• Basic Info
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What is octreotide?
Octreotide is a man-made protein that is similar to a hormone in the body called somatostatin. Octreotide lowers many substances in the body such as insulin and glucagon (involved in regulating blood sugar), growth hormone, and chemicals that affect digestion. Octreotide is used to treat acromegaly. Octreotide is also used to reduce flushing episodes and watery diarrhea caused by cancerous tumors (carcinoid syndrome) or tumors called vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors (VIP adenomas). Octreotide may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of octreotide?

Stop using octreotide and 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.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• slow or irregular heartbeats;

• gallbladder problems (stomach pain);

• pancreatitis (pain in the upper stomach or back, nausea, vomiting, fever, bloating, yellowing of the skin or eyes);

• thyroid problems (may be detected by blood tests);

• low blood sugar (headache, confusion, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, sweating, tremor, nausea); or

• high blood sugar (increased thirst and urination; flushed or dry skin; drowsiness).

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea or vomiting;

• diarrhea;

• mild stomach pain or gas;

• constipation; or

• pain or irritation where you injected the medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I use octreotide?
Octreotide should be used exactly as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Do not use more of the medication than recommended. Do not use octreotide for longer than your doctor has prescribed. Octreotide is given as an injection under the skin or into a vein. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be shown how to use your medicine at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of needles, IV tubing, and other items used in giving the medicine. Be sure to follow the instructions for the exact type of octreotide your doctor has prescribed for you.

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What is the most important information I should know about octreotide?
Before using octreotide, tell your doctor if you have diabetes, kidney disease, gallbladder problems, or a thyroid disorder. Octreotide should not be used at the same time as cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf). Talk to your doctor before using octreotide if you are using cyclosporine. Octreotide is given as an injection under the skin or into a vein. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be shown how to use your medicine at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of needles, IV tubing, and other items used in giving the medicine. Be sure to follow the instructions for the exact type of octreotide your doctor has prescribed for you.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Contact your doctor if you miss a dose of octreotide.

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What other drugs will affect octreotide?
Octreotide should not be used at the same time as cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf). Talk to your doctor before using octreotide if you are using cyclosporine. Before using octreotide, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: bromocriptine (Parlodel); diabetes medication such as insulin, glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase), tolbutamide (Orinase), metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and others; medicine for heart disease or high blood pressure; or

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Octreotide has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of fetotoxicity or teratogenicity. There are no controlled data from human pregnancy. Octreotide should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

There are no reports of adverse effects or teratogenicity associated with octreotide during human pregnancy. Preliminary data (based on six case reports) suggest that octreotide during could be safe and effective. Below are some details on four of those case reports. A 37-year-old woman with acromegaly and infertility became pregnant within 60 to 84 hours after the first injection of octreotide, which had been given in preparation for surgical excision of a pituitary adenoma. The pregnancy was discovered coincidentally during a routine preoperative ultrasound examination for suspected octreotide-induced gallstones. Once pregnancy was diagnosed, octreotide was discontinued. The pregnancy was only complicated by imminent foetal asphyxia at term, prompting Cesarean section delivery. The newborn, weighing 2,530 grams and measuring 46.0 cm in length, had no malformations and developed normally. A 36-year-old woman with acromegaly and amenorrhea secondary to pituitary macroadenoma became pregnant 14 months after starting octreotide therapy and 9 months after starting bromocriptine therapy. Once the pregnancy was diagnosed, all medications were discontinued. The pregnancy was complicated by impaired glucose tolerance and, near gestation week 40, signs of acute maternal intracranial hypertension and foetal distress. A newborn, weighing 3,540 grams and measuring 50 cm in length, was born by emergency Cesarean section. The infant required mechanical ventilation for three days, but showed no malformations, and developed normally. A 31-year-old woman with infertility secondary to pituitary macroadenoma became pregnant 4 months after starting octreotide therapy. One month after the pregnancy was diagnosed, octreotide therapy was discontinued. After withdrawal of octreotide therapy, serum TSH levels and thyroid hormone levels returned to elevated pretreatment values. At six months of pregnancy, a large pituitary macroadenoma with marked suprasellar extension was shown on MRI. Octreotide was restarted during the seventh month of pregnancy and was continued until time of delivery by Cesarean section. The newborn, weighing 3300 grams and measuring 51 cm in length, had no malformations and developed normally. Additionally, a successful pregnancy in a 36-year-old woman treated with octreotide during the second and third trimesters has also been reported.

There are no data on the excretion of octreotide into human milk.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to octreotide or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of octreotide is not expected to produce life-threatening side effects.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using octreotide?
Before using octreotide, tell your doctor if you have: diabetes; gallbladder disease; heart disease; thyroid problems; pancreatitis; kidney disease; or liver disease. If you have any of the conditions listed above, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use octreotide. Octreotide is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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