Injexate
Injexate is a medicine that helps treat certain diseases like severe arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease by slowing down cell growth, reducing inflammation, and calming the immune system.
Form
injektioneste, liuos, esitäytetty injektori
Strength
12.5 mg
Active Ingredient
Methotrexate
Manufacturer
Accord Healthcare B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide your exact dose, which is adjusted for you personally.
Method
This medicine is given as an injection under the skin. It can be given by a healthcare professional, or you may learn to give it yourself after proper training.
Important
This medicine must only be taken once a week. Taking it more often can be fatal.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Inflammation of mouth lining, indigestion, nausea, loss of appetite, stomach pain.
- •Abnormal liver function tests (ASAT, ALAT, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase).
- •Mouth sores, diarrhea.
- •Rash, red skin, itching.
- •Headache, fatigue, drowsiness.
- •Reduced blood cell production, leading to fewer white and/or red blood cells and/or platelets.
RARE
- •Sore throat.
- •Bowel inflammation, vomiting, pancreatitis, black or tarry stools, stomach/intestinal ulcers and bleeding.
- •Sunburn-like reactions due to increased skin sensitivity to sunlight, hair loss, increased rheumatic nodules, skin ulcer, shingles, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), herpes-like rash, hives.
- •Onset of adult-onset diabetes.
- •Dizziness, confusion, depression.
- •Reduced serum albumin.
- •Reduced numbers of all blood cells and platelets.
- •Bladder or vaginal inflammation and ulcer, impaired kidney function, urination problems.
- •Joint pain, muscle pain, decreased bone mass.
- •Gum inflammation.
- •Increased skin pigmentation, acne, blue spots on skin due to bleeding (ecchymosis, petechiae), allergic vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).
- •Reduced blood antibodies.
- •Infection (including reactivation of inactive chronic infection), conjunctivitis (red eye).
- •Mood swings.
- •Vision problems.
- •Pericarditis (inflammation around the heart), fluid accumulation around the heart, heart compression due to fluid in the pericardium.
- •Low blood pressure.
- •Lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis), shortness of breath and asthma-like symptoms, fluid in the lung cavity.
- •Stress fracture.
- •Electrolyte imbalances.
- •Fever, poor wound healing.
- •Acute toxic colon enlargement (toxic megacolon).
- •Increased nail pigmentation, nail bed inflammation (acute paronychia), deep hair follicle infection (furunculosis), visible enlargement of small blood vessels.
- •Local injection site damage (sterile abscesses, changes in fatty tissue) after injection into muscle or under skin.
- •Pain, loss of strength or sensation, numbness or tingling / lower response to stimulation than normal, taste changes (metallic taste), convulsions, paralysis, meningism (symptoms like meningitis).
- •Worsening vision, non-inflammatory eye disease (retinopathy).
- •Loss of sexual desire, impotence, breast enlargement in men, impaired sperm formation (oligospermia), menstrual cycle disorders, vaginal discharge.
- •Enlarged lymph nodes (lymphoma).
- •Lymphoproliferative disorders (abnormal growth of white blood cells).
- •Increased number of certain white blood cells.
- •Nosebleed.
- •Protein in urine.
- •Feeling of weakness.
- •Bleeding from the lungs. If you cough up or spit blood, contact your doctor right away.
- •Jaw bone damage (due to abnormal growth of white blood cells).
- •Skin redness and peeling.
- •Swelling.
- •Tissue damage at the injection site.
- •Persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, and fever (signs of lung inflammation).
- •Symptoms of liver damage, such as yellow skin and eyes (jaundice). This can include chronic liver damage (cirrhosis), scarring of the liver (fibrosis), fatty liver, hepatitis, or liver failure.
- •Allergic symptoms like rash, red and itchy skin; swelling of hands, feet, ankles, face, lips, mouth, or throat (which can make it hard to swallow or breathe), and feeling faint. These can be signs of a severe allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock.
- •Symptoms of kidney damage, such as swelling of hands, ankles, or feet, changes in how often you urinate, or reduced or no urine (oliguria/anuria). These can be signs of kidney failure.
- •Signs of infection, such as fever, chills, body aches, sore throat. Methotrexate can make you more prone to infections. Rarely, severe infections like a type of pneumonia (Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia) or blood poisoning (sepsis) may occur.
- •Symptoms like weakness on one side of the body (stroke), or pain, swelling, redness, and unusual warmth in one leg (deep vein thrombosis - DVT).
- •Fever and severe general unwellness, or sudden fever with sore throat or mouth, or problems urinating. These can be signs of a sudden drop in white blood cells (agranulocytosis) or severe bone marrow suppression.
- •Unexpected bleeding, such as from the gums, blood in urine, vomiting blood, or bruising. These can be signs of a significant drop in platelets caused by severe bone marrow suppression.
- •Symptoms like severe headache, often with fever, stiff neck, feeling unwell, vomiting, confusion, disorientation, and light sensitivity. These can be signs of meningitis (inflammation of the brain's lining).
- •Certain brain disorders (encephalopathy/leukoencephalopathy) with symptoms like changes in mental state, movement disorders (ataxia), vision problems, or memory problems. These could be signs of a serious brain infection (PML).
- •Severe rash or blisters on the skin (which can also appear in the mouth, eyes, and genital area). These can be signs of very rare and serious skin conditions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome or Lyell's syndrome (toxic epidermal necrolysis).
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to methotrexate or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you have severe liver, kidney, or blood diseases.
- Avoid drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly while using this medicine.
- Do not use if you have a serious infection, such as tuberculosis, HIV, or other immune system problems.
- Do not use if you have mouth sores, or stomach or bowel ulcers.
Show 5 more warnings
- Avoid live vaccines while taking this medicine.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Methotrexate can cause birth defects, harm the fetus, or lead to miscarriage. Women must avoid pregnancy during treatment and for at least six months after. Men must avoid fathering a child during treatment and for at least three months after.
- Avoid strong sunlight and tanning beds without your doctor's advice. Protect your skin with clothing and high-factor sunscreen, as methotrexate can make skin sensitive to sunlight.
- Discuss with your doctor if you are elderly, generally unwell, dehydrated, have impaired liver function, or have diabetes treated with insulin.
- Avoid a lot of coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, and black tea during Injexate treatment.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category C
Suitable for older adults, with specific precautions. For the treatment of conditions other than cancer only once weekly. Organtoxic such as kidneys, liver and bone marrow. Reduce the dose already in mild renal impairment. Avoid use in severe renal impairment. Consider the numerous potential interactions. Remember blood tests to monitor safety. (updated 6.11.2023)