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Other drug names: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 |
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Your doctor has ordered the drug mercaptopurine to help treat your illness. The drug is taken by mouth in tablet form.
This medication is used to treat:
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Mercaptopurine belongs to a group of drugs known as antimetabolites. It resembles a normal cell nutrient needed by cancer cells to grow. The cancer cells take up mercaptopurine which then interferes with their growth.
Mercaptopurine is also used to treat many types of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, acute idiopathic polyneuritis, acute idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, erythroid aplasia, or myelofibrosis; idiopathic hemolytic anemia; macroglobulinemia; idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura; idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis; multiple sclerosis; myasthenia gravis; uveitis; and ulcerative colitis. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
Before taking mercaptopurine,
Side effects from mercaptopurine are common and include:
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
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Last Reviewed - 02/01/2009
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2010. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
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Page last updated: 26 February 2010 |