequate clinical and laboratory facilities should be available to patients for proper monitoring of treatment.

Somes serious side effects of procarbazine include:

• sores in the mouth and throat
• severe or ongoing diarrhea
• pain, burning, numbness, pricking, or tingling in the hands or feet or on the skin
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body
• confusion
• hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• seizures
• vision changes
• fainting
• dizziness
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• fever, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection
• unusual bruising or bleeding
• black, tarry stools
• red urine
• hives
• rash
• itching
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• yellowing of the skin or eyes

Seek medical help if you experience any of these side effects.

Procarbazine may increase the risk that you will develop other cancers.

Do not take procarbazine if you

• are allergic to this medication or its inactive ingredients
• have poor bone marrow health

Common side effects include the following:

• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of appetite
• constipation
• stomach pain
• dryness of mouth
• changes in skin color
• hair loss
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• headache
• bone, joint, or muscle pain
• increased urination

This is not a complete list of this medication’s side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• certain antidepressants including amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil)
• medications for asthma
• medications for allergies or hay fever
• medications containing alcohol (cough and cold products, such as Nyquil, and other liquid products)
• nasal decongestants, including nose drops and sprays
• barbiturate medications such as phenobarbital
• medications for high blood pressure
• medications for nausea or mental illness
• opioid (narcotic) medications for pain
• sedatives or sleeping pills
• alcohol
• tobacco

This is not a complete list of procarbazine drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category D. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child. You should avoid becoming pregnant while taking procarbazine.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if procarbazine crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using procarbazine.

Do not drink alcoholic beverages (including beer and wine) while taking this drug. Alcohol may cause an upset stomach, vomiting, stomach cramps, headaches, sweating, and flushing (redness of the face).

Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment.

The length of treatment depends on well your body responds to them and the type of cancer you have.

You should avoid eating very large amounts of foods containing high amounts of tyramine.