Hemator Special Precautions

Patients must be advised to inform the doctor if they have ever had any of the following medical problems or procedures: kidney or liver problems; problems with the heart; have had the thyroid gland removed.
Special precautions may be taken in that case.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation: Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has occurred in patients who are chronic carriers of this virus after receiving a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), including Hemator. Some cases resulted in acute hepatic failure or fulminant hepatitis leading to liver transplantation or death.
Patients should be tested for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Hemator. Patients currently on Hemator should have baseline testing for HBV infection in order to identify chronic carriers of the virus. Experts in liver disease and in the treatment of hepatitis B should be consulted before treatment is initiated in patients with positive HBV serology (including those with active disease) and for patients who test positive for HBV infection during treatment. Carriers of HBV who require treatment with Hemator should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of active HBV infection throughout therapy and for several months following termination of therapy.
Things the patient must do: Make sure to follow the doctor's instructions carefully and keep all appointments.
The patient will need regular follow-up to make sure the treatment is working. Regular blood tests, weight checks and urine tests can also find side effects before they become serious.
If about to start on any new medicine, patients must be advised to remind the doctor and pharmacist that Hemator is being taken.
Patients must be advised to inform any other doctor, dentist or pharmacist who is treating the patient that Hemator is being taken.
Things the patient must not do: This medicine should not be given to anyone else even if their condition seems to be the same.
Patients must not use it to treat any other complaints unless the doctor tells them to.
Things to be careful of: Patients must avoid drinking grapefruit juice while being treated with Hemator. Grapefruit juice may interact with Hemator and affect how the body uses this medicine.
If there is a need to take something to treat a headache, cold or other minor aches and pains, patients must be advised to try to avoid taking medicines containing paracetamol (e.g. Panadol, Panadeine, Codral, Tylenol) and to ask the pharmacist to suggest an alternative medicine.
When outdoors, patients must wear protective clothing and use at least a 15+ sunscreen. Sunlamps or tanning beds must not be used.
This medicine may cause the skin to be much more sensitive to sunlight than it normally is.
Exposure to sunlight may cause a skin rash, itching, redness or severe sunburn. If the skin does appear to be burning, patients must be advised to inform the doctor.
Patients must be careful on driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require to be alert until it is known how Hemator affects the patient.
This medicine may cause dizziness, light-headedness or drowsiness in some people. Make sure to know how the patient reacts to it before he/she drives a car, operates machinery or does anything that could be dangerous.
Use in Children: Some children and adolescents taking Hemator may have slower than normal growth. Growth will be monitored at regular visits by the doctor.