Before Using 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 glutethimide the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy—Studies of effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals. However, too much use of glutethimide during pregnancy may cause the baby to become dependent on the medicine. This may lead to withdrawal side effects after birth.

Breast-feeding—Glutethimide passes into the breast milk and may cause drowsiness in nursing babies.

Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients and there is no specific information comparing use of glutethimide in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults—Elderly people may be especially sensitive to the effects of glutethimide. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases 2 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 glutethimide it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners)—Glutethimide may change the amount of anticoagulant you need to take

• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants, other (medicine that causes drowsiness) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression)—Using these medicines together with glutethimide may increase the CNS and other depressant effects

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

• Enlarged prostate or
• Intestinal blockage or
• Irregular heartbeat or
• Porphyria or
• Stomach ulcer or
• Urinary tract blockage—Glutethimide may make the condition worse

• Kidney disease—Higher blood levels of glutethimide may result and increase the chance of side effects