Metoject Pen
Metoject PEN helps to slow down conditions like active rheumatoid arthritis, severe juvenile arthritis, moderate to severe psoriasis, and Crohn's disease.
Form
injektioneste, liuos, esitäytetty kynä
Strength
30 mg
Active Ingredient
Methotrexate
Manufacturer
Medac Gesellschaft Für Klinische Spezialpräparate mbH
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide your exact dose, but Metoject PEN is used only once a week.
Method
Metoject PEN is given as an injection under the skin once a week, supervised by a doctor or nurse.
Important
Metoject PEN must only be used once a week. Using it more often or taking too much can be life-threatening.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Inflammation of the lining of the mouth, digestive problems, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain.
- •Abnormal liver function tests.
- •Mouth ulcers, diarrhea.
- •Pustular rash, skin redness, itching.
- •Headache, fatigue, drowsiness.
- •Reduced blood cell formation and decreased white and/or red blood cells and/or platelets.
- •Persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, and fever (these can be signs of lung inflammation).
RARE
- •Coughing up blood or spitting blood (these can be signs of lung bleeding).
- •Symptoms of liver damage, such as yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.
- •Allergic symptoms, such as rash, red itchy skin, swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips, mouth or throat, and a feeling of weakness (these can be signs of a severe allergic reaction).
- •Symptoms of kidney damage, such as swelling of the hands, feet or ankles, changes in how often you urinate or reduced urine volume, or no urine at all (these can be signs of kidney failure).
- •Infection symptoms, such as fever, chills, body aches, or sore throat (these can be signs of serious infections).
- •Symptoms such as one-sided weakness (stroke) or pain, swelling, redness, and unusual warmth in one leg (these can happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel).
- •Fever and significant general weakness or sudden fever with sore throat or mouth pain or urination problems (these can be signs of a rapid decrease in certain white blood cells or severe bone marrow suppression).
- •Unexpected bleeding, for example, bleeding gums, blood in urine, vomiting blood, or bruising (these can be signs of a significant decrease in platelets).
- •Severe headache, often with fever, stiff neck, feeling unwell, vomiting, confusion about time and place, and sensitivity to light (these may indicate inflammation of the brain membranes).
- •Changes in mental state, movement problems (ataxia), vision problems, or memory problems (signs of certain brain diseases).
- •Severe rash or blistering of the skin (or in the mouth, eyes and genital area) (these can be signs of Stevens-Johnson syndrome or Lyell's syndrome).
- •Sore throat.
- •Intestinal 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 rheumatoid nodules, skin ulcers, shingles, vasculitis, herpes-like rash, urticaria.
- •Onset of diabetes.
- •Dizziness, confusion, depression.
- •Decreased serum albumin levels.
- •Decrease in all blood cells and platelets.
- •Bladder or vaginal inflammation and ulcers, impaired kidney function, abnormal urination.
- •Joint pain, muscle pain, decreased bone mass.
- •Gingivitis (gum inflammation).
- •Increased skin pigmentation, acne, blue spots on the skin due to bleeding (bruises, small red spots), allergic vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).
- •Decreased blood antibody levels.
- •Infection (including reactivation of inactive chronic infection), conjunctivitis (red eyes).
- •Mood swings.
- •Vision disturbances.
- •Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart), fluid accumulation in the pericardium, cardiac tamponade (heart compression due to fluid).
- •Low blood pressure.
- •Pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs), shortness of breath and bronchial asthma, fluid accumulation around the lungs.
- •Stress fracture.
- •Electrolyte disturbances.
- •Fever, impaired wound healing.
- •Acute toxic megacolon (severe widening of the large intestine).
- •Increased nail pigmentation, acute paronychia (nail bed inflammation), furunculosis (deep hair follicle infection), visible enlargement of small blood vessels.
- •Pain, weakness or numbness or tingling / lower than normal response to stimulation, taste changes (metallic taste), convulsions, paralysis, meningism.
- •Impaired vision, non-inflammatory eye disease (retinopathy).
- •Decreased libido, impotence, breast enlargement in men, abnormal semen formation (oligospermia), menstrual cycle disturbances, vaginal bleeding.
- •Enlarged lymph nodes (lymphoma).
- •Lymphoproliferative disorders (overgrowth of white blood cells).
- •Increased number of certain white blood cells.
- •Nosebleed.
- •Proteins in urine.
- •Feeling of weakness (asthenia).
- •Jaw bone damage (due to overgrowth of white blood cells).
- •Tissue damage at the injection site.
- •Skin redness and peeling.
- •Swelling.
Important Warnings
- Do not use Metoject PEN if you are allergic to methotrexate or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you have severe liver disease, severe kidney disease, or any blood disorder.
- Do not use if you often drink large amounts of alcohol.
- Do not use if you have a serious infection such as tuberculosis, HIV, or any other immune deficiency.
- Do not use if you have mouth sores, stomach ulcers, or intestinal ulcers.
Show 4 more warnings
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Methotrexate can cause birth defects and miscarriage. Women should avoid getting pregnant during treatment and for 6 months after. Men should avoid fathering a child during treatment and for 3 months after.
- Do not use if you are getting live vaccines at the same time.
- Avoid strong sunlight and sunbeds without your doctor's advice, as this medicine can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
- If you experience severe diarrhea, tell your doctor immediately, and treatment should be stopped.
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)