Pramlintide (subcutaneous route)
Available brands
Symlin, SymlinPen
About this medication
Pramlintide injection is used to treat high blood sugar in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who are also using mealtime insulin and have failed to control blood sugar levels. 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 have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of pramlintide injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of pramlintide injection in the elderly. 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. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. 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 medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. 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. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with 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
When you start using this medicine, it is very important that you check your blood sugar often, especially before and after meals and at bedtime. This will help lower the chance of having very low blood sugar. Carefully follow the special meal plan your doctor gave you. This is the most important part of controlling your diabetes, and is necessary for the medicine to work properly. Also, exercise regularly and test for sugar in your blood or urine as directed. This medicine should come with a Medication Guide. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. You will be using pramlintide at home. Your doctor will teach you how the injections are to be given. Be sure you understand exactly how the medicine is to be injected. Tell your doctor if you have dexterity (skill in using the hands) or vision problems. This medicine is given as a shot under the skin of your stomach or upper thigh. Inject pramlintide at a site that is more than 2 inches away from your insulin injection. Never inject insulin and pramlintide in the same site. When you first start using this medicine, you will need to adjust your insulin dose. Do not change the timing or amount of any of your medicines without your doctor's advice. It is very important that you follow your doctor's instructions about all medicines you use to control your diabetes. You should never mix your insulin and pramlintide injections together. These injections are always given separately. Also, this medicine should not be used in an insulin infusion pump. If you have questions about this, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Allow the medicine to warm at room temperature before you inject it. If the medicine in the pen-injector has changed color, looks cloudy, or if you see particles in it, do not use it. Use a new needle and syringe each time you inject your medicine. Never share medicine pens with others under any circumstances. It is not safe for one pen to be used for more than one person. Sharing needles or pens can result in transmission of infection. Throw away used needles and syringes in a hard, closed container that the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets. Take oral medications (such as antibiotics, pain medicines, or birth control pills) 1 hour prior to or 2 hours after you use pramlintide. Tell your doctor about any medications you are taking. 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, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. 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 in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Store theunopenedpen-injector in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Protect it from bright light. Anopenedpen-injector may be kept in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 30 days. Throw away any medicine that has not been used after 30 days.
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