Cysteamine (oral route)
Available brands
Cystagon, Procysbi
About this medication
Cysteamine is used to prevent damage that may be caused by the buildup of cystine crystals in organs such as the kidneys (nephropathic cystinosis). Cystinosis is a hereditary disorder that causes an accumulation of the amino acid cystine within cells, forming crystals that can build up and damage the kidneys. This medicine works by removing the extra cystine from the cells of the body. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Before using this medication
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered: Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of cysteamine in children 1 year of age and older. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 1 year of age. No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of cysteamine in geriatric patients. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
How to use this medication
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects. This medicine comes with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. If you vomit your dose of cysteamine within 20 minutes of taking it, take the dose again. However, if you vomit the dose a second time, do not repeat the dose but wait and take your next dose as scheduled. Also, if vomiting occurs more than 20 minutes after you take your dose, do not repeat the dose. For children 1 year of age and older, the capsule may be opened and the contents of the capsule sprinkled on food or mixed in formula. Swallow thedelayed-release capsule or granuleswhole. Do not crush or chew the capsule or contents of the capsule or packet. Take thedelayed-release capsule or granulesthe same way every day. This means take it at the same time and take it consistently, either with or without food. Avoid high-fat meals close to the time that you will take this medicine. If you cannot swallow the capsule whole, you may open it and take the capsule or packet contents with certain foods and juices or water: It is important that you follow any special instructions from your doctor, such as taking dietary supplements, vitamin D, and thyroid hormone. These supplements will replace minerals lost through the kidneys. If you are taking medicines containing bicarbonate or carbonate, takeProcysbi®at least 1 hour before or after these medicines. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. You may take a missed dose ofProcysbi®as soon as you can up to 8 hours after your scheduled dose. If you missed a dose ofProcysbi®and your next dose isless than 4 hours away, wait and take your next dose at the normal time. Do not take 2 doses at one time to make up for a missed dose. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Store thedelayed-release capsulein its original container. Keep it in a dry place away from direct light.
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