What is pegvisomant?
Pegvisomant is a manufactured protein similar to human growth hormone (GH). Pegvisomant binds to the same receptor in the body as growth hormone, and blocks the effects of growth hormone. Pegvisomant is used for the treatment of acromegaly (a growth disorder caused by too much growth hormone). Pegvisomant may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.
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What are the possible side effects of pegvisomant?
If you experience any of the following uncommon but serious side effects, stop taking
pegvisomant and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
-
an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;
swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); or
-
liver problems (may be detected by blood tests or symptoms
such as yellowing of the skin or eyes, vomiting, abdominal pain, unusual fatigue, loss of appetite,
itching, clay-colored stools, or dark urine).
Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to
take pegvisomant and talk to your doctor if you experience
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor
about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
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How should I take pegvisomant?
Take pegvisomant exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explain them to you. Pegvisomant is administered as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection. Your healthcare provider will give you detailed instructions regarding how to administer the injection. The pegvisomant powder must be mixed with the supplied sterile water for injection before each dose. Instructions regarding mixing the solution are included with the product. Follow them closely.
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What is the most important information I should know about pegvisomant?
The stopper on the vial of Somavert contains latex. Do not use this product without first talking to your doctor if you are allergic to latex. Your doctor will want you to have blood tests and/or other medical evaluations during treatment with pegvisomant to monitor progress and side effects. It is especially important to monitor liver function and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) with regularly scheduled blood tests.
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What happens if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose of pegvisomant, skip the missed dose and use only the next regularly scheduled dose the next day. Do not use a double dose of this medication.
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What other drugs will affect pegvisomant?
Before taking pegvisomant, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: insulin; any medicine taken by mouth to treat diabetes such as glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase, Micronase), glipizide (Glucotrol), glimepiride (Amaryl), rosiglitazone (Avandia), pioglitazone (Actos), and others; or a narcotic pain or cough medication such as codeine (Tylenol #3, others), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, others), oxycodone (Percocet, others), morphine (MS Contin, MSIR, OxyContin, others), fentanyl (Duragesic, others), and others.
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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?
Pegvisomant has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of teratogenicity. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Pegvisomant is only recommended for use during pregnancy when benefits outweighs risk.
There are no data on the excretion of pegvisomant into human milk. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering pegvisomant to nursing women.
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Who should NOT use this medication?
- Known hypersensitivity to pegvisomant or any ingredient in the formulation. Vial stopper contains natural rubber latex, which may cause sensitivity reactions in susceptible individuals.
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What does my medication look like?
Pegvisomant is available with a prescription under the brand name Somavert as an injectable formulation. Other brand or generic products may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.
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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately if an overdose of pegvisomant is suspected. Symptoms of a pegvisomant overdose may include fatigue.
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What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking pegvisomant?
Before taking pegvisomant, tell your doctor if you have an allergy to pegvisomant, another growth hormone product, or latex (the stopper on the vial of Somavert contains latex); have a tumor that secretes growth hormone; have diabetes; have liver problems; or are taking a narcotic pain or cough medication such as codeine (Tylenol #3, others), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, others), oxycodone (Percocet, others), morphine (MS Contin, MSIR, OxyContin, others), fentanyl (Duragesic, others), and others.
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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?
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