Teduglutide (subcutaneous route)
Available brands
Gattex, Revestive
About this medication
Teduglutide injection is used to treat short bowel syndrome (SBS) in patients who are receiving parenteral nutrition. SBS is a condition that prevents the intestine (bowel) or gut from absorbing food properly. 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 teduglutide injection in children younger than 1 year of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of teduglutide injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine than younger adults. 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. 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
A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. It is given as a shot under your skin, usually in the arms, stomach, or thighs. You or your caregiver may also be trained to prepare and inject this medicine at home. Be sure that you understand how to use the medicine. Before using this medicine, your doctor may want you to have certain blood tests and imaging procedures (eg, colonoscopy) done within 6 months before and 6 months or 1 year after of treatment. This medicine should come with a Medication Guide and patient instructions. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. If you use this medicine at home, you will be shown the body areas where this shot can be given. Use a different body area each time you give yourself a shot. Keep track of where you give each shot to make sure you rotate body areas. This will help prevent skin problems from the injections. Do not inject into skin areas that are tender, bruised, red, or hard. To use this medicine: 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. 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. Do not shake, freeze, or store the mixed solution. Use it within 3 hours. Throw away any unused medicine after 3 hours. Throw away used needles in a hard, closed container where the needles cannot poke through. Keep this container away from children and pets.
Disclaimer: August is a health information platform and its responses don't constitute medical advise. Always consult with a licenced medical professional near you before making any changes.