Certican
Certican is a medicine used in adults to help prevent your body from rejecting a transplanted kidney, heart, or liver.
Form
tabletti
Strength
0.25 mg
Active Ingredient
Everolimus
Manufacturer
Novartis Finland Oy
How to Use
Dosage
For kidney and heart transplants, the usual starting dose is 1.5 mg per day. For liver transplants, it's 2.0 mg per day. This dose is typically divided into two, taken once in the morning and once in the evening.
Method
Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water; do not crush them. Always take your medicine either with food or always on an empty stomach, and do not consume grapefruit juice or grapefruit while taking this medicine.
Important
Your doctor will decide your maximum daily dose based on your blood tests and how you respond to the treatment.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Infections (viral, bacterial, and fungal)
- •Lower respiratory tract infections, including lung infections (pneumonia)
- •Upper respiratory tract infections, such as sore throat and common cold
- •Urinary tract infections
- •Anemia (low red blood cell count)
- •Low white blood cell count (increasing infection risk); low platelet count (causing bleeding and bruising under the skin)
- •High blood fat levels (lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides)
- •New onset of diabetes (high blood sugar levels)
- •Low potassium levels in the blood
- •Anxiety
- •Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- •Headache
- •Fluid build-up around the heart, which if severe, can weaken the heart's ability to pump blood
- •High blood pressure
- •Blood clot in a large vein (venous thrombosis)
- •Fluid build-up in the lungs or chest cavity, which if severe, can cause shortness of breath
- •Cough
- •Shortness of breath
- •Diarrhea
- •Nausea
- •Vomiting
- •Abdominal pain
- •General pain
- •Fever
- •Fluid retention in tissues (edema)
- •Abnormal wound healing
- •Blood poisoning (sepsis)
- •Wound infections
- •Cancer and benign tumors
- •Skin cancer
- •Kidney damage with low platelet and red blood cell counts, possibly with rash (thrombocytopenic purpura / hemolytic uremic syndrome)
- •Breakdown of red blood cells
- •Low red blood cell and platelet counts
- •Fast heart rate
- •Nosebleeds
- •Low blood cell counts (symptoms may include weakness, bruising, and frequent infections)
- •Blood clots in kidney blood vessels, which can lead to transplant loss, often within 30 days after kidney transplant
- •Bleeding disorders
- •Cysts containing lymphatic fluid
- •Mouth or throat pain
- •Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- •Mouth sores
- •Acne
- •Hives (urticaria) and other allergic reactions, such as swelling of the face or throat (angioedema)
- •Rashes
- •Joint pain
- •Muscle pain
- •Protein in the urine
- •Kidney disorders
- •Impotence
- •Hernia at the surgical site
- •Abnormal liver test results
- •Menstrual problems (including missed or heavy periods)
RARE
- •Lymph tissue cancer (lymphomas / post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders)
- •Low testosterone levels
- •Lung inflammation
- •Liver inflammation
- •Jaundice
- •Ovarian cysts
- •Abnormal protein build-up in the lungs (symptoms can include persistent dry cough, tiredness, and breathing difficulties)
- •Blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis)
- •Swelling, feeling of heaviness or tightness, pain, limited movement of body parts (lymphatic fluid build-up, also called lymphedema)
- •Severe skin rashes with swelling
- •Low iron levels in the blood
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you are allergic to everolimus, sirolimus, or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- This medicine can weaken your immune system, making you more prone to infections. Contact your doctor immediately if you have fever, feel unwell, cough, pain when urinating, confusion, speech issues, memory loss, headache, vision problems, or seizures, as these can be signs of serious infection.
- Certican can increase the risk of wound healing problems after surgery.
- This medicine can increase the risk of cancer, especially skin and lymph node cancers. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing clothes and using high SPF sunscreen.
- If you have liver problems, tell your doctor, as your Certican dose might need to be adjusted.
Show 4 more warnings
- If you have breathing symptoms like coughing or wheezing, tell your doctor.
- This medicine can affect male fertility, which usually improves after stopping treatment. Discuss this with your doctor if you plan to have children.
- Do not take Certican if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor says it's absolutely necessary. Women who can become pregnant must use effective contraception during treatment and for 8 weeks after.
- Certican tablets contain lactose. If you have an intolerance to some sugars, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.