Before Receiving This Medicine

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 liposomal daunorubicin, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to liposomal daunorubicin. Also, tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.

Pregnancy—Liposomal daunorubicin has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in rats have shown that liposomal daunorubicin at low doses causes birth defects or death of the fetus.

Before receiving this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving liposomal daunorubicin. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving liposomal daunorubicin.

Breast-feeding—Because liposomal daunorubicin may cause serious side effects in the infant, breast-feeding is generally not recommended while you are receiving it.

Children—There is no specific information comparing the use of liposomal daunorubicin in children with use in any other age group. Safety and efficacy of liposomal daunorubicin in children have not been established.

Older adults—There is no specific information comparing the use of liposomal daunorubicin in the elderly with use in any other age group. Safety and efficacy of liposomal daunorubicin in the elderly have not been established.

Other medicines—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 liposomal daunorubicin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Cyclophosphamide (e.g., Cytoxan) or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) or
• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines—Liposomal daunorubicin may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Probenecid (e.g., Benemid) or
• Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane)—Liposomal daunorubicin may raise the concentration of uric acid in the blood. Since these medicines are used to lower uric acid levels, they may not be as effective in patients receiving liposomal daunorubicin

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of liposomal daunorubicin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles)—Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Gout (history of) or
• Kidney stones—Liposomal daunorubicin may increase uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones

• Heart disease—Risk of heart problems caused by liposomal daunorubicin may be increased

• Infection—Liposomal daunorubicin can decrease your body's ability to fight infection

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Effects of liposomal daunorubicin may be increased because of slower removal from the body