What is sodium hyaluronate?
Sodium hyaluronate is similar to the synovial (sin-OH-vee-ul) fluid that surrounds your joints. Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. Sodium hyaluronate is injected into the knee joint to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis. This medication is usually reserved for people whose pain has not been relieved by using other medicines or treatments. Sodium hyaluronate may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
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What are the possible side effects of sodium hyaluronate?
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.
Other less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:
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 is sodium hyaluronate given?
Sodium hyaluronate is given as an injection into your knee. You will receive this injection in a doctor's office or other clinic setting. This medicine is usually given as one injection per week for a total of 3 weeks. Your doctor may want you to have injections more often than once each week.
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What is the most important information I should know about sodium hyaluronate?
You should not receive sodium hyaluronate if you have an infection of your knee joint, or infection of the skin around your knee. Before receiving sodium hyaluronate, tell your doctor if you have an allergy to eggs, birds, or bird products. Sodium hyaluronate is given as an injection into your knee. This medicine is usually given as one injection per week for a total of 3 weeks. For the first 48 hours after your injection, avoid any strenuous or weight-bearing activity that lasts longer than 1 hour. This includes jogging, tennis, stair-climbing, or lifting weights. Follow your doctor's instructions about other activity restrictions.
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What happens if I miss a dose?
Contact your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your injection.
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What other drugs will affect sodium hyaluronate?
There may be other drugs that can affect sodium hyaluronate. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?
Sodium hyaluronate has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of fertility impairment or teratogenicity. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Sodium hyaluronate is only recommended for use during pregnancy if benefit outweighs risk.
There are no data on the excretion of sodium hyaluronate into human milk.
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What does my medication look like?
Sodium hyaluronate is available with a prescription under the brand names Euflexxa, Hyalgan and Supartz. Other brand or generic formulations 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 if you think you have received too much of this medicine. An overdose of sodium hyaluronate is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.
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What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving sodium hyaluronate?
You should not receive sodium hyaluronate if you have: an infection of your knee joint; or infection of the skin around your knee. Before receiving sodium hyaluronate, tell your doctor if you have an allergy to eggs, birds, or bird products. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether sodium hyaluronate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
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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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